Artificially aging brass

4

4V50 Gary

Staff
I'm almost finished with a powder horn I started last semester. It was a lunch time project when I couldn't use a lathe or mill and had time to kill. I scrimshawed the Santa Fe trail on it and some significant (and insignificant) towns on it. It includes Bent's Fort, Fort Union, Santa Fe, Peublo as well as the Sangre de Christo Mountains, Spanish Peaks, Fischer's Peak. It is adorned with critters like the bear, antelope and an mounted Indian about to lance a buffalo.

Anyway, since I can't relief carve the plug (my vise won't hold the horn), I decided to make it a simple dome and to put in a brass filler plug. How can I artificially age the brass? I don't have acid hands and don't know anyone in my immediate area with acid hands (I've a friend who wore out his bluing on his Ruger MK-1 by just handling it).
 
P

Pahoo

New member
Old-School rules !!!

Gary,
I sure wish, you could post some pictures of your work. I have traveled many of the areas you have listed and have been to Bent's fort. I work horn and have a small collection of horn and flask. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up the most beautiful charging horn that I have ever seen. I'm sorry to say that I'm not as good as some of the horn makers, I have collected. ... :mad:

Anyway, I digress. Dixie makes a Brass-Black black but you can also use and regular spot/cold bluing. When I have to, I Scotch-Bright my brass and then apply the bluing. When I restore or make any Hickory ramrods, I have to darken the tips and sometimes, the thimbles. Good luck and gain, share your work with us. ... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
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M

mete

New member
The internet will give you info on coloring brass . It's used in ares not involving guns too.
 
N

Noz

New member
Clean all of the coatings off of the brass and rub it with a patch that has been used to clean a black powder gun.
 
P

Pahoo

New member
Many ways to skin this cat !!!

patch that has been used to clean a black powder gun.
Click to expand...
In my Buckskinner days, I use to do something similar to this by exposing the cleaned brass to flashing BP as well as open flames. It did work, after a fashion and sometimes got pretty ugly and uncontrollable. The cold bluing is pretty easy. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
B

bedbugbilly

New member
I have used the brass blacking solution - I got mine from Track of the Wolf - I used it earlier this year on the trigger guard and back strap of an '51 Navy I was aging - frankly, I wasn't that impressed with it. The revolver was a Uberti I have - maybe it was the brass but while it "blacked" it, it wasn't a nice "patina". I'd opt for either BP fouling rubbed on or similar - polish it up good and then handle it a lot - in a short time, it'll look old.

I'd also love to see photos of your horn - sounds really nice! :)
 
4

4V50 Gary

Staff
Thanks guys. I'd buy some of the stuff from Track of the Wolf, but I already placed my order and then the brass darkening came as an afterthought. I'll try either one of the salt water or vinegar mixtures suggested.

I'm going to have to find out how to post a pic. I can never remember the stuff. The horn was cooked in black rit first and a lot of that came off when it was immersed in a pot with three bags of Lipton Tea. So, it's yellowed and looks worn.
 
S

Smoke & Recoil

New member
I antique my funiture (as in cabinets) handles just by heating them
with a butane torch...you can try this method to with your powder
horn plug. If you don't care for it...you're out nothing, just buff it
off and try your chemicals.
 
K

kilimanjaro

New member
Take all the lacquer off the brass, if any, and toss it in a small fire for a little while. Pull it out, and cool it off. Wipe as clean as you can and you're done.

Also, put it out on the lawn in the open air for a few weeks. Tumble it with a little gravel if you can.
 
B

BirchOrr

New member
Gary

The easiest way to accomplish this is to put all your brass parts in an air-tight container (Tupperware) with a rag soaked with ammonia. Don't let the parts touch the liquid. Check the parts every 15 minutes or so until the desired patina/result is achieved. The longer you let it go, the more patina you will get.

Good luck!

Birch
 
G

Gator Weiss

New member
Aging Brass - many household products work

If you want to age brass, many things stored under your kitchen sink are used by artists for that very purpose.

Drain opener is a very common tool for copper and brass; swabbed or brushed on the surface works very well. If it is applied and removed quickly it will clean the metal. If left on the surface for longer, the surface metal begins to change state and change colors. It is water soluble and cleans up easy. It can be used to clean or color. You have to experiment on a piece of scrap brass so you will know how far and how long and how much to use for a particularly desired result. Use a hog-bristle paint brush to apply. Use cold water to remove.

Potatoe is sometimes used - rubbed on repeatedly and left on for extended times.

CItrus in the form of lemon or limes can be used to change brass and copper.

Washing Soda can be used - especially if in a plastic bucket with a car battery charger attached - the positive cable to a strip or rod of iron (never stainless steel !) or of copper or of zinc, and the negative cable to your art piece. Again experiment.

Heating with open flame - not too hot - and plunging in chilled petroleum oil / motor oil or mineral oil can produce some interesting results in patina.

There are literally dozens of methods you can use on copper and brass to change the surface texture and patina.

Any method you do choose is worthy of first experimenting on a piece of scrap until you are confident you can achieve the desired outcome on your art piece.

Something to keep in mind; Any methods where deep heating occurs are liable to leave results that cant be buffed or shined away. Experiment until you have your technique mastered before you work your piece.
 
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brazosdave

New member
I achieve the aged patina when i want it on triggerguards and brass frames by using a vinegar solution. Works fine, and you prolly got the stuff in your kitchen.
 
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