Browning

[nkbj]

Does anyone make up their own browning solution?
What have you experienced with Birchwood Casey versus Laurel Mountain?

 

[Zonie]

I haven't made my own.
I see no reason to bother. There are several good products on the market so I use those.

Birchwood Casey Plum Brown is a heat activated browning solution. It requires the metal to be heated up to a temperature above 250 degrees F and below 290 degrees F to work right.

It also acts instantly but usually needs several coats to make the surface appear the same.
Because of this I have quit using it on large items like barrels but I do use it for small parts like lockplates/trigger guards (steel)/ butt plates (steel) and so forth.

The coating is very thin and easily scratched. If scratching isn't a problem it is quite resistant to normal wear.



Laurel Mountains browning agent is a cold process which needs fairly high humidity to work.
The rust it forms is very hard and difficult to scratch.

Although it takes longer to brown the part, IMO the final result is much better than the Birchwood Casey browning.

 

[nkbj]

After going through the 1906 Scientific American Book Of Formulas and wandering around the interseine it appeared that the basic recipe is about what these fellas tried out. http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2364&context=utk_chanhonoproj

 

[galamb]

I use LMF.

Can take up to a week to get the desired results (well the waiting part anyhow) but prefer it to others because it can be used to do rust blue as well with an added step.

It's (cheap) and there is pretty much no special prep (can put it on after handling the barrel with bare hands) - just put it on and set it aside, rub it down after a day or so and apply the next coat.

 

[Zonie]

Hey.
Nothin' like a little Hydrochloric acid, copper chloride, ferric chloride and white arsenic to make one's day!

Or, Mercuric chloride, copper sulphate, potassium nitrate, ferric chloride, black brimstone, nitric acid, spirit of nitre, alcohol and water?

Yummy!

IMO, messing around with stuff like this can lead to more than your hair falling out. :grin:

Oh, these ingredients actually came from a book I have that lists hundreds of different browning solutions. It was written by R.H.Angier and is available today.

 

[nkbj]

The good stuff! Reminds me of the day in chemistry class that the guy didn't see the smoking solution pooled on the stool seat. :idunno:

What brand of browning solution was it that had the Indian head on the label?

 

[Lock Nut]

Wahkon Bay. I found in most cases that stuff will give you a more of red brown color than a plum brown if that's what you desire.

 

[kaintuck]

LMF 100%
:hatsoff:

 

[nkbj]

Got some LMF in today's mail.
Planning on purtying up Ol' Ugly first. What's the best way to not rust the threads out of that string of holes down the top flat and the bottom rib screws holes?
A stainless screw and lock-tite or never-seize in each one while browning?
Same thing with the nipple threads?