ingraving brass

[jim m]

what do you use to highlight the chiseling. pictures look like it's is some kind of ink. this dumb ol hillbilly would like to know.

[flintriflesmith]

If you dissolve a little black powder in water or spit it will be good for tarnishing the brass. After a coat of tarnish forms polishing the surface will leave the background of the engraving cuts dark.

Sulfur alone will do the same thing as will commercial brass blacking solutions.

Gary

[davec2]

Jim M,

You can use "Brass Black" (sold just for blackening brass) after the engraving is done and then polish the surface with some 1500 or 2000 grit automotive polishing paper with a backing block.  Or you can use black lacquer paint (which dries very quickly) and, just as it gets tacky, wipe the surface clean with thinner.  Or, you can use printers ink.  It takes a long time to dry, but if you buff it off the surface well, it will dry over the next few days down in the engraving without much trouble.

[Randy Hedden]

Jim,

I have seen Bruce LePage use a black marker to color in the engraving. I use Brass Black that I bought from Michael Lea.

Randy Hedden

www.harddogrifles.com

[Pete G.]

Color your cuts with black permanent marker then polish with 0000 steel wool. Works on scrimshawed powder horns too.

[LRB]

  A number of pros use Rustoleum flat black paint.

[Evil Monkey]

I used to use "brass black" but find that 44-40 cold blue works just as well. Other cold blue likely also work as well. The nice thing about useing something to tarnish the brass (brass black, cold blue, black powder in solution etc) is that, unlike paints, inks or markers, what you get is exactly what any old gun has to highlight the engraveing, it's just tarnished brass.