Aging other parts...

[Osprey]

I've read a bunch of the old threads on aging/antiquing barrels, the bleach and blue methods, etc, but what about the other parts?  Haven't seen much direct info on that.  Working on a very plain 16 ga with steel trim and plan on playing with the aged look, what do I need to do for the but plate, trigger gaurd, lock, pipes?  Same as barrels?  Different?   I'm guessing get them smooth and polished and then age them back from that?

[rich pierce]

I've been thinking about aging quite a bit and dabbled a bit, 2 rifles ago.  "Aging" is a pretty wide brush and there are different approaches and "looks" folks are going for.  One look is to give the impression of an aged gun. A little touch here, a touch there, and you have an impression.  This might involve pitting the barrel and lock all over, putting some patina on the furniture, and some black gunk in the nooks and crannies on the stock.  Maybe lightening the finish in areas of wear.

Some take it to another level and try to more closely simulate actual wear and oxidation of parts and finishes.  If we think about parts and how the patinas and wear would look on a gun with 30 years of field use, you can see the heel and toe of the buttplate will show wear and scratches on a well-used gun.  The guard will show smoothness where the hand holds it.  The ramrod thimbles will show wear at the front edges.  The skirt of the entry thimble may show a lot of shine if that's near the balance point, or a lot of wear from shooting over a rest, log, etc.  If the gun was often carried in a sock or case, the tops of the sights will be shiny.  The nosecap will have gunk and deep patina where it meets the barrel, from fouling and cleaning gunk.  Examine old guns that haven't merited refurbishing.  Even an old military cartridge rifle or an old double barrel shotgun can teach you a lot.

I don't favor the "all over, uniform" oxidation of parts like barrels.  That gives an impression but it's a little like stage makeup.

It's an art, and something to explore and practice on.  I'm not sold I could do a convincing job of simulating 10-30 years of daily "in the field" use, so limit my aging, so far, to a little shine here and there, a little lightening of the finish at the wrist and forearm, a little rounding of the tops of the carving, and allowing the furniture to acquire a natural patina.

I'll go on some more.  I think the risk of ruining the overall appearance of a $1200 rifle by amateurish aging is a lot less than ruining the overall appearance of a $2000-$6000 rifle by aging.

[Dphariss]

You could just use the gun.
I was looking at a rifle last weekend that was aged by a pretty big name, but it was not done properly.
Frankly people that are into "aged guns" don't give a hoot if the gun is aged right or not.
Its the attempt that is important not its effectiveness. Kinda like a....
Oops no politics.
You wanna see and aged gun? Look at the Antes swivel.
But of course it was likely used for 50-70 years to get that much wear on the wood. Which means when it was 10 years old it had hardly any wear at all.

It is Alice in Wonderland stuff the way some age guns.

Dan

[Birddog6]

Seems to be the big request right now. Last 4 rifles I did were aged metal & the next 3 scheduled will be same way.

The guys I am building these for tell me to age the barrel & trim, but leave the wood new, as the wood will get beat up allot faster than the metal & in a couple years of use, the wood will be aged, scratched, marred, etc.  The Tenn. I just finished was aged metal & to me it was the best job of aging one I have done on one, as it looks natural rather than forced.

[Acer Saccharum]

As far as aging guns goes, it's personal preference.

A well done aging is very pleasing to me. Poorly aged is not attractive.

It's an art, in which Rich points out a few of the areas that have to be considered. You can't age the metal parts yet leave the wood pristine and expect the gun will look right.

Tom

[Lucky R A]

     If you truly want to learn about aging, study as many originals as possible.  Preferably, you should study guns that have had little or no restoration work.   The real "experts" in aging techniques are the really good restorers.  Those who can replace foreends, mend major old breaks, replace a toe, etc., and then refinish to the level of the rest of the finish on the original are artists in every sense, and their techniques are guarded.  
      I think we tend to forget that we eat, sleep, think, and dream about muzzleloaders, because of the pleasure we derive from the pursuit of the craft and sport.  If someone wants to achieve the look of a well used antique rifle, that is fine.  Likewise, if another wants a pristine gun with every carving edge razor sharp, that again is ok.   Enjoy, and viva la difference!

