How’s This Look?

[Valkyrie]

I’m working ion a Kibler Colonial. The assembly and fit up is finished and went very smooth. Perfect in fact.

Now it’s finish work. So I have the entire lock cleaned up, polished and assembled. I finished up to 00 steel wool and then used Oxpho blue and used 0000 steel wool to take that back to a gunmetal blue look. I just finished the trigger guard and filed, sanded and went to a gray scotchbrite pad finish then used Oxpho blue once again and rubbed it back to highlight the decor on the piece.

My goal is a well cared for but well used and aged patina look for the entire rifle.

Here is the trigger guard.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Nice.

 

[Valkyrie]

Nice.

Thanks!

 

[rich pierce]

Depending on how far you like to go, you may choose to have the areas rubbed by hands and gun cases to be shiny, or at the least, less tarnished, on the guard. Areas never touched - inside of the rail - darker.

 

[Valkyrie]

Depending on how far you like to go, you may choose to have the areas rubbed by hands and gun cases to be shiny, or at the least, less tarnished, on the guard. Areas never touched - inside of the rail - darker.

It’s a rabbit hole for certain. I have thought a lot about how far I wanna take it.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

I think it looks good but your opinion is the only one that matters. Can always let time and wear take it from here.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I like that kind of look too, good job!

 

[IanH]

The only visual issue I see with "rubbing back" is the methods most people use (Scotch Brite, steel wool) tend to leave a "brushed" finish instead of the appearance that natural wear from handling leaves. Oxpho Blue is good for this kind of antiquing, but a clean, muslin buffing wheel or a piece of burlap worked manually, "shoe shine" style will create a more natural looking finish. As was said, you could just blue it and use it a bit, the Oxpho Blue wears away in the right places very quickly with half a dozen spirited range trips.

 

[Valkyrie]

The only visual issue I see with "rubbing back" is the methods most people use (Scotch Brite, steel wool) tend to leave a "brushed" finish instead of the appearance that natural wear from handling leaves. Oxpho Blue is good for this kind of antiquing, but a clean, muslin buffing wheel or a piece of burlap worked manually, "shoe shine" style will create a more natural looking finish. As was said, you could just blue it and use it a bit, the Oxpho Blue wears away in the right places very quickly with half a dozen spirited range trips.

I don’t want to take any type of machinery to it. I’ll try burlap. Have some laying around somewhere.

 

[Valkyrie]

I think it looks good but your opinion is the only one that matters. Can always let time and wear take it from here.

Thanks. I like it and it’s what I see in my mind’s eye. The high polish just doesn’t look right to me and I don’t want to things to get rounded over with a polishing process or a buffer. I’ll hopefully finish up the gun in the next week or so. I just take an hour or two every evening.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I used Oxy Blue for many years and projects. I always used 0000 steel wool. Never a "brushed" finish, just nice and smooth.

 

[Nav]

I think I prefer making guns that look brand new with shiny polished parts or new looking black/blue. I don’t see the point in accelerating patina or “pre aging”.

This thing all things devours;
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats mountain down.

 

[IanH]

I used Oxy Blue for many years and projects. I always used 0000 steel wool. Never a "brushed" finish, just nice and smooth.

Indian not the arrow thing. 6-O works even better IMO. I like the muslin wheel because it's fast. Don't try to buff it to a shine, just barely graze the high spots to lighten the color.

 

[IanH]

I think I prefer making guns that look brand new with shiny polished parts or new looking black/blue. I don’t see the point in accelerating patina or “pre aging”.

This thing all things devours;
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats mountain down.

I feel that way too for the most part, but I do like to put a few year's of use head start on bright metal, if for no other reason than to dull down the "bling" right away. They get used and maintained and look like whatever they're going to look like with use and care from then on. The Oxpho gradually wears off and gets replaced with real patina in time.

 

[reddogge]

For the only brass mounted gun I built I rubbed the polished parts with black powder fouled patches and let everything just age naturally. It worked out fine and looks very original.

 

[Flintandsteel]

I got an unrelated question.
In Norse mythology, a Valkyrie is a female.
Please, no offense intended. Just wondering?

 

[Nav]

Hell yes they’re female. You want to be taken to paradise by a dude?

 

[PathfinderNC]

It’s important that all parts of the gun look coherently aged or stressed or whatever you’re going for. Old guns have signs of wear all over them, particularly the stock and finish. It should all blend.

 

[Mike in FL]

Very nice. But I've never understood why folks want their BP gun to look aged or worn. At one time, all gun were new. If we had lived in the 1700 - 1800s and bought a new rifle we would not have aged it. Is it because we want them to look like we have an original gun from back then? I don't mean to disparage anyone's methods or likes/dislikes; it is just a thing I don't understand. We all should do what we like - everyone is different..

 

[Valkyrie]

Very nice. But I've never understood why folks want their BP gun to look aged or worn. At one time, all gun were new. If we had lived in the 1700 - 1800s and bought a new rifle we would not have aged it. Is it because we want them to look like we have an original gun from back then? I don't mean to disparage anyone's methods or likes/dislikes; it is just a thing I don't understand. We all should do what we like - everyone is different..

I like how it accentuated the decor on the metal and I dislike bright shiny brass.

If you really want to talk about the perceived beauty in artificial aging, look up guitar relicing. People literally take a $7-8k electric guitar brand new and have it banged up, worn, nicked, chipped, rusted, tarnished and otherwise beat to make it look 70 years old. Then pay another $3-5k just for that on top.