What metal finish for new build?

[Tumbledown]

So I've started my SMR build and am pretty well set on the wood finish I'll use ( Iron Nitrate stain, Tannic Acid treatment and Oil finish). I'm still stuck on what finish to use on the barrel, lock and other steel parts though. I'm not wanting a Modern blue job but would like something that rubs down to a medium grey. I'd also like something fairly durable to hold up to cleaning. The only references I can find in the Kibler vids are 5 years old and for a private label brass blackening solution. So is there a standard recommendation from the group here? Advice (and pics ) greatly appreciated.

Do you want an authentic, period finish, or a fantasy finish?

 

[Tumbledown]

Hmmmm .... these firearms aren't period vintage. Why should methods to make them representative of so also be period vintage? Use and do whatever works to achieve the desired end result.

Because it's like building a replica of a Model T and painting it white, or painting a colonial home in pastels. Blued, browned, or blackened finishes look out of place.

 

[olskool]

I haven't read anything from Dave saying that. There has been lengthy discussions about bluing or browning, on this site and ALR, with the conclusion American gunsmiths finished steel/iron either bright or gray. Any "brown" finish has come with age, and there are no known examples of barrels browned at the time the gun was made.

here you go, if I am not wrong this is from Dave, I saved it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Don't let anyone tell you that browning, bluing, or darkening the cast textured surface of the lock is in any way historically correct. It is an immediate give away that the gun is modern made. No matter how you color it, file, sand, and polish off the cast texture. The photos below show how I finish gun locks. Locks in the 18th century were usually made from wrought iron and were case hardened. A color case as shown in my last photo is appropriate for some 19th century American guns and some English guns made after about 1780 or so. In America, any colors from casing were usually polished off. Locks were either polished bright or colored by temper bluing and charcoal bluing. Rust browning or bluing was not used in America until almost the 19th century. The late flint lock on the third gun down is charcoal blued, the others not polished bright were temper blued or temper bronzed. It is easy to polish a lock bright. Just use files, polishing stones, and/or wet sand paper. Burnish with steel wool. Do not use a buffing wheel because it will round corners and dish out screw holes. When using sand paper always back it with a file or wood to keep from doing the same thing. For temper coloring, polish the parts and then heat slowly to 490 degrees F to get a bronze color or 600 to get a blue. You can do the bronze in a kitchen oven. Leave the part for at least 30 minutes at temp. For blue, you can use a torch but a casting oven is better. Regardless, heat the parts for at least 30 minutes and then air cool. When just cool enough to touch with dishwashing gloves, rub the parts with rottenstone dipped in boiled linseed oil. That will deepen the color and also the oil will bond with the warm metal. For charcoal bluing you need a real heat source. I have a casting burn out oven with programmable temperature controls. The parts are packed in charcoal within in a steel box with lid. Then the box is heated to 900 degrees F for 3 hours. It is then let cool and the still warm parts are removed an rubbed with rottenstone and linseed oil. Then they are again degreased and packed in charcoal for another heating cycle. Two cycles is usually enough and the parts rubbed with rottenstone and linseed oil after the second heating. This gives a deep and durable blue hat was often found on English guns and occasionally on 18th century American guns.

 

[COTNTOP]

There was one cat here that browned his barrels then worked them down with steel wool. Then blued on top of the brown to get an old looking finish. Been a while but it looked really good.

 

[Tumbledown]

here you go, if I am not wrong this is from Dave, I saved it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Don't let anyone tell you that browning, bluing, or darkening the cast textured surface of the lock is in any way historically correct. It is an immediate give away that the gun is modern made. No matter how you color it, file, sand, and polish off the cast texture. The photos below show how I finish gun locks. Locks in the 18th century were usually made from wrought iron and were case hardened. A color case as shown in my last photo is appropriate for some 19th century American guns and some English guns made after about 1780 or so. In America, any colors from casing were usually polished off. Locks were either polished bright or colored by temper bluing and charcoal bluing. Rust browning or bluing was not used in America until almost the 19th century. The late flint lock on the third gun down is charcoal blued, the others not polished bright were temper blued or temper bronzed. It is easy to polish a lock bright. Just use files, polishing stones, and/or wet sand paper. Burnish with steel wool. Do not use a buffing wheel because it will round corners and dish out screw holes. When using sand paper always back it with a file or wood to keep from doing the same thing. For temper coloring, polish the parts and then heat slowly to 490 degrees F to get a bronze color or 600 to get a blue. You can do the bronze in a kitchen oven. Leave the part for at least 30 minutes at temp. For blue, you can use a torch but a casting oven is better. Regardless, heat the parts for at least 30 minutes and then air cool. When just cool enough to touch with dishwashing gloves, rub the parts with rottenstone dipped in boiled linseed oil. That will deepen the color and also the oil will bond with the warm metal. For charcoal bluing you need a real heat source. I have a casting burn out oven with programmable temperature controls. The parts are packed in charcoal within in a steel box with lid. Then the box is heated to 900 degrees F for 3 hours. It is then let cool and the still warm parts are removed an rubbed with rottenstone and linseed oil. Then they are again degreased and packed in charcoal for another heating cycle. Two cycles is usually enough and the parts rubbed with rottenstone and linseed oil after the second heating. This gives a deep and durable blue hat was often found on English guns and occasionally on 18th century American guns.

That is for the lock and I'll concede that point (and admit to learming something), but there is no mention of the barrel or other hardware.

 

[olskool]

That is for the lock and I'll concede that point (and admit to learming something), but there is no mention of the barrel or other hardware.

I am Fairley sure that is for any part, but we were not alive then, so we really don't know if they used it on just the lock or all parts, but I like it either way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Tumbledown]

I am Fairley sure that is for any part, but we were not alive then, so we really don't know if they used it on just the lock or all parts, but I like it either way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

No, Dave is specifically referring to locks. Are there any existing examples of other parts getting such treatment, because we don't have to have been alive then if there's evidence today. Assuming it would have been done is just speculation.

 

[olskool]

No, Dave is specifically referring to locks. Are there any existing examples of other parts getting such treatment, because we don't have to have been alive then if there's evidence today. Assuming it would have been done is just speculation.

well I don't think they used cold blue rubbed back either. but nevertheless, and either way, I like the temper bronze on all small parts as I do the cold blue rubbed back. it is fun to speculate and experiment,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Kmcmichael]

I have had good luck with rust blue and I like the looks. It is probably the most weather resistant. Whether they did it or not, I don’t care. I’ve browned also. The JaxBlack is pretty quick.
It is your gun.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

here are a couple of photos, but you will have to clock on them,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
View attachment 371108View attachment 371109View attachment 371110View attachment 371111View attachment 371112View attachment 371115View attachment 371116

Thanks for the pictures, looks good!

 

[Sagebrush]

I too used Jax Black on my fowler. I'm pleased with it and will use it again.

 

[2Moons]

I used Jax black on my SMR and was pleased with ease and durability of finish.