Damp (Sweat) Box

[Chunker119]

I built a damp box to brown gun parts in and I'm wondering what watt bulbs to use? Thanks for the help.

[Acer Saccharum]

I built one out of pine. A 60 watt bulb at the bottom seems just fine. A pan of water above the bulb on a mesh shelf keeps things damp.

[Chunker119]

I just checked mine and the temp is 90F and the humidity is 55. I'm using a 250w bulb under the water and 100w in the middle. My gauge is near the top of the box could this affect the humidity reading and is my current temp and humidity enough?

[snapper]

my first sweat box had a light,  the guy that borrowed it moved without returning it.  My current box, does not have a light in it, or even room for a pan.  I just put a wet paper towel on the bottom of the box, with the barrel suspended over it just a half and inch.  Works just fine.

Fleener

[Mark Elliott]

I use a hot plate with a 8 qt stock pan in mine. 

[Dave B]

I use a 75 watt bulb in the bottom that heats a half quart mixing bowl suspended in a plywood frame and a 60 watt bulb at the mid point.

[Don Getz]

I made a damp box out of pine, ran the boards thru a planer and cut them down to about 1/2" thick, just to cut down on weight.   It is about 50" long, 8" wide, and 4" high, with a hinged lid, with several hook type closures.    I then made a liner
for the inside out of aluminum flashing.   Ran some 1/8" wire thru the box to lay the barrel on.   You don't really need a light
bulb in there, I merely folded some old rags to lay on the bottom of the box, I then pour boiling water on the rags, place the
barrel in it after applying browing solution to it, and close the lid.  This is for winter browning, don't need it when the humidity
is high in the summer.........Don

[David Rase]

I also use a browning box based on the second style John Bivin's made in Rifle Magazine.  It has 2 bulbs like Dave B and Acer described.  I added a dimmer switch to control the temp and humidity.  I run the temp somewhere around 95 degrees in the box when browning.
Dave

[gunmaker]

Any one ever use a coffee maker ?  Brockway's shotgun book shows a box like that.  Just wondering.  Since I retired to Las Vegas from western Oregon browning's not as easy....Tom

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I made my set up following John Biven's 'Rifle Magazine' article, just as Dave Rase has done.  I used some 3/4" ply that I retrieved from the dump and put a set of casters under the box, so that I could move it around easily.  The bottom compartment that houses the water heater is lines with asbestos sheeting (can't be found these days I think) and a 150 W bulb.  Mid way up the side is a 60 W bulb for heat in the box.  I also use a dimmer switch to control the dew point.  You do not want droplets of water forming inside the box - that will ruin your brown job.  To further control moisture content, I partially cover the water tray, though to be honest, I don't know if this has any effect.  The bottom line is that even in our dry climate, I can do a deep smooth even brown in one long day.  I would not be without it.

[davec2]

This is a re-post about the type of damp box I came up with in a pinch.  Actually, I now use boxes about 8 x 8 x 48 for the longer barrels and they work great.  They are $3.50 and I throw them away when I'm done so I don't have to store the damp box.  All the other parts go back on the shelf.

I recently had to refurbish a pile of parts that used to be a Pacific model Ballard rifle.  It was found in a California mountain meadow 40 years ago with no butt stock and many damaged internal parts.

To get the rifle back in shooting condition, I first had the barrel relined by Wyoming Armory .  Then I repaired the internals and made new stock parts.  I wanted to refinish the metal work without overdoing it, so I decided that I would not do much more than clean the metal parts and brown them.  Since the humidity around Southern California is usually not very high, I wanted to use a damp box and considered building a wooden one.  However, storing it afterward would have been an issue.  So I made up the following disposable damp box from a discarded cardboard box.

**(modern content edited to conform with ALR rules**



The box was big enough to brown the barrel and, of course, all the remaining smaller parts.  Inside the box I placed a GE Hot Pot to heat water, a surplus muffin fan to circulate the moist air, a light bulb for heat, and a hygrometer to keep track of both temperature and humidity.  The light bulb was also on a dimmer to control temperature a little better and keep the inside of the box from reaching the dew point where water would condense on the parts and ruin the finish.







It took a day and a half to get the metal finished in the damp box. 

I threw the box away when I was finished and now I don't have to store it anywhere in a small shop.  I'll need a longer box for the next rifle that is in work.

[kutter]

I just hang the parts from the shower rod after taking a shower,,close the door and they're ready to be carded or boiled (if you're rust bluing) in about an hour to 2 hrs.

It helps to have a sympathetic co-habitation partner.

But there's nothing to build or set up,,nothing in the way in the shop, no hot plates, thermometers or  light bulbs
(BTW,,Stock up on 'old style' light bulbs now if you do use them as a heat source as they don't mfg filament bulbs anymore as of 1-1-14).

I use the same system winter and summer.
You can do a slow rust brown or blue in 2 days if you want to.

[flehto]

Made a "cheap" sweat box that has perfomed nicely for many bbls...it has a  wooden frame w/ 4 mil plastic sheeting draped over bailing wire. A cardboard top is used...tried plastic on top, but the moisture condensed and the droplets could ruin the browning. Don't use a light bulb...only hot, wet towels laid on the bottom. Takes longer, but the "etching" of the matte finish is very fine. Takes 36 hrs to do a bbl.....Fred

[Captchee]

Any one ever use a coffee maker ?  Brockway's shotgun book shows a box like that.  Just wondering.  Since I retired to Las Vegas from western Oregon browning's not as easy....Tom

 i do  gun maker . infact my damp box is  made from bills drawings , works very well

[flehto]

To aid in applying the LMF to a bbl, and also for carding I use these simple fixtures. The wooden fixture is adjustable for different bbl lengths. The aluminum fixture attached to the breech is fastened w/ a bolt/nut through the rear lock bolt clearance hole. No doubt many of you have similar fixtues, but just thought a couple of pics  of what I use would help some builders....Fred

[Curtis]

Flehto, what an excellent idea on the fixture!   I may have to make one of those.  I normally hang the barrel from a wire when I apply the browning solution, but the fixture looks handy, especially for carding.

I made my sweatbox from a cheap metal gun cabinet I picked up at an auction for five bucks.  The locks were drilled out of it and I just made a simple latch to keep the door closed.  I use a small pail of water tie a lightbulb hanging over it when I need humidity.

Curtis