DIY Defarbing and Refinishing

[B P Arn]

That’s a mighty fine looking blue on that Remington!

Have you ever tried a Nitre blue with that setup? A cylinder and screws in Nitre blue would be beautiful contrasting against the dark frame and barrel.

Great work!

NO! NO! NO!!!! Do not nitre blue anything that is tempered or is a load bearing element!

Nitre bluing requires something like 750 degrees to do right. That will destroy a cylinder or frame.

New guns that are "Nitre Blued" or "Charcoal Blued" are no better than the "Color Case Hardening" that is done these days. It is in name only. It is cosmetic only!

I cringe when I see some well-meaning poster demonstrating how to "heat blue" a gun part buy lightin' 'er up with the torch, and maybe dropping it in oil. Do not do that either.

Screws are fine I suppose, but I would rust blue or hot oxide blue only, and rust blue is too much work!

 

[Frod733]

Just to add to this thread. How would one age brass to make it look like aged original brass? There is just something very mellow about old brass that has aged well. It is not stained, colored, but soft and rich in appearance. Just look at some originals and you know what I mean. Is it possible to recreate this?

 

[springfield art]

Just to add to this thread. How would one age brass to make it look like aged original brass? There is just something very mellow about old brass that has aged well. It is not stained, colored, but soft and rich in appearance. Just look at some originals and you know what I mean. Is it possible to recreate this?

I know what you mean; I'm sure many have used the commercial "Brass Black", but the aging you illustrate is something that only time can perform!

 

[Bad Karma]

Just to add to this thread. How would one age brass to make it look like aged original brass? There is just something very mellow about old brass that has aged well. It is not stained, colored, but soft and rich in appearance. Just look at some originals and you know what I mean. Is it possible to recreate this?

Kibler has some tips on his website.

 

[springfield art]

I've stripped and stained a few muzzle loader stocks; the light colored, urethane, replicas that don't look right as "out of the box". Much more authentic looking re-finished.

 

[sturmkatze]

I do not get the idea at all..take a gun and mess it up so it looks like a 160 year old gun vs what they looked like when used and packed in the 1850-70s.

It’s a free country. To each their own.

 

[1stnamebassist]

I aged some by getting a plastic container with a lid. Get a piece of wood or plastic or anything to make a platform to put inside the container to put your brass pieces on. Then make a mixture of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and table salt. I never measured the amounts I just mix whatever proportions. Add it to the bottom of the container but make sure it’s below the platform you set the brass on. Put the brass parts on your platform and close the lid. Leave it there for awhile and check the finish once in awhile. When you get the finish you like take the parts out and rinse them off and your done. You can heat the container with a lamp or something a bit to speed things along. I’ll post a picture to show you how mine came out.

 

[tucosink]

Ammonia fumes works for me with brass

 

[kh54]

Ammonia fumes works for me with brass

Same here. I’ve achieved the mustard-colored patina on Italian made powder flasks by suspending them in a closed jar with a little household ammonia in the bottom of the jar. Works well enough for me.