browning chemicals--favorites?

[buggybuilder]

Want to brown some barrels. I've read the forums and have decided that Danglers is the right one for me.
Where can I puchase this product?
Is there another product that is better and just as easy to apply?
Thanks

 

[Little Wattsy]

I am headed down the same path and was refered "Brownelles" Browning solution..

Am open to opinions though!

 

[pichou]

I know I will get flack, but BC hot "Plum Brown" is quick and easy.
Plus, you can find it in town, and not mail order it.

Use a oven and thermometer to get the right temp. Do the barrel one end at a time.

:v

 

[Birddog6]

BC hot "Plum Brown" is quick and easy.

Reminds me of a sign I used to have in my office. Fact & Cheap = poor workmanship & inferior products....... You will not find either here....... :haha:

That being said, I like Wahkon Bay TruBrown. Have used it for years, have always had a nice browning job afterwards. I do mine in a steamed bathroom & do a total heavy duty browning job on a barrel & all the misc in about 22-24 hrs. I card with a Dixcel wheel from Brownels. Several of the ML venders carry TruBrown.

Others like Laural Mountain browning solution & I hear it does some nice work, but have not tried it personally.

Used B.C. Plum Brown one time back in ? 1978. Never considered it again.... :grin:

 

[B.Habermehl]

Have to agree with Birddog. Wakhon Bay rust brown or blue is the best on the market. For a while when the product was off market I hoarded quite a supply. Now that it is back sold by Mike Lea, I am glad. Never again do I wish to use one of the hot fast browns. They do a poor job for me at least.

 

[pichou]

[Radio] "We're taking heavy flack!"

IF the temp is right, you get a nice, rich, even, plum brown.

If the temp and prep are wrong, you get...

 

[deadeye1]

I am finishing my first barrel using Danglers and I am very impressed with their product. I hear LMF has a good product also and that the steel does not need to be degreased.

 

[paulvallandigham]

WRONG! All metal that is going to be blued or browned, NEEDS to be degreased! There are NO shortcuts to finishing work.

 

[jtmattison]

I've used LMF and BC Plum Brown. I like the LMF for barrels and the BC for small parts.

HD

 

[ToddB]

I've used LMF and BC Plum Brown. I like the LMF for barrels and the BC for small parts.

HD

Why is that?

 

[renovato]

I have never tried Danglers, but it'd be hard to beat LMF for ease of application and being pretty foolproof. I've used Plum Brown and found it to be a big hassle in comparison. I haven't tried the Mark Lee brown, but I prefer their rust blue over anything I've tried yet. I didn't know that was the old Wahkon Bay product. Learn sumthin' new every day! :haha:

 

[ricklandes]

I have never tried Danglers, but it'd be hard to beat LMF for ease of application and being pretty foolproof. I've used Plum Brown and found it to be a big hassle in comparison. I haven't tried the Mark Lee brown, but I prefer their rust blue over anything I've tried yet. I didn't know that was the old Wahkon Bay product. Learn sumthin' new every day! :haha:

DITTO!

 

I have never tried Danglers, but it'd be hard to beat LMF for ease of application and being pretty foolproof. I've used Plum Brown and found it to be a big hassle in comparison. I haven't tried the Mark Lee brown, but I prefer their rust blue over anything I've tried yet. I didn't know that was the old Wahkon Bay product. Learn sumthin' new every day! :haha:

Well, here's somebody who screwed up with LMF after reading the instructions, twice. I finally just removed it, re draw filed the barrel and currently letting the barrel patina naturally.

 

[Vaino]

Many years ago after using BC Plum Brown in an unventilated basement {my bad}, I felt lousy for a month and never used it again. Tried various cold browns and because of the "easy handling" and prep w/ LMF, it's the only brown I use. The parts are wiped down w/ mineral spirits and then washed w/ "Dawn", thoroughly dried, application of LMF and into the sweat box. Handling the parts when carding isn't critical. Found that baking soda wasn't sufficient to neutralize the strong reaction of LMF, so now use household ammonia and have zero after rust. LMF has yielded excellent results 100% of the time......Fred

 

I have never tried Danglers, but it'd be hard to beat LMF for ease of application and being pretty foolproof. I've used Plum Brown and found it to be a big hassle in comparison. I haven't tried the Mark Lee brown, but I prefer their rust blue over anything I've tried yet. I didn't know that was the old Wahkon Bay product. Learn sumthin' new every day! :haha:

Well, here's somebody who screwed up with LMF after reading the instructions, twice. I finally just removed it, re draw filed the barrel and currently letting the barrel patina naturally.

Just to add, I heard so many goods things about LMF, which is why I bought it in the first place, that I'm sure it's a great product. I was just trying to say, no matter how foolproof people think some is, someone like me :grin: , will come along and prove you wrong :wink: :v

 

[CZMark]

Another vote for Wahkon Bay TruBrown. The only time I got an undesired result was once with a lock plate: I had it fairly well polished, and after browning tried to neutralize by dropping it in a pail of boiling water with baking soda. When I removed the lock plate, it was the prettiest blue I have ever seen. Had this been a modern gun, I would have been thrilled with the result; being a muzzleloader, I had to strip the blue and start over. :cursing:

 

[renovato]

I was just trying to say, no matter how foolproof people think some is, someone like me :grin: , will come along and prove you wrong :wink: :v

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

I had a few problems with it plating on copper the first time I tried it. In my attempt to get perfectly even coats, I was using the wrong applicator. A little steel wool removed it. I horked a few of those makeup remover pads from SWMBO and all was well. They're small trianguler, super soft and fine grained sponge type thingies. They hold a lot of liquid and require practically no pressure to put out an even, thin coating. Pressure or rubbing is what causes the copper in the first place. I didn't realize at the time that such an even coating wasn't that important, as the finish evens out nicely after a few coats anyway.

As for a rusting cabinet, I've used a steamy bathroom, but nothing beats a closet. I have a little 300 watt toe heater that I got from the hardware store to use under my desk in the winter. I put that and a cold mist humidifier in a closet and it created a warm humid climate that can be controlled easily. A hot plate would work just as well. The closet bar makes a nice place to hang the items.

 

[mykeal]

BC Plum Brown works very well. IF you get the temperature right. You can also repair it fairly easily, again, IF you control the temperature.

LMF also works very well. The key is humidity, lots of it. I built a fixture on a sawhorse that I set up in a basement bathroom that has a shower; put the parts in the fixture, turn on the hot water shower to steam up the room, apply the LMF, close the door and go watch the kids play for 3 hours. Oh, take off your glasses before turning on the shower and leave them in the other room.