[Lucky R A]

   I guess I strayed from the original question Osprey, you have to excuse old guys.  I would highly recommend that you get the book Gunsmithing Tips and Projects, Wolf Publishing 1989.  The book is loaded with tons of great information for the beginner and more advanced.  Starting on page 420 John Bivins takes you through the restoration of an antique rifle.  the techniques Bivins describes are transferable to antiquing a new gun as well.   Gee, I may just have to re-read it myself. 
Ron

[Swampwalker]

I agree, John's description of restoring that old Carolina rifle is a must read.  John was a truly gifted writer.

[Pete G.]

I love the look of an old gun that is "used but not abused", but a gun that is boiled in bleach does not look like an old gun. It looks like a gun that was boiled in bleach.

[oakridge]

Amen!

[Acer Saccharum]

I think about aging almost every day.

[Acer Saccharum]

I am about to age a gun I have been working on. Stain with AF, seal with shellac, lastly oil for finish. Then scrub and continue to apply oil. Metal parts will also get scrubbed, rusted, dinged.

I hate doing this to a brand new gun, but I have had this in mind for this gun since day one. I have been curious about how it gets done, so I am going to give it a try.

Tom

[Ken G]

Osprey,
If you don't have direct access to originals then check the ALR library.  It is a wonderful resource for how an old gun should look.  Some there have been abused, some used and some look fairly new.  The one thing you should really pay attention to is where the wear and tear is one an old gun.  While the technique for aging a barrel and buttplate may be the same they do not age the same. 
Ken

[Acer Saccharum]

Some guns were loaded mostly standing straight up, and the wear shows right at the back of the heel. I saw an original with the top of the heel worn thru, probably loaded and cleaned almost laying down.

[Dphariss]

Some guns were loaded mostly standing straight up, and the wear shows right at the back of the heel. I saw an original with the top of the heel worn thru, probably loaded and cleaned almost laying down.

Or dragged by some kid you could not carry it easily. A man I knew in my teens, who was then in his 80s, told me he used toi drag a shot gun like this when young.

Or it could have been hauled in a wagon in such a way as to wear at that point.
Would take a lot of loading and cleaning to wear through I would think.
Dan

[jwh1947]

Richpierce..bingo...more honest words were never spoken...it's an art.  Many of the components and materials of ageing procedures of the best rifle builders in the business come from art supply stores. Dyes, pigments, tints, dryers, applicators...alcohol based, water based,  modern acrylics and back yard and farm debris can be found in most shops.   For some reason, most of these artists have burnt umber, carbon black (mine comes from my own flue and I use a mortar and pestile), store-bought and naturally-derived pigments, acids and bases.  They take advantage of heat and time, and experiment with their own approaches.  

I have a feline in my workshop and we formed a partnership for this aspect of the business.  To begin the process of dirtying up the metal, I drop a few small pieces in the litter box and she takes it from there.  They stay there until I change the litter; I didn't say this was fast. Trust me, you won't get a uniform appearance.  You will then get a different result from browning solutions used later on. I don't profess to know the chemistry here, but the results seem to be potentiated if the cat has her ration of beer foam.   I have succeeded in convincing my wife that this is important to the overall process.  

 I asked one of the finest builders which brand of black spray-paint he uses as the base of that fine aged finish where 90% or so is backed off to leave a finish darn close to an original.  This, of-course, being done on a stock that he had already been finishing for many days. His answer, "whatever is on sale at Home Depot."  So there's a trade secret from a best-grade contemporary gunsmith.

 I do not profess to know what all the outstanding gun builders do in their finishing procedures, but, I do know this: some are masters and their artistry can not only fool the novice, but it can also baffle the experts.  It's that good.  Any collector who tells you he hasn't been fooled, at least temporarily, has either not seen many good guns or else likely suffers from selective memory.  But don't feel bad, I know paid professionals who have changed their opinions of an item once they literally walked outside and saw it in the sunlight.