Early Lancaster 1770 Barrel Finish

[rootnuke]

I want the barrel finish to be "all-natural" polished metal. In reading I understand that one would file, 180-320-400-600 sand the barrel to achieve this polished gray over time look.
I notice that many builders blue and brown their lock and barrels. I prefer the bare metal and gray over time look. Bluing seems modern and browning, well....hmm, :imo: just seems rusty and needs to be cleaned.

So with that said here are my 2 questions;

Are the above barrel preperation filing, sanding etc. steps in line with the polished bare metal look outcome?

In your opinion is the bare metal finish era authentic for a 1770 Early Lancaster?

TIA

 

[Doc Arroyo]

rootnuke-

I polish to 600 on a fine finished lock, but usually stop at 320 for trade locks and barrels. I like my locks left in the white, cuz it is easy for me to see when I haven't done a good job cleaning and lubing.

As for authentic, my guess is that most Lancaster rifles were in the white, with an option of fire blued.

 

I would recommend light colouring. I had a flint gun a few years that I had very lightly coloured grey after polishing, and it did not rust. Of course, I always cleaned it and perhaps it would not have rusted anyway. I used browning oil then only 15 minutes on, but recently I heard that mustard works too!

Robert

 

[rootnuke]

I would recommend light colouring. I had a flint gun a few years that I had very lightly coloured grey after polishing, and it did not rust. Of course, I always cleaned it and perhaps it would not have rusted anyway. I used browning oil then only 15 minutes on, but recently I heard that mustard works too!

Robert

So what you are saying is, in order to get an instant grey look to a white barrel you applied the browning for only 15 minutes.

 

If you are careful, you can color with a torch. Since I forge some items, I will sandblast to get rid of the scale, wirebrush for some sheen and use the torch to get anything from a light gold to peacock blue. Just don't use on anything that still has springs attached.

 

[54JNoll]

Leaving the barrel in the white is very authentic to the period as is fire blueing. You can gray the finish somewhat by cutting a potatoe and wiping it over the metal. Naval Jelly will also provide a grayish color but is a bit more agressive.

 

[rootnuke]

What if I used Vinegar and soaked the barrel for 3-4 days to gray the metal. Would vinegar not have the same effect as Naval jelly?

 

[Donny]

Mike Brooks is a contemperary gunmaker of note. He with a few others, uses bleach on the barrel. It rusts the metal fast, then use 0000 steel wool to take it down to the color you want. This gives a look of a barrel that originally was in the white, then grayed over time.

 

[Zonie]

Just a word of caution about Bleach. It works Very Fast and if your not careful your steel will look like this:

In this guns case, I wanted this look but it's not for everyone
or every gun.

If you want to read more about this gun, it is posted in the Photo section under Schnieder&Glassic.

 

[rootnuke]

The reason I mention the vinegar idea is from time to time I soak tools in vinegar to remove rust. In the process of soaking tools I have placed tools which had no rust on them partially in vinegar to soak. After a couple days there is a distictive line where half the tool is a gray color and the part of the tool not submerged in vinegar is unchanged.
If I leave a piece of metal in vinegar for a week it will turn almost black.

The only reason I can think that Naval Jelly would be best is its application to the outside of the barrel only. Soaking in vinegar would also soak the inside if the barrel.

The bleach idea scared me.

 

[54JNoll]

If you like the results you have gotten with your vinegar experiments thus far I would use that. You kow how it works and approximately what soaking time to achieve a desired color or effect. Thus it is a known item for you.

You can protect the bore with wooden or rubber plugs. You can also coat the bore with varnish. Than simply use a varnice stripper to remove it following the vinegar treatment. This is the method used by gunsmiths rust blueing modern steel barrels.

 

[Donny]

Here is the antiqued bleach effect should work.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0703/Gunmaker/Clemons%20Fowler/clemonsfowler5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0703/Gunmaker/Clemons%20Fowler/clemonsfowler9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0703/Gunmaker/Clemons%20Fowler/clemonsfowler10.jpg

 

[tg]

I like the naval jelly for ease of application..brush on and repeat occasionally for 3-4 hrs to keep moist then neutralize, the vinigar might work with a gauze wrapped barrel and occasionaly soaking the gauze to keep moist.

 

[rootnuke]

I think the vinegar gauze idea could be a problem. I think there could be an issue with a pattern effect on the surface of the metal as a result of the gauze. Don't know for sure though, just trying to think forward.

 

[rootnuke]

I have decided to use Naval Jelly. It seems out of all the ideas the most controllable.
You can find Naval Jelly which has nothing to do with the Navy or your naval at Autozone. Autozone has about 25 million, trillion locations. Cost $2.99

 

[tg]

I have never tried the gauze and it might give a mottled effect...which some would try for anyway????? If you ever find a junk ML for next to nothing grab it and draw file the barrel for testing different methods, I have a short section I have filed and refiled while trying different finshes.

 

[rootnuke]

Leaving the barrel in the white is very authentic to the period as is fire blueing. You can gray the finish somewhat by cutting a potatoe and wiping it over the metal. Naval Jelly will also provide a grayish color but is a bit more agressive.

ok, so if Naval Jelly is to be used to gray the barrel, what is the forums idea of the proper proceedure of graying the barrel with Naval Jelly.
Currently my barrel has been filed and nicely sanded to 180 then 400 grit.

More sanding? Degreasing? or straight to the chase?

 

[LSU TIGER]

You could give it a fast wiping with denatured alcohol, but not extensively. Try it first on the underside. When I charcoal blue a barrel, I clean it in and out and don't touch it with bare hands until after it cools from "cooking." You should not have to go that far for naval jelly. :m2c: :thumbsup:

 

[tg]

I think I sanded the last one I did to about the point mentioned above, gave it a quick wipe with alchohol on a damo cloth then painted the jelly on it and re painted often enough to keep it moist for about 3 hrs. then rinsed it off and neutralized with washing soda and dried with a blow dryer and wiped down with a light oil, if not colored enough after the rinse you can repeat the jelly thing 'till you get the look you want, I did the lock in the same way.

 

[rootnuke]

I think I sanded the last one I did to about the point mentioned above, gave it a quick wipe with alchohol on a damo cloth then painted the jelly on it and re painted often enough to keep it moist for about 3 hrs. then rinsed it off and neutralized with washing soda and dried with a blow dryer and wiped down with a light oil, if not colored enough after the rinse you can repeat the jelly thing 'till you get the look you want, I did the lock in the same way.

So once I rinse the NJ off I would only use a damp cloth, no steel wool or sandpaper is needed. ? Just wipe down with soda and oil it up.