Browning for the first time.

[Swampyankee]

LMF is the product I'm using, a tin can with a bit of water in it sitting on my wood stove is the method, the hammer plate is the subject. The can sits on the stove, the plate sits atop the tin can. I've done the initial step but am not sure of the result, I expected a heavier coat of rust. What I have is streaked (OK by the instructions online), some black areas (again acceptable) but also what appears to be, what we called in the CG, holidays (the missed areas in a paint job).
 I know I put down a heavy coat for the first pass, but it's like what's there in some spots is either translucent or evaporated all together. It isn't what I'd call a good coat of rust as the instructions said I should see. I expected the rust to be like what forms after a car fire.

 So is my technique faulty, am I expecting too much, or something else. I'm going forward with the second application as I type this, what I read here will determine if I start over.

[smallpatch]

I don’t think you’re getting enough humidity atop a wood stove, in spite of the can of water.
Humidity is the key, doesn’t need to be hot.
A simple cardboard box with a wet rag in the bottom will work better.  The browning will even out with additional coats. Card between coats.
What are you doing with the rest of the parts?

[JLayne]

In the winter, when the humidity is low, I often set parts aside in the bathroom with the door shut after running hot water in the shower for about five mins. Works great  and no box needed if you have an agreeable significant other. You can also drape a trash bag over the parts if you really want to trap moisture inside. I’ve done this both ways with LMF and had no trouble. Usually takes six coats with about 3 hours in between to get the dark brown I am after.
Jay

[Swampyankee]

What are you doing with the rest of the parts?
 
Nothing until I get a good idea of what I'm doing, or should be doing. The lock plate is a test bed.

[smallpatch]

Better to do them all together, your results will be much better, and the parts will look the same.
Just a thought.

[Karl Kunkel]

I don't think you want a heavy coat, just enough to dampen.  Then card then result and reapply a light coat.  Repeat until you have achieved the brown you desire. Then neutralize and oil.

[Eric Krewson]

All of the skips and copper color will go away with subsequent coats and rusting.

[Daryl]

Wipe one direction only. Do not overlap or scrub back and forth with LMF browning solution, or you will get "coppering".

[kutter]

Wipe one direction only. Do not overlap or scrub back and forth with LMF browning solution, or you will get "coppering".

Good advise..
and if you do miss a sliver of surface you can catch that on the next cycle.
Going back over an already coated surface with the stuff just causes problems.

Don't warm the part either,,that will deffinetly cause the copper sulfate in the LMF soln to plate out the copper.

Sometimes the copper plating will dissappear as you continue . Othertimes it seems to spoil the final appearance.
The latter moreso when using the process in Rust Bluing than in Rust Browning.

The tincan with some water in it on the wood stove is good for humidity.
The part hung above it is good but you need to capture the humidity as it rises off the stove around your part(s).
If you can hang a cardboard box above the stove/water can with the bottom being open & the part hanging free inside of it..this 'tent' will capture the warm humid air you need to create the fine controlled rust on the surface.

Be safe if you do this,, a wood stove and cardboard box are not the best of pals when in close proximity..

The rust coating does not have to be particularly heavy. Just a slight brown thin covering.
Sometimes it takes a second coating of the soln to get things going,,usually not on plain low carbon steel though.

CArd the piece with a wire wheel (carding Wheel), steel wool (de-oiled), etc.
Some people re-coat the surface with more LMF soln.,,for Rust Brown I find that there is still soln on the surface and active
so I just rehang the part(s) and they re-rust again,,,and again..etc.

If Rust-Bluing, they are re-coated as the boiling water cycle kills the rusting action of the chemical and recoating is necessary to get the next rusting.

Sometimes LMF resists ceasing to rust becasue of the Nitric Acid in it.
A batch in a strong Base like Sodium Bi-carb sometimes helps. I find Sodium CArbonate better (Washing Soda). Be very careful with it as it is nearly as strong as Lye. ..Lye soln in water is another strong alkali soln.

Oil generally does not stop acids from being acid. But a long repeated rub down will eventually get you there. But usually the After-Rust will have created a more matted finish by then.
Not necessarily a bad thing if that's what you are after. But if you want to halt the stuff at the last carding, then you need something to neutralize the acid content of the LMF.
Not continualy adding more coats of the soln each cycle and letting the first coating do the entire job helps keep the After Rust down as well.

If you have a Shower/Bathroom that you can use as a DampRoom as explained already,,it works wonders for creating the rusting cycles.
I've done it this way for probably 40yrs winter & summer, mostly for Rust Bluing. Takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to get a rust coating.