Clorox on a gun barrel treatment / finish??

[Bigmon]

Anyone know of a tutorial on line of how to finish a muzzle loader barrel with clorox??
I have seen a few done that way that made them look "aged" and have a gun to finish up right now, and thought I might give it a try??
I liked the ones I saw that way, but I have been warned that one must be careful, lest it goes too far too fast?
Thanks in advance

[bob in the woods]

Honestly, I think they look like they've been "clorox 'd "   My rifle looks aged, 'cause I've used it in all weather for a few years. The look is different. There are other aging techniques, and some use them to good effect. But again…the clorox treatment has it's own look; at least to my eyes.

[smylee grouch]

I know of some that used cold blue on the steel first then used the bleach and let it "age for some time" and then carded the rust off and oiled it. I would not want any to get in the barrel.

[KNeilson]

I think what your refering to is the pitting (aging) effect that results if you coat steel first with BC super blue and then follow with Clorox bleach. The cold blue acts like a resist of sorts and almost seems to enhance the reaction of the bleach (which can happen quite fast). First thing I learned is you can also wreck something in a hurry if you dont experiment a bit... Kerry
didnt type fast enuf I guessv 

[yip]

Hershel House does this on his cd. very interesting!

[shifty]

  I have used Mustard on knives,but a gun barrel is a lot bigger have to keep a close eye on it i guess, I have also used Chlorox like Hershel does and it is a lot faster, and does age them, just make sure you are outside when you use chlorox.

[Ed Wenger]

You might want to do a search here, this has been discussed in the past, so should have some good info.

Cold blue the barrel, plug the muzzle and vent hole, then immerse the barrel in a Clorox.  A 6" pvc pipe cut in half, length wise, with caps on each end will work.  As others have mentioned, the process can go fairly fast.  It's been a long time since I've done this, but if I recall, I started checking after ten minutes or so.  Once you have the desired effect, card off all the gunk with course steel wool and naval (sp?) jelly, then rinse in water.  Best to do all this outside...  After all this, you can re cold blue, then rub back with steel wool and some motor oil or WD-40.  The blue should stay in the pitted areas, and the rest of the barrel will be a greyish color.  Hope that helps and good luck.


               Ed

[shifty]

 it really goes fast when you boil the clorox and water solution with the part in it.

[Dave R]

Shifty,
Yes it does go FAST!! I have done the Hershel method of cloroxing / boiling gun parts and within 10 - 15 min the gun parts coming out looking like something out of a architecture dig!

[WadePatton]

There is also a ton of discussion on this in the archives.


I'd say start without heat and at lower concentrations, work your way up if necessary. 

Leaving "tracks" is much easier than blending it in to a believable patina.  The importance of this is up to you.

Be not afraid, draw filing is your eraser.   

[LRB]

  The aging process is much more controllable and more realistic looking if you use either of the two popular cold browning solutions. Apply 0ne or two coats a day in a very humid atmosphere with no carding in between. after 3 or 4 days card and see if it's enough to suit. If not repeat for another couple of days. This process will eat a knife blade to relic condition in three days if suspended in a box containing a bowl of water. 

[oakridge]

The key word is "careful". If you're not careful, it will look like other "cloroxed" guns that you can spot a mile away.

[Pete G.]

I haven't inspected many guns that were finished like this, but the ones I have seen did not look like an old gun. They looked like a gun that had been boiled in bleach.

[E.vonAschwege]

Others have already described the process pretty well.  I'll add a couple things:  First, fill the barrel with water before you plug it - it'll be less likely to leak bleach into the bore that way.  Next, when you put the barrel in the trough and leave it alone, the bubbles will rise up the side and create a banded pattern on the side flats and a different splotchy pattern on the top flat.  Rotate the barrel in the trough for an even patina.  Clean up with coarse steel wool or a handheld wirebrush for a softer looking finish.  That said, I've never seen an original gun that had a patina that looked like what clorox typically produces - I've also ruined a good barrel this way.  I would do as LRB suggests and use cold brown solution in a damp box for a few days.  continue to apply the browning solution aggressively, then scrub away the excess for a heavily rusted patina if that's what you're after. 
-Eric

[greybeard]

I have never tried it but I belive that Laurel Mountain browing solution is very agressive and I try not to leave it on a barrel for no more than 4-5 hrs before carding on a super fine 6 in. wire wheel. The solution is strong enough that a couple of coats and then  into a steam box for a few hours should create some even mild pitting.  If I were still building I would do some tests on some scraps to see the effect.
        Bob

[Captchee]

 I would agree with the others that  it doesn’t look like  age  at all .
 That being said . I have used Clorox to both brown and to rust black  on original  pattern barrel and modern  barrels  And NO it does not create pitting when done correctly 

[Brian Jordan]

This is an example of super blue and Clorox boiled for about 20 minutes. Mr. Ellerbe helped me about 7 years ago to accomplish this finish.

This is hardened O-1...Not sure of the results on barrel steel though.