Bright Brass

[Dogshirt]

We used to put it boiling water and simmer the metal to be aged.

[Chuck Burrows]

a whole slew of different Patina Formulas for Brass, Bronze and Copper, giving several color ranges that aged brass may turn to..

http://www.sciencecompany.com/Patina-Formulas-for-Brass-Bronze-and-Copper-W160.aspx

[jdm]

Great ideas guys!  I went to the web sites they have some neat stuff. The liver of sulfur works pretty neat in the video and that science store has some interesting things.  The methods shown require dipping the item. The problem with this rifle is the heads on the cap box screws are bad. The slots are gone or worried out so bad they can not be removed easily. I can remove the other parts but the cap box stays. The concern is damaging the wood around it. Thank you for all the ideas.   JIM

[BGC]

Why not just leave it alone?  No matter how much polish has been done to it, it will get a dull patina on it after a few months.

[JTR]

Thanks for the temp info Dogshirt.

Jim, if you don't want to mess around with try to remove the box, the BP residue way will work great.

John

[Don Getz]

Ammonia..........strange, I have been using ammonia for years and never had a problem.   I have some plastic coffee cans
that I use.   I place a paper towel, folded so that it fits, and another plastic lid that I place over the paper towel.  Pour the
ammon the towel, follow that with the smaller plastic lid.  You don't want the parts to be in touch with the ammonia.  I
usually leave it overnight and it comes out kind of green.  I then rub the parts with 0000 steel wool, this just shines the piece,
but, don't rub it that hard that it will remove all of the tarnish...........Don