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“Dark” Browning?

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Hey guys! :D

I’ve got a Kibler’s Southern Mountain coming with a curly cherry stock, and am currently deeply investigating finishes. For the wood, I am going to leave it “au naturel” with just a traditional oil based finished so that the sun’s rays may darken it over time.

But I’m having a time deciding what the metal should be finished with. I am investigating some patina options to give it a “French Gray” or otherwise patina’d “in the white” look but am also very interested in possible browning all metal on the rifle (it is iron mounted).

Now I have seen and own a caplock with “light” browning. But I have seen darker shades of browning used on rifles that looks more like this:

1070844A-7897-4418-AFF5-FDD33029E61B.jpeg

27511F3D-9FC2-48A3-A4DE-F0BCB3409A6D.jpeg


I used to briefly own a TVM rifle with this shade of dark browning. It almost starts to look like rust bluing but I am pretty sure it isn’t.

Can any builders out there recommend a way to achieve this “dark” sort of browning look? I think it might look really nice with a natural cherry wood stock. Thanks all! :)

-Smokey
 
I found a difference on the finished colour occurred depending on the water used between coats.
I was using LMF browning solution and found that if I used boiling water to rinse off after carding the finish tended to be closer to a rust blue whereas using tepid water gave me a chocolate Brown.
This was apparent on different barrels and bits so it may be due to different metals. That being said one of the barrels had been originally done with Birchwood Casey Plum Brown which did produce a purply brown but came out almost black with boiling water and Laurel Mountain Forge.
 
I see. So it’s the heat that does it?
Heat is part of it, but have found high relative humidity to be the real key. Short cycles between carding will give smoother finish, while longer cycles with give a rougher (slightly pitted) finish. Suggest you get yourself a piece of CRS and experiment. Use distilled water. Be careful with tap water. Different mineral content depending on your water source.
 
I built a plywood box put a utility light in one end with a damp sponge near by. Using LMF browning solution (following their directions) and scrubbing with a rough shop cloth with warm water between coats until I get the results that I desire.
 

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I have been building rifles since 1975, I still use the same method that The Log Cabin Shop told me about in 1975 which is: Sand barrel with med paper (320), De-grease barrel, handle barrel with clean cloth gloves, heat barrel with propane torch until hot enough to sizzle water drops on it, use cloth pad with Plum Brown on it, rub the solution on it till it sizzles off, let it sit overnight, rinse barrel to remove "foamed up" browning solution, dry completely, rub tranny fluid on barrel, let sit overnight, wipe off tranny fluid after sitting all night, PERFECT BROWN EVERY TIME......NEVER ONCE HAD A PROBLEM...... Thanks to the KINDIGS...........Stink koat
 
I’ve tried several commercial solutions. Didn’t like the inconsistency I saw using those requiring propane heat. Probably my poor technique. I now use Homer Dangler browning. Experimented leaving it on for different lengths of time, less carding etc produces any thing from slick to what I call rustic (kind of grainy) and lighter to darker browns.
 
Very nice, all! Thank you for the tips. I’m playing H.E. double hockey sticks picking between this and white metal with a patina applied.

I think browning would look better initially when the cherry is light but once the cherry darkens I’m thinking the patina would look better.

Not sure!
 
Start with patina and if you don't like it you can always go back and brown it.

I’m thinking that as well, K. J.

The more I look at the beautiful patina finishes, the more they are calling to me.

Another thing I thought about that will be cool is my Ohio caplock squirrel rifle has a curly maple’s stock and browned furniture. The Hawken I have on order from W.B. Selb will have a dark-stained plain maple’s stock and rust blued barrel per many originals. My cherry Kibler with patina’d metal would make a wonderfully diverse trio, showing several different styles of woods and metal finishes.
 
I don't want to derail the thread, but I keep coming back to it to look at the photos of the rifle in the first post. Some of the features ( Siler lock, reverse curled front trigger, carving behind the cheek piece...) are not really consistent with the southern styling of the iron trigger guard and buttplate, but the rifle is a beauty and shows very nice workmanship, in design, construction, and finish. The incised carving, whether "correct" or not, is very well executed. The wood shows extraordinary figure, too. The recessed clean out screw in the drum is a neat idea... I've not seen one done that way before. The builder had a skilled hand and a creative mind.

What's the story on that rifle?

Thanks!

Notchy Bob
 
You can patina first & brown over that for a more antique finish.
No need for propane torch.
After Carding (I use denim) with hot water, I just use a heat gun to completely dry before next coat.

I would recommend diluting the LM with some distilled water, as it's pretty aggressive full strength.

Need a sweat cabinet for best results.

LM is excellent stuff, I've been using it for years for both Bluing & Browning.
 
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I don't want to derail the thread, but I keep coming back to it to look at the photos of the rifle in the first post. Some of the features ( Siler lock, reverse curled front trigger, carving behind the cheek piece...) are not really consistent with the southern styling of the iron trigger guard and buttplate, but the rifle is a beauty and shows very nice workmanship, in design, construction, and finish. The incised carving, whether "correct" or not, is very well executed. The wood shows extraordinary figure, too. The recessed clean out screw in the drum is a neat idea... I've not seen one done that way before. The builder had a skilled hand and a creative mind.

What's the story on that rifle?

Thanks!

Notchy Bob


Smells to me like a rifle built by someone with above average means, above average technical skills, above average patience, but slightly less than above average historical reasearch skills. Nicely executed longrifle overall.
 
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