250 year old "looking" barrel finish.

[LehighBrad]

My barrel on the rifle I'm working on is draw filed and lightly polished on the top five visable flats that will be showing when the gun is done...that's it. I left it "in the bright" un-browned...un-blued. What's the best way to give it that pock marked, worn look of a 250 year old barrel?? I've seen examples on Eric Kettenburg's web site and I really like how some of those barrels look. They aren't really blued....and definatly aren't browned, but have that nice darkish, grayish, mottled look. Did the original gun makers even ever bother to brown the barrels back in the mid 1700's?? I was told most of the time they didn't.....they just left them bright and left time and mother nature add the "patina" to them.

[Ed Wenger]

Brad,

You should find a bunch of info on this subject if you search the achieves.  There's different methods you can use to achieve the look your after.

One is to let the barrel as you currently have it, age naturally.  It'll develop a nice patina on its own over time by using and shooting it.  This is the case with many original longrifles, 250 years of patina, not a "browning" finish.

You can brown the barrel and let it go way past the normal brown time to build up a coat of rust.  Then the rust is scaled off, resulting in the aged appearance.  The barrel is blued, then rubbed back with the blue sticking in all the nooks and crannies created by the process.

You can blue the barrel, plug the bore and vent, then immerse in Clorox.  Be careful that you don't let it in too long.  The Clorox can be very aggressive...  Blue again and rub back with steel wool to catch the bluing in the nooks and crannies.  This is similar to the brown rust process, but some folks think it doesn't look as good.

I'm sure other guys will help here.  Again, do a search and I think you'll get some good info.  Hope that helps some.


Ed

[Rasch Chronicles]

Brad,

As with most things, moderation is a wise course of action. I would start with just allowing it to age naturally. See how that suits you. Then you might want to try some of the more aggressive methodologies. Start with the least and work your way towards the most.

My 2 cetavos on it!

Best Regards,
Albert “Afghanus” Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles: George Washington, President and Fisherman

[Dphariss]

My barrel on the rifle I'm working on is draw filed and lightly polished on the top five visable flats that will be showing when the gun is done...that's it. I left it "in the bright" un-browned...un-blued. What's the best way to give it that pock marked, worn look of a 250 year old barrel?? I've seen examples on Eric Kettenburg's web site and I really like how some of those barrels look. They aren't really blued....and definatly aren't browned, but have that nice darkish, grayish, mottled look. Did the original gun makers even ever bother to brown the barrels back in the mid 1700's?? I was told most of the time they didn't.....they just left them bright and left time and mother nature add the "patina" to them.

Just remember that when the rifles were being used they did not look 250 years old.
They looked new to relatively new. A rifle cost too much to let deteriorate.

Dan

[ironwolf]

  The cold blue/iodine method will give you a 20 yr. old well cared for look and can be easily removed to get you back to the place you are now if you're not happy with it.  Apply the iodine over the bluing and let it sit overnight. In the a.m. parts will be covered with some sort of gunk.  Then just rub off the high spots back to the level of patina that suits the eye and natural aging will take over from there.
  Not what you're asking for but how I like it.

  KW

[Roger Fisher]

Well now leaving her 'bright' is all well and good ; but if she were mine the question would arise will I live long enough to see her self age to my satisfaction. I'd brown the b____ to the point to ward off glare while shootin her in the sunlight.  Just my idea.

[rallen]

I will throw this option out, not to mimic the pitting or oxidation of 250 yrs, but another finishing option from 250 yrs ago.  The discussion goes back to an authentic finish conversation with Eric Kettenburg via Dave Dodds.  It is possible that when a gunsmith was finishing the stock, the barrel was left in the stock and the barrel was aquafortised with the stock. Makes sense and is entirely possible.  Whether it is true or not, the result produces a nice French grey with mottled plum colors, somewhere between a true Allen Martin French grey rusted and blued barrel and a true browned barrel.
Ryan

[Leatherbelly]

 Take 12 feet of rope precisely. Tie to rear of manure spreader and trigger guard of gun. In a large pasture start and engage tractor and drag around meadow making sure of good coverage.When assured of such, drive over gun with cleated tires of tractor. Works every time!  Keep any "browning" from spreader contents on gun 4 days,then neutralize with bovine urine mixed with Jack Daniels as they compliment each other. Should give it a 200 year look in just one try! Aw $#@*, you wanted it to look 250 years old. Speed up tractor 25%.

