GPR progress, fighting with browning.

[JimG]

Well the stock came out terrific! I thinned the forearm down a hair, cleaned up the wood around the lockplate, and slimmed the cheekpiece on the stock down considerably. Also got all of the factory sanding marks out of the wood. Stopped at 320 grit and went to 000 wool and finished with 0000 wool. No stain was used, just 7 coats of good 'ol Tru-oil. I sanded with 320 wet/dry between coats,except for the last two coats. Looks great. Now for the browning. Well it's not going good. I'm using LMF. Following the directions to 'T'. Even hanging the parts in the bathroom and periodically running the shower to steam up the room. They are streaky and are not really any shade of brown I've ever seen. I sanded every metal part with 320 grit and washed every part with hot soapy (Dawn) to degrease. I'm not 'scrubbing' to LMF on the metal but using long strokes or sometimes dabbing it on around contours where strokes would be impossible. I'm carding with a piece of denim. Any tips or hints would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[szihn]

Hi JimG
E-mail me and I will talk you through this.

Click on my name and my e-mail address comes up.
SZ

 

[JimG]

Will do, thanks.

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Jim,
Please post the solution that Steve works out with you. I blued my GPR, but will brown the Kentucky pistol I 'm working on. Would be much interested in how you did...
Scott

 

[Goldhunter]

Please post pics when you are done. :grin:

 

[JimG]

I'd like to but I'll have to borrow a digital camera as I don't own one. Actually I'm not sure any of my technologically un-advanced friends own one either. I'll have to ask.

 

[john12865]

Hi JimG
E-mail me and I will talk you through this.

Click on my name and my e-mail address comes up.
SZ

Why not share it with all your friends on the forum? :winking:

 

[Old40Rod]

320 grit may be too smooth. You might try backing off to 180 or 220. I've had the same thing happen before using 320 grit, which was solved by using 180 grit.

 

[brain]

Hi JimG
E-mail me and I will talk you through this.

Click on my name and my e-mail address comes up.
SZ

Why not share it with all your friends on the forum? :winking:

X2

 

[captaincaveman]

me 3 :winking:

Josh

 

[54JNoll]

I like to polish my barrels to 320 grit before browning as I think it makes a nice base for a better finish. But it does make it hard for the browning to get a good bite into the metal. I deal with this by letting the first coat have 12 hours in a damp box to etch the metal. Depending on the particular barrel I may card at this point or simply apply another coat of solution and place it back into the box if I can get back to it in three hours. If not I let it set outside the box. At this point I will card the barrel. With a fine polish it can take a while for the browning solution to get a good bite in the metal to really progress and even things out. Until then you can get anything from no reaction, to green or grey and splotches or orange or brown. I do not card if I have a green color as the solution has not sufficiently etched the metal to get a good start. I will card when I get good orange or brown coverage.

More frequent carding yields a finer smoother finish while longer cycles provide a more textured or matt finish.

 

[Old40Rod]

I like to polish my barrels to 320 grit before browning as I think it makes a nice base for a better finish. But it does make it hard for the browning to get a good bite into the metal.

Yup, in my experience, a 320 finish makes things much slower with LMF. I will finish to 320 grit, and then rough them back to 220. I've never had a problem with getting things to brown or a rough looking finish at 220.

 

[Vaino]

As I recall, I don't brown according to LMF's instructions. The bbl is draw filed and lightly rubbed w/ 220 grit paper, washed w/ "Dawn", warm rinsed and dryed. Put the bbl on the fixture and wet the patch so that one entire flat is wetted in one continuous, non-stop motion.The patch isn't so wet as to leave puddles. When all the "displayed" flats are done, the bbl goes into a sweat box for 12 hrs., another wetting and another 12 hours in the sweat box. The bbl is now carded w/ wet denim. These first two 12 hrs. yield a nice etched, matte finish. I normally apply three more applications, 3-4 hrs in the sweat box for each coat and card w/ wet denim in between coats. These last cycles produce a plum brown color. After the first twelve hrs, in the sweat box, a nice coat of fine rust is already evident. If another system is used and a yellow or black color is present, either the time or humidity was insufficient. Have done many bbls using LMF and all have been more than satisfactory, albeit w/ a slight variance in color. Household ammonia is painted on a couple of times and really "kills" the reaction as evidenced by no after rust.....Fred

 

[Birddog6]

I don't sand mine at all. I get all the cross file marks out with draw filing. If you do this carefully you can have it smooth as 320 & not round the edges of the flates. Clean with electrical cleaner & then apply browning in a steamy bathroom, card every 3 hrs with a Dixcel wheel, reapply solution & etc. Done in about 6-7 applications or under 24 hrs.
You have to be sure you use rubber gloves & that you don't contaminate the gloves or barrel. Toss them after every application & start again with fresh ones. Even oil residue on the doorknob of your shop will contaminate & cause a browning issue, as will ungloved fingers & etc.

If you us steel wool in any of the process, wash it out with electrical cleaner first as it comes with oil on it to keep it from rusting.

:thumbsup: