Laurel Mt Forge Making Metal Copper color

[Garyrad]

Hey everyone, I started rusting my gun parts today using laurel mt. forge browning solution. Some of the parts are coming out great others are getting a copper color on them and won't rust. Can anyone tell me what causes this? I have used this before with great results but I am struggling this time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Gary

[Dale Halterman]

The instruction say only take one pass in applying the solution. If you make multiple passes, I believe that causes the copper color. No idea why, but that has been my experience.

Dale H

[Eric Krewson]

Some people make a big deal out of the copper color, some even sand everything off and start over.

I have browned enough stuff to know if you put your second and third coat over the copper color it will go away and brown just the same as the parts that didn't turn copper colored. I usually get the copper color the most when I brown small parts, it is easier to keep from overlapping on a barrel although it does happen some. Like I said, no big deal.

[Levy]

Like Eric said, it goes away if you just continue the process.  It's the copper sulphate in the solution that plates out instantly.  Not sure, but maybe it is included in the recipe to affect the end color of the browning job.  James Levy

[Jim Kibler]

This is usually caused by rubbing too much when applying.

[kutter]

If the part is too warm, the soln will plate out the copper easily too.

'Too warm' in my experience is anything above 75F  or so.
If you are Rust Bluing,,let the parts cool off well after taking them from the boiling water and and carding.

Add to that any aggressive and repeated passes with the soln applicator and you will get the copper plating.

Sometimes copper areas rust OK,,and sometimes it does seems to resist rusting .
If it does the latter, I usually just scrub the copper plated area down with some Scotchbrite and blend it into the surrounding areas.
Then recoat everything and continue on.
If it rusts OK, the coatings will catch up with each other and all will be well.
No need to polish everything and start all over again.

[HSmithTX]

Boil, card, reapply solution and rust again, the copper color seems to slow the process down a little but a couple more laps through the process and you'll never know it was there.

[Garyrad]

Thanks for all the info. It all worked out. I just kept going through the process.
Thanks again. Gary

[parve]

This thread couldn't have come at a better time, I'm in the process of cold browning parts for my first rifle with Track's browning solution. I did the barrel and tang first and those went fine, but I started getting copper plating when I started on the small parts like the ramrod pipes and nose cap. After reading the responses here, I carded them pretty heavily with steel wool and carried on with browning, being careful to try and not overlap any passes. They're browning a lot better now.

[Curtis]

Browning, though not inherently difficult, has a lot of nuances that are only learned by experience, reading instructions, and asking questions!!!


Curtis