There's GOTTA be a way to get an even browning finish on a b

[Dane]

Once you get this figured out, you'll see how workable this stuff is.
You can go from course, crusty brown, to finely textured, shiney purple black that will rival any hot blue job.
It's all in how you work it.
More aggressive, less carding= coarse, thicker browning.
Less aggressive . Card more often= darker, smoother shinier.
You can even boil it and make it a rust blue.

 

[crockett]

Well Smollett the first thing is to take a deep breath and relax. We WILL get you up and running and you WILL do it.
This is a task you can easily "over do it". The job is simple. It keep simple.
I wear gloves and degrease- not necessary but I do it any how.
The first time I did a barrel I sanded down to #600 grit, the finish was so smooth the rust would not take. Most stop at #240 however I now go to #320 sand paper. The browning rust has its own texture, you don't get a finer/smoother finish going beyond #320. For your first barrel I'd go to #240 because it will be easier to rust. A lot of top builders never go finer than #240 sand paper. The resultant rust obliterates the sand paper marks.
I hang a damp towel over a pie plate inside the humidity box. Keep it away from touching the barrel or dripping on it. I also put in a regular lamp, the light bulb provides just the right amount of heat. I put a big leaf bag over the outside of the box after the barrel is inside- to hold in humidity. Again, not needed but that's how I do it.
The solution is a rust creator and a rust remover, just a quick swipe.
BUT what if the swipe missed a spot? Forget it, cover that area next time.
Wait 3 OR MORE hours.
Don't use steel wool to card with LMF- you'll remove all the rust, just use a heavy towel and hot, distilled water. To be honest this carding business is overdone. You could probably skip it. The carding is supposed to remove "loose rust" but that loose rust was a result of other browning methods, you really don't get much loose rust with LMF so just wipe it with a cloth towel and warm (not hot) distilled water. The only loose rust I've ever encountered with LMF is when I left the barrel in the humidity box 8-10 hours.
After 5-6 coats you should be done however the finish may be a little spotty. Beeswax or linseed oil really evens out the finish. Some folks prefer beeswax to linseed oil. I use linseed oil. After 5-6 coats when the barrel is brown but might not be perfectly smooth, try a little of both on the bottom flat of the barrel- the flat that wouldn't be seen when the barrel is in the stock. Do one half in beeswax and one half in linseed oil to see which you prefer.
SIDEBAR: there is another type of uneven finish that results from rubbing the solution back and forth as it is being applied. This spotting has a shiny metallic aspect- like a new copper penny. If you get that copper effect it is very hard to correct. You are probably better off sanding back to bare metal and starting over again.

 

[Vaino]

My bbls are browned in the winter and although a makeshift "sweat box" is used, the humidity is very low. I don't go by "time"....only by the amount of rust. Have had to leave a bbl in for 10 hrs to achieve a sufficient amount of rust. If the bbl is black or some areas are, then the rusting is incomplete and more time is needed.

I wash the bbl w/ mineral spirits and then a hot wash w/ Dawn and a hot rinse.

I just dampen the bbl......it doesn't take much LMF to rust the bbl.

It takes me 30-36 hrs to brown a bbl w/ LMF.......Fred

 

[crockett]

I agree, whatever it takes. If it's 10 hours in the sweat box then that's that. This "Box" can be any sort of makeshift thing. Personally, I think it helps on the barrels. The only negative is in rare cases the rusted finish might be a little rougher although carding could probably smooth it out. As stated, on the small parts- they're easy.

 

[fleener]

what are you using for carding? if steel wool, degrease it as well. That might be part of your problem.

I too use the carding wheel from Bownells, makes it much easier.

I don't use the same acid you do, but at times you must need more applications and it will even out.

Fleener

 

[Zonie]

Yes.
Steel wool comes with a wax on it to keep it from rusting on the store shelf.

If the wax isn't removed from the steel wool before it is used to card the barrel, it will deposit the wax on the metal.

LM Browning agent is good stuff but it will meet its match against wax.

I use muratic acid to dewax steel wool but that's kind of a nasty process.
A good dose of Disk Brake Cleaner might do a number on the wax. It's worth a try. Just do it outdoors so you don't have to breath the fumes.

 

[jerrywh]

Zonie is right you can't use regular steel wool from the hardware store. You can but oil free steel wool from some sources on the internet. Probably Brownel or
maybe even track of the wolf. Midway maybe. I use a .003 steel brush from brownels at slow speed on my drill press. I never let a barrel rust over 2 hours. Even if it doesn't look rusty it is.

 

[Dane]

If you've gotta use steel wool, you can degrease it with lacquer thinner. A soft Drixel scratch wheel from Brownells is perfect. They're pricey. Around $30, but well worth the price.

 

[crockett]

I think there are various rusting agents/compounds and some are aggressive enough to produce a rust of which some may be loose. In any event one uses steel wool (degreased) to card with these particular methods so as to remove the loose rust. If you are too aggressive you remove ALL the rust and are back to square one.
My experience with LMF browning solution is that a terry cloth towel is all that is needed, you really don't need the steel wool. I'm always for the easiest approach so try the terry cloth first and see how that works.

 

[BrownBear]

My experience with LMF browning solution is that a terry cloth towel is all that is needed, you really don't need the steel wool. I'm always for the easiest approach so try the terry cloth first and see how that works.

Same here. I tried burlap too, and it works on courser rust, but the terry cloth is better for a first try to "see what you're dealing with." More often than not, it's all I've needed.

 

[Vaino]

Most of the time, I only use wet denim to card, but there have been times when "more" is needed.....that's when I lightly use green "Scotchbrite".... no oils to contend w/. This is used early on to lessen what would become a rougher finish later on. Has "saved" a couple of browns that were for some reason kinda glazed over.....too heavy a rust layer.......Fred

 

[kaintuck]

old blue jeans and the hot shower.....'carding' is just really wiping~
then there's the STOPPING the rust process....that's what always worrries me!
marc n tomtom

 

[vulture]

I've used two types of browning in my building life, one was the standard off the shelf stuff sold by Birtchwood Casy, the other was an acid made up by a chemist for the old Green River Rifle Works here in Roosevelt, Utah. The first didn't work as well as I would have liked, but the acid worked wonders. One thing I was taught by a builder friend of mine was to make sure the metal was "perfectly" clean. He cleaned his using the bead blaster he had in is auto shop. I used that same unit on one rifle and a sand blaster on another, the bead blaster takes all the oil and grease off without damaging the metal, the sand blaster did the same but left a rougher finish, both then browned up wonderfully, the one just having a rougher finish on when completed. Once they are blasted you have to wrap the metal parts in something clean, I used paper towels, wrapped them inside the blasting unit. It is my humble opinion that the hardest part of the process is getting the metal perfectly free of all oils, including finger prints.

 

[MSK]

When carding with a terry cloth towel, do you wet the towel or use it dry?

 

[crockett]

Wet it with some hot but not boiling hot water. Scrub the metal just in case there is any loose rust, let dry. As I said, you could probably skip the whole thing if using LMF and still be okay. It is a simple job, don't over complicate it.

 

[crockett]

And...I originally thought all browning- rust inhibiting solutions were the same. Apparently not and that is why some confusion results. With LMF you just use the terry cloth/denim. LMF is a good product, since I started using it I have used nothing else.

 

[MSK]

Sounds good. Thank you.

Smollett