Plum Brown

[LURCHWV@BJS]

  I installed my Jim Chambers touchhole liner yesterday ( which I might add is Very easy to do) filed it down to flush then had to polish the area.  I was disappointed since the barrel had a beautiful natural Patina on it.  It is still 95% covered in that natural plum brown patina.  I was wondering, How close would plum brown in a bottle be to the natural patina.

This pic shows the Patina.



   Rich

[Longknife]

Lurch, Plumb Brown is a finish that is applied by heating the polished barrel and swabbing it on getting an "instant" brown. Its much like the finish of a blueing job., except brown. I think what you want is a cold brown which is a slow method that actually leaves a coating of rust on the barrel. Cold brown is what most makers use. It leaves a mat finish. I would think it would blend in pretty well---rust is rust---- Ed

[Curt Larsen]

I'm planning on putting Jim's white lightnings in two rifles that already have touchholes drilled but without liners.  Both barrels are browned with Laurel Mountain Forge degreasser and brown.  I'll have to drill, tap, saw off, file and polish and then rebrown.  I hope I can get it to all blend in again.

Curt

[T*O*F]

I don't understand why you guys are browning your parts before all operations are done.  Please elaborate. 

[bdixon]

TOF, it sounds like someone is installing a liner in a previously drilled "not lined" barrel.  Hence you may have some discoloration in the area after working the new touch hole liner down to the barrel level.  I blend color in with LMF brown solution.  Works for me.


Brett.

[northmn]

Getting a perfect match in the area of the touch hole liner is not all that critical.  first it is mostly covered by the lock and frizzen and secondly it gets exposed to the flash to a point where there may be a tendency for a difference anyway.  Laurel Mountain Forge makes a very good browning solution.

DP

[ken]

First off nice work! All can see you have come a long way. When you use any comercail browning solusion you can not over work it !! Take it slow.The moreyou put on and the faster between coats the more you get that copper look.Steelwool that off or buffit off and start again but lightly and only with a damp patch. It should even up in a day or two.

[LURCHWV@BJS]

I was disappointed since the barrel had a beautiful natural Patina on it.

I don't understand why you guys are browning your parts before all operations are done.  Please elaborate. 

  The barrel was bought from a woman,  Her brother started thr rifle 30yrs ago then passed away before he finished.  The barrel channel was paper thin and broke away over time.  The stock is a good source for scrap wood and test pieces.  The barrel was never drilled for ignition.  It has a NATURAL Patina from 30 years of storage

Rich

[J.D.]

I hope that NATURAL patina doesn't extend into the bore?   

[wmrike]

What Ed said - Plum Brown gives no more patina than does a rust blue.  Properly done, it gives a nice brown color that is rather unique to that formula, but it is not a subtle, aged finish.