Rebrowning A Barrel

[borderdogs]

Thanks Daryl,
Rob

[flatsguide]

Taylor, thank you for posting the photos with your explanation on how you brown barrels. About the browning solutions used. In my copy of The Modern Gunsmith by Howe Vol II, p 215, Howe’s browning formula #14 lists corrosive sublimate that I understand is mercuric chloride as one of the ingredients. He states that this formula “Browns barrels beautifully and in the case of twist leaves the markings prominent”. I have a .62 cal twist steel rifle barrel that I plan for another English Sporter. I wonder if you have tried, or know of anyone who tried or uses any of the browning solutions that contain mercuric chloride as the key ingredient?
Thanks a Richard

[henry]

Good morning Richard; I have been using a browning solution containing mercuric chloride since 1970, over here in the UK. It works perfectly and has always given consistent, repeatable results without having to resort to heating or moisture cabinets.

Best of luck, Henry.

[flatsguide]

Thank you Henry. I checked with Peter Dyson, they carry a browning solution that contains mercuric chloride but it cannot be shipped by air outside of England.
Cheers Richard

[Not English]

This is really an interesting thread, I've picked up a lot of good tips, particularly from D Taylor. I tend to drawfile and polish my barrel and furniture to 180 grit wet or dry. I think it might be a little tougher than other sand paper. I have only carded with 0000 steel wool, but plan on trying canvas the net time. I do not use a hot box. I tend to brown inn the warmer parts of the year. My dryer vent is vented into my garage, so in the warm months the garage can get really humid if the door is not opened. To those who may not understand a cold garage in the northern US, the dryer vented to the garage generally keeps right the temp around freezing although a might humid.

Dsave

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Just for the comparison's sake, carding with a canvas roll or with 0000steel wool leaves completely different finishes.
The canvas roll knocks off the dry loose dust but leaves a matt finish and semi coarse scale.
The steel wool, depending on how aggressive you rub, cuts everything off right down to the steel, revealing the barrel's surface.  So if it isn't polished and has file marks, those will show up for sure in the browned finish.

[flatsguide]

Check out the brown  finish on this double gun, it might be a bit shiny for some. I suspect that the barrels are finished with linseed oil.

[mikeyfirelock]

Flatsguide,   I built the box you pictured.   It works, but if I did it again, I’d build one like Taylor’s.   Definitely a better box with more latitude for temp and humidity control.  ( I sent you a PM)
mikeyfirelock.    ( who will be firing up his box again shortly)

I realized as I loaded my browning box this am , that I did not properly credit this basic design to John Bivins, who published this basic design as part of an article on browning in Rifle magazine years ago. It is also in the “Gunsmithing tips and kinks”.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

That is the finish that best displays a double gun's barrels.  I suspect they had a mirror polish prior to browning, and were heavily carded.  Nice.

[Daryl]

Those barrels are very nice indeed and would feel it when shooting.

[duca]

Check out the brown  finish on this double gun, it might be a bit shiny for some. I suspect that the barrels are finished with linseed oil.

Wow!  Stunning !!!

Anthony

[flatsguide]

Mike thank you for originally posting that photo, it is a great help.
Taylor, as I want the browned finish show to look like that on a barrel can you explain what you mean by the following quote?   “...and we’re heavily carded.” Would you start with a 600 or 800 finish? I fail to see any finish marks in the above barrel and thought that a linseed oil would leave a hi gloss finish.
Thanks Richard

[Daryl]

Firmly carded (hard) between coats of browning.
Rubbed hard.

[flatsguide]

Is that with a carding wheel .002” .003 dia wire or denim or some kind of canvas Daryl.
Thanks Richard
PS I found this article below....it really seems to cover browning very well.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=52665.25

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Rubbing down a barrel with a roll of canvas between applications of solution removes the loose scale and red dust off the surface of the barrel.  You will still end up with a matt finished barrel of that's all you do.
Carding ALL of the scale off with 0000 steel wool right down to the steel will yield a barrel that will have whatever polish you gave it prior to browning, like those shotgun barrels.  If you want a brown like those shotgun barrels, you must polish the barrel to a mirror finish, may I suggest 1200 or even finer.  You must remove ALL of the scratches left by the previous abrasive before going to the next finer one.  Otherwise, you will have scratches in the steel that will show up badly and you'll be disappointed with the  finish.  You will find too that as you go to finer and finer abrasives, it takes less and less time to remove the previous scratches.  In other words, you'll spend way more time and effort removing the drawfiled scratches, then the 120 grit scratches, then the 180 grit, und so wieder.
An application of linseed oil or varnish will not disguise the scratches left behind...no matter how glossy.

[flatsguide]

Thanks Taylor, any scratches on those double barrels don’t show up to the naked eye. I’ll do a test on a round section of 12l14 I’ll take it up to 1200-1500 and see how it looks. I guess carding can be hitting it with a wire wheel or rub down with canvas or steel wool.
Thanks again, Richard

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Richard:  those are the methods of carding.  But know that the wheel and the steel wool will remove EVERYTHING off the surface, leaving only the oxidized colour that is IN the steel.  The canvas roll will not...some of the scale will remain on the surface and this will result in a matt finish.

[flatsguide]

Roger that Taylor. When one mentions carding they need to say with what they are carding.
Thanks Richard