browning after engraving?

[Sean E Bug]

my attempts at searching this have failed. If you engrave the steel on your barrel or lock, can you brown the metal without losing some of the detail? I know bluing doesn't, but browning makes a thicker layer that needs to be carded off. just looking for some insight or pictures so I don't waste my time on a future project.

 

[LRB]

my attempts at searching this have failed. If you engrave the steel on your barrel or lock, can you brown the metal without losing some of the detail? I know bluing doesn't, but browning makes a thicker layer that needs to be carded off. just looking for some insight or pictures so I don't waste my time on a future project.

Birchwood/Casey plum brown has a very shallow layer but you could still lose some detail.

 

[Trapper Scott]

my attempts at searching this have failed. If you engrave the steel on your barrel or lock, can you brown the metal without losing some of the detail? I know bluing doesn't, but browning makes a thicker layer that needs to be carded off. just looking for some insight or pictures so I don't waste my time on a future project.

It depends on the size and depth of your engraving. I engraved my patch box lid, then used Jax Black on it and it doesn't stand out as well. I should have blackened the metal first, then engraved it. My two cents worth.

 

[Robby]

I do not let the browning form into that thick crust. I wire brush the surface with an extra fine wire stainless steel hand brush between coatings. There is no loss of detail in the engraving that I can see.
Robby

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Browning does not create a thicker layer. The thick textured look only happens if you do it too fast and allow too much rust to form each cycle. Rust bluing is the same with the exception that you boil the parts after carding. That said, any coloring of the metal will obscure engraving a bit because it reduces contrast between the shadows created by the cuts and the polished metal. Guns were routinely browned or blued after engraving and although contrast was less compared with bright metal, the engraving still showed nicely. Here are examples showing the differences between colored and bright metal.

dave

 

[Sean E Bug]

thank you all.