Vintage brass

[cjgregory]

Here is a photo that Art Caputo posted on one of my threads of an early Lancaster J. Dickert pattern rifle. The builder was Marvin Kemper.

I am ordering the parts. Ordered the barrel and semi inlet stock. The question is, does anyone know how to make the brass parts look vintage as in the photo? I’m not a fan of shiny brass parts. If there’s not a way I will just order regular iron parts and rust them.

 

[rchas]

You can order a brass blackening compound like JAX black or Birchwood Casey Brass Black. I just use a dirty cleaning patch. Wet it a little and rub it on the brass.

 

[R Ellis]

Raw egg smeared on brass will darken and dull it fast

 

[cjgregory]

Raw egg smeared on brass will darken and dull it fast

Just the whites or also the yolks?

 

[R Ellis]

I use it all kind of makes streaks on the brass

 

[reddogge]

On my son's rifle,

we hit it a couple of times with a dirty cleaning patch. The rest was time and oxidation. I'm not a fan of artificially aged brass.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

in my opinion I haven't found anything that gives the same color as naturally aged brass. If it is an engraved part I might do a thin wash of brown paint to high lite the engraving then leave it alone. Real brass will quickly tarnish. The rifle I am currently working on the brass has already lost the shine and the rifle isn't even finished yet.