Browning solution needed

Craig:

By all means send it..The lucre is on the way, went out today.....I have a batch of thowing axes (a dozen or so..still need to get the pierce work and handles done..)that I need to brown and I am running out of decent re-agent and I do not want to go back to the boiled down horse urine, no matter how well that stuff worked...

On my website...I will be doing a major update in two or three weeks or so with alot of new stuff..some werid stuff as well as some iron work...

I will give this a few days just hanging unmolested.. I have browned a lot of stuff, axes, warhammers, spearheads, armour, gun barrels, both PW and C steels but man this one is trying my patience...Really living up to its name of "Pariah"..

JPH

I did not get to work today so I'll send it UPS 3 day select on monday so you'll have it before the holiday.
Craig

Craig:

Thank you kindly..I will let ya know how it works out on the axe heads...by then I will have them pierced, heat treated, ready for hafts and browning.

I just hope my 1" wall gun goes together smoother than The Pariah did...(why I want a 1" wall gun is beyond me but what the heck...)

JPH

JPH, On the wall gun use BIG tools :grin: (I have built two). There seems to be a lot more wood to remove.

When hanging the barrel in your "humidity" closet use some muriatic acid (available at any hardware store) instead of water - it will RUST - be careful using it open in your shop as the fumes will rust anything made of iron/steel.

PS - this works great here in the high dry country of SW Colorado...........

In the Foxfire series of books, Book #5 is largely devoted to gunbuilding by various Applacian gunsmiths, and a number of browning and blueing solution recipes are given there.

Bill

Well All:

I got RUST!! Yes!! RED RUST..finally...well I figure three days like this and it will hopefully be even and "rough enough"..I am going to card off every other coat...

Boy this is a relief..I was starting to get really riled up about this whole thing..

More as things progress..I just hope I don't get the same heartache with this batch of throwing axes I am making ...

JPH

What did you do different?

GMWW:

Well I just added a little Nitric and Hydrochloric acid to some distilled water (very weak Aqua Regia) and swabbed that on, hung them back up in the ecth tanks with some water in the bottom and let it sit...Finally I am rusting with a very even coating as well...

JPH

Wow acid. You braver than me! :shocked2: Sounds like your on your way. Post a photo when your done. I'd like to see what that does.

Why didn't you just use nitric acid from the start? That's what I used on my flintlock and it did a great job. Used a torch to heat the barrel and swabbed it with acid right after. Barrel started turning brown right then, left it downstairs for a day, steel wooled it, then oil. Never had any problems and it still looks great today......which is about 10 or 11 years.

MSB: Simple answer is because I didn't think of it until now.

I use Aqua Regia (mixed Nitric and Hydrochloric acids) as a pickle..to remove rust and scale from forgings. I simply had a memory lapse that lower strengths, when mixed with water will cause rust...That's what happened. Brain overload.. This is why I write alot of stuff down..

For pattern develoupment I use 0.5% ferric chloride to reveal structures and patterns. At this strength it takes a while (about 1 to 3 hours, depending upon the materials) to accomplish but it does a much better job than stronger etchants.

JPH

Update on the browning...

well I carded off the fussy rust and now everything is black so that is good...have been applying twice a day and letting it stand and carding off every other time. Hopefully this will be brwon by the end of the week...

This is really getting old...like I said I never had anything be as stubborn as this project...

JPH

Sounds like your well under way to a good job.
Craig