No pics but I cleaned a barrel with Evaporust and Scotchbrite and left it outside (on the carport) for a few days. It is pretty lightly rusted but not covered evenly yet, with some bare spots. If it gets a good even light rust overall, should I steelwool it and oil it?
Natural ? browning
- Thread starter tom in nc
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I would take a piece of denim or rough cloth and soak it with hot water and scrub the barrel a bit, rinse it off, wipe it down and hang it up again. Without a browning solution you could be spending a week or two rusting, scrubbing and hanging several times. Probably should let it hang for a few days each time. If the humidity is low it may take a lot longer. Why not brown with homemade solution like peroxide vinegar and salt? May speed things up. I wouldn’t use 0000 steel wool until you have several coats of rust done and then very lightly. You could easily remove all the work you did if you rub with the steel wool too hard.
Is there any reason you choose not to use a browning solution? They work really well.
Yeah what Eric said. Laurel Mountain Forge is great and inexpensive and easy to use. Should take no more than two three days depending on the weather.
With your method you may not get an even browning job but you will get a pleasant patina like what developed on my formally grayed fowler barrel in spite of it being liberally oiled.
Here's how it turned out. There were some too light spots but fortunately they were on the bottom, hidden flats. This is it reassembled back in the stock and oiled. Now I'm trying to remember where I put the tang screw and the nipple. Well at least I can easily replace both of them.
This barrel had a broken nipple that I removed then drilled and threaded with a 1/4" tap. However, I did not have a bottoming or plug tap so I plan to get one so I can have all the treads possible on the hole for the nipple.
I have another barrel rusting outside now and will see how it turns out in a day or two.
Grab one of those small magnetic parts trays while you are at it! Super cheap at places like harbor freight or walmart. So handy for projects that take some time, so all the parts stay together. If some parts are brass, just put them in a ziplock and use a nut or something to keep it in the tray...
Oh I do like how your gun is looking!
Oh I do like how your gun is looking!
Thanks, I have a few of those trays, matter of fact that might be where my parts are!
looks great!!
I think your barrel would look absolutely awesome with just some more judicious light steel wooling. Clean it, then do it dry, with clean steel wool, not with oil or oiled wool. Oiled only after. My opinion only.
Grind most of the taper off the tip of that starting tap and finish the hole.
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