Aged steel finish?

[whitetrash078]

I have heard of people using bleach or lemon juice to get an aged finish on in the white steel, has anyone here tried this? :hmm:

How long do you leave it on and once it has aged the metal does it have to be neutralized? :hmm:

Also, if anyone has a photo of what this looks like could you share it? :hatsoff:

thanks, Erik

 

[TN.Frank]

I find that if you do a halfa$$ed job of bluing it'll turn out looking "aged". I can see how lemon would tend to help promote rust though and age a barrel faster. Never tried that way though.

 

[Pork Chop]

I have a couple of CVA Derringer pistols that I used Birchwood Casey cold bluing on. They have browned and have a nice vintage look to them. I keep them oiled, and at first was PO'd it did that, but the more I look at them, the more pleased I am. YMMV...

 

[BlackNet]

FYI damascus steel is etched with lemon juice, ferric chloride or ferric nitrite solutions. Just about any form of acid will work

This is sanded with a 200 grit sandpaper and etched in 100% lemon juice for around 30-45 minutes.

Here you can see the difference in the time spent in solution.

Ed

 

[LRB]

If you want it aged with light pitting, use Laurel Mt. Brown, 2 coats per day, 3 days, NO carding between coats, sand back with 220 grit wet&dry, a little 400 grit. Neutralize with baking soda, then oil. You might check in 2 days, but 3 ought to do it well.

 

I have heard of people using bleach or lemon juice to get an aged finish on in the white steel, has anyone here tried this? :hmm:

How long do you leave it on and once it has aged the metal does it have to be neutralized? :hmm:

Also, if anyone has a photo of what this looks like could you share it? :hatsoff:

thanks, Erik

Bleach is very rough on the metal. Plug the barrel. Leave it in the solution no more than twenty minutes. Twenty minutes in boiling bleach will give you 200 years of pitting and instant rust. Neutralize it with clear water and drinch it in oil.

 

[TN.Frank]

I've been giving a faux aged finish to all the guns I've cold blued for years and didn't even realize it until now. Go figure. :rotf:

 

[whitetrash078]

Ed, I am looking for the gray look like your bottom pictures, how long did those sit in lemon juice?

 

[Packdog]

The below Hawk head was aged with clorox. First it was cold blued with Birchwood Casy. Then submerged in Bleech for around 15 to 20 minutes. It will rust pretty fast. Scrub that back with one of them 3M green pads. If you want more pitting do it all again. If not then maybe cold blue the part agin and buff back with steel wool till you get the amount of gray you are looking for. A real nice gray with no pitting can also be achieved from just cold blue and then scrubbing that back. No pitting just a nice patina.

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[crockett]

I'll second or third the idea about bleach being too strong. With bleach you get lots of corrosion but it often is like a bowl of spaghetti with lines going in all directions. If you look at an old blade, etc you'll see fine pitting dispersed evenly(for the most part) over the metal. Try mustard with vinegar in it or rust browning where you leave the solution on a long time and dress it up a bit. Etc.

 

[whitetrash078]

Ok I like the Idea of cold blueing and scrubing back to gray. I don't really want to pit the metal

Thank you all

Erik

 

[BlackNet]

whitetrash078,

I would have to guess maybe 10 minutes. Thing to do is this, soak them in lemon juice and keep tabs on them then pull out when they are the look you want, neutralize with windex or any type of ammnoia or even baking soda then wash and wax and oil.

Also note the metal types are way different in there and the bath time is not the same for all metals. Your mileage will vary.

Ed

 

[whitetrash078]

I thought something was needed to neutralize the acid but could not recall as I have never done this type of finish

All the best,

Erik

 

[BlackNet]

baking soda, ammonia and probably a slew of other things. these 2 I know for a fact works quite well.

Ed

 

[CrackStock]

A paste of baking soda and water is most commonly mentioned followed by a thinner rinse of it, followed by washing with water. There are other base substances that will work. Then clean well and preserve with something. Most like linseed oil or tung oil, but you will get many suggestions.

CS

 

[rmonday2]

Has anyone ever tryed using an apple? It sure is hard on a knife blade! Just a thought.
They would have been plentiful I would think :shocked2:

 

[whitetrash078]

an apple? Well why not. I could see that working. Plays h3ll on my carbon steel knives

 

[Norskie]

As some have said, failed cold blue will give you an aged look. I've done this with selenium blue by heating the blued surface with a propane torch. No sanding necessary, turns gray and old looking.

 

[DrTimboone]

I apply Brownell's 44/40 cold bluing paste, rub it back some and then spray it with beach from a hand sprayer// let it sit half anf hour then wash it with water and rub it back some more..then oil it well. doesn't pit like 200 years but ages like 15 to 20 years of wear on a brite barrellock and furniture. If you don't like the way it looks you can always scrub it back. :hatsoff:

 

[CrackStock]

A banana will give you a black coating that is hard to get rid of. I learned that cutting down banana trees in New Orleans. The trees and the fruit both will leave a black stain that can be carded back.

Apples and onions might leave a more pleasing result though.

CS