Plugging muzzle for browning

[Reno]

I have found when plugging the touch hole a green twig whittled down seals much better than a toothpick.

The quill from a small bird has also worked for me at times. Generally you can find one in the woods. Even if you don’t need it. It’s good to IT up just in case.

 

[LME]

There is no need to plug the bore or the touch hole when you are either browning the barrel or rust bluing it - you are wasting your time doing this. If you are getting the browning solution in the bore then you are using too much of it. As far as rust bluing the barrel it is placed in hot water after the browning solution has been applied to convert the rust oxides into the blue/black oxide color. Again no browning solution is in the bore. It would be the same as when you are cleaning your barrel with water after it has been shot.

I guess I am a little thick between the ears? I never pluged up a b arrel to blue or brown it? While reading these post I was thinking there was a new system that I wasn't up to date on? Thanks for enlightening me!

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

For rust bluing, I have found that warming the barrel, lock parts, etc., with either a heat gun or torch, will greatly speed up the process. Heat it until it is just a bit too hot to handle without a glove on. Be smooth, and don't concentrate the heat on any one spot.

 

[Red Owl]

Oldwood: any photos on how the final color came out?

Mule333: I thought for rust bluing you had to boil the barrel- how do you do it in the PVC?

 

[Mule333]

Oldwood: any photos on how the final color came out?

Mule333: I thought for rust bluing you had to boil the barrel- how do you do it in the PVC?

Go to www.laurel mountain forge.com, click on the browning solution bottle. Scroll down to the bottom. You will see detailed info on “rust blueing”. I followed the instructions from there. In my shop, I had 2” pvc pipe and a fish cooker to boil the distilled water. I just followed the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. If you look on page 2 of this post you will see the pictures.
Thanks, Mule333

 

[Mule333]

Oldwood: any photos on how the final color came out?

Mule333: I thought for rust bluing you had to boil the barrel- how do you do it in the PVC?

More pics

 

[MSW]

I use a large wooden peg w/ a reduced end that goes into the bore....the end is wrapped w/ duct tape for better sealing. Because I install White Lightning TH liners, a tooth pick seals the TH. Also use a round aluminum fixture that attaches to the breech plug bolster..... both the peg and the aluminum fixture suspend the bbl on a wooden fixture for easy application of the browning solution which is applied very sparingly......Fred

Viano, thanks for the post. I will be doing a barrel soon and what you have there is exactly what i need.

Thanks again!

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

I don't know that boiling the water is strictly necessary, as I have converted small parts, such as the exterior parts of a lock, from brown to dark blue by just dropping the parts (inside a wire basket) into some water that I had just taken off the burner. But next week, I believe that I will be trying the same thing in a piece of 2" diameter PVC pipe, cut as shown above. Hope it works for the barrel.

 

[Mule333]

I don't know that boiling the water is strictly necessary, as I have converted small parts, such as the exterior parts of a lock, from brown to dark blue by just dropping the parts (inside a wire basket) into some water that I had just taken off the burner. But next week, I believe that I will be trying the same thing in a piece of 2" diameter PVC pipe, cut as shown above. Hope it works for the barrel.

Make sure you get “schedule 40” PVC. Regular PVC maybe to thin and sagg or melt from the scalding water.

To reiterate, I applied 4 coats of browning solution per LMF instructions and realized it just wasn’t going to be dark enough for me.
That’s when I found the LMF website instructions. Realizing that I had everything I needed to execute this process, I decided to try it.

Confident that LMF instructions described how the rust red turned to rust blue from the scalding water. Placing the browned barrel in the PVC, I poured the scalding distilled water directly on the barrel. It was like magic…. After the barrel was cool to the touch, I took it out, hung it up and rubbed it, or rather “scaled” it. I used 0000 steel wool. Then applied the second coat and repeated the process. Very happy with the results!

Hope this helps Craig.

P.S. I followed the instructions to the letter. It’s very important to use “Distilled Water”!

 

[Brent]

You can make a pretty good boiling tank out of a piece of aluminum gutter, two endcaps, 6 sheet metal screws, and some silicone caulking.

I always plug my barrels when rust bluing. You don't have to, but it sure makes me feel better. I use neoprene expansion nuts/plugs. You can buy them at a hardware store in various sizes.

 

[Eric Krewson]

My rusting box is a night out in Alabama humidity under the cover of my archery target roof, works every time.

 

[Red Owl]

I'm going to try that- thanks a lot.

 

[cannonball1]

I dont understand. Some of you say you don't cover the end of the barrel and just brown inside. Is that correct?

 

[Red Owl]

I'd use a plug. You'll need a handle for the barrel anyway.

 

[oldwood]

Mule 333................Sorry , i don't have a fancy phone due to not having cell svc here.

 

[ZUG]

I dont understand. Some of you say you don't cover the end of the barrel and just brown inside. Is that correct?

No one is browning the inside of the barrel (it's bore) -- if you are getting the browning solution IN the bore then you are using too much of the solution (being sloppy). The browning solution is only to be applied to the OUTSIDE of the barrel using only a VERY small amount on a DAMPENED swab or a cotton cleaning patch not a dripping wet swab/patch.

 

[cannonball1]

Regardless, I would never dare brown a barrel without plugging it with something waterproof.