OldTraveler, Here you go. Worked very well for me that I put it into a work doc for future reference. Used this on a smoothie I built last year, pulled it off the rack just yesterday and thought darn that barrel finish is nice. Looks like the day i finished it. I used Oxpho blue on mine instead of the Brichwood Casey blue.
BARREL FINISH OPTION FROM WAYNE ESTES
There were questions about barrel finish and getting a completed gun in 5 days during our recent kit assembly class at Friendship. I stumbled onto this cocktail, maybe some of you already use this method.
1. Draw file, sand, get whatever surface texture that you desire on the barrel.
2. Throughly degrease the barrel with Windex with ammonia. Do not touch the barrel now until you are finished.
3. Apply your favorite cold brown. I like Tracks Tried and True.
4. Wait 5 minutes and re-apply the cold brown.
5. Take the barrel outside and leave for 40 minutes. Warm and more humid conditions are best. Keep the barrel out of the rain.
6. Bring the barrel back inside and spray it down with the Windex then card it off with a piece of 4/0 steel wool (degreased). Get the surface clean then re-apply with cold brown. (Note, scrub with steel wool very lightly).
7. Repeat steps 4 & 5.
8. Soak the barrel with Windex and gently wipe with a paper towel. Don’t worry about getting it dry.
9. Apply cold blue. I use Birchwood Casey Super Blue. Apply with long even strokes.
10. Leave 5 minutes. Apply Windex again and lightly card off with a new steel wool pad (degreased).
11. Apply cold blue again and leave it for 5 minutes.
12. Wash the barrel off with the Windex. It should be done by now. You can continue blue applications for a darker finish but I am normally finished by now.
13. Apply oil and you’re done. No need to neutralize.
This whole thing takes a couple of hours. No torches, no fumes, no waiting a week.
We were getting a nice supple (old looking) light brown color using steps 1 through 8.
12L14 steel seems to react more slowly than the harder steels.
