Browning of Damascus barrels

[eddillon]

I recently had the need to restore and refinish a fine English Damascus barrel, under-rib and ram rod ferrules.  I purchased an old beat up English 15 bore shotgun from the 1850s.  It was marked A. Wilson from Purdeys on the lock and was marked A Wilson, King's road, Camdentown, London on the barrel.  The price of the gun was such that it made sense to buy it just for the hardware.  When I removed the breechplug it was apparent that it would never be a shotgun again.  I arranged for an insert in .577 cal from a barrel maker friend, Dan Petersen.  After much scraping and filing, The insert fit like a trombone slide.  Went about the business of making a new stock, etc for the gun.  When it was time to finish the metal I met with lady frustration.  Tried 4 times to finish in a way that would highlight the beautiful Damascus petterns in the parts mentioned above.  Each time it looked great for a couple of light browning applications but always ended up with a pleasing uniform brown.  That is not what I wanted.  All the research pointed to ferric chloride for doing it right.  I live in California where ferric chloride is one of those substances known by the State of California to cause birth defects and other horrible maladies.  At my age I don't want any birth defects.
I set about experimenting with LMF browning/degrease.  Finally came up with the following procedure.
Wet metal parts with Dawn detergent/water.  Apply a coat of Naval Jelly. Rinse with cool water.  Apply Dawn/water again. Swab on a 50/50 mix water/muriatic acid.  Allow it to work only about 10-15 minutes.  Rinse and apply a 50/50 mix water/LMF.  Let the water/LMF work for about one half the normal time.  Delicately card with steel wool backed with a tongue depressor.  Repeat the applications of water/LMF until the right color is achieved.
When finished, make a paste of baking soda and water. Rub it on the parts with the palm of your hand.  Rinse and dry with clean cotton cloth.  Using #600 paper backed with stiff foam rubber, carefully and lightly sand in a way that is NOT with the grain of the Damascus.  I end the process with a good coat of paste wax.  See project #5 on the following webpage.  There are four distinct Damascus patterns on the barrel

http://www.neconos.com/details1.htm
Try this out!
Ed Dillon

[greybeard]

What a great job of work. I like the damascus pattern. Many moons ago I had a very nice double ml shitgun by Moore & Harris. Very high end piece. I browned it to about half tone then gave it a bath in a tank with copper sulfate & logwood solution very hot just short of boiling.
Cooked it about 10 minutes then carded off the sludge. Turned out very dark , near to black & light brown. Gotta plug the bores real good.  Bob

[hoochiepapa]

You do superb work!
Why can't I find a Rupp??

[eddillon]

You have to go to a gun show that is full of black rifles and AK-47 ammo.  Nobody there seemedto notice tha little jewel!
Ed Dillon

[Feltwad]

Not a bad job for your first ,I come across this type of Damascus often and I prefere mine a bit darker
Feltwad