[LehighBrad]

I like the manure spreader idea, but wouldn't hanging the barrel from my shed porch and hitting it repeadingly up and down it's length with my weed wacker with it's string attachment replaced by a couple of flailing dog chains produce the pock marks I'm after?? Then it's just a good overnight soak in a sectioned off piece of rain spouting filled with my buddy's tobbacco spit and viola!! 250 year old pock marked and patina finish with a hint of skoal scent added to boot!!!!

[T*O*F]

Try coating your barrel with mustard and letting it hang in a damp place for a week or more.

[Pete G.]

I finished a barrel with Laurel Mountain brown, then sanded it mostly off. Swabbed the barrel with Brownell's Oxpho blue and then scrubbed that back with WD 40 and one of those green scrubber pads.

This gives a "used but not abused" look. Personally I don't care too much for the beat up look.

[Leatherbelly]

 Sorry Brad,
 Just making a little humor. I'm with Pete and Dan on this one. I'd rust blue it if it were mine.Lock too.You'd be surprised how fast they age and gracefully too with use.My rifle was new last summer and It shows a few handling marks, brass has dulled nicely and it looks well traveled.As Dan says, rifles were too expensive to not be looked after well. Even smoothbores weren't that cheap. 15 dollars was like 2 months wages.Nice rifles were probably more then double that cost. I've got a 100+ year old shotgun that shows none of what you are looking for in a "finish".
 Make it new, use it lots and you'll get a nicely aged rifle in a year or so. JMHO tho. 
 

[54ball]

Let a reenactor borrow it for a year.

[Mike Brooks]

Carolina guns in NDN hands were expected to be worn out in 2 years. A brown Bess was considered used up after  ten years of service. Something to keep in mind when ageing.

[Daryl]

Bovine urine and Jack Daniels - hahahahahahahaha!

[LehighBrad]

Well thanks fellas for all the advice...once again. I'll start out simple...with the mustard suggestion...then if that doesn't suit I'll try the next technique. I'm sure I'll get it the way I want it sooner or later. And Leatherbelly.....I loved the humor! Comical replys every now and then is what makes this forum so enjoyable for me. I loves a good gigglin'. Thanks again guys!

[Leatherbelly]

   So you're sayin', if the mustard trick don't work, you're going to the manure spreader teknique.Bless ya son! I knew you'd see it my way! Add a little pepsi to your neutralizer and "Cheers" all around!

[smylee grouch]

A good coating of cold blue and clorox bleach applied and alowed to set for a week then rubded off with a scotch pad and wd40, may be some scalding water and a baking soda wash too then save the Jack Daniles for the inlaws and get some Black Velvet for yourself. After your done with the Black Velvet the gun will look pretty good.    Smylee

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

...and what do you do to your moccasins and the rest of your outfit to match your rifle?

[Robby]

Right now, I'm working on an Albrecht type gun, and for the first time I am going to try a little aging, About fifty years worth, Kind of like the original owner got it when he was a young man. I don't have to do anything to to me or the accessories, we already look the part. Manure on the garden, mustard for the pretzels and beer, I'll figure out the rest.
Robby

[LehighBrad]

My mocs and my buckskin leggings already have that "worn in" look from years of hunting late season in period attire. That's why I want this rifle I'm working on to also at least look a little "used" as soon as she comes out of the work shop. My goal is to have a nice grayish / slightly pitted look to it's barrel. I was told at work today that just rubbing some blackened used shooting patches on the flats would "grunge" it up nicely. Anybody ever do this??

[Daryl]

Actually, the best might be to flash a bunch ofPyrodex or T-7 on the barrel flats, in the pan and around the breech. Just let it sit for while to do it's thing. You'll might need some real BP to get it going in the pan though, but that's OK. It won't stop the cholorates from working - and there, you've done it the 'honest' way - well, almost.

[Joe S]

LehighBrad - Kettenburg is an artist.  His aged metal and wood finishes are as sophisticated and as artistic as the architecture and furniture on his guns.  To produce a “fake” as Kettenburg calls them, you first need to understand what old metal and wood look like, then figure out how to reproduce the ageing.  This is not simple, so plan on spending a lot of time experimenting before you finally get it right. 

If you follow some of the recipes recommended here, you will end up with an “aged” finish that is every bit as convincing as the “antiqued” finish on lamps at the furniture store.  And, if you don’t age the wood as well, you’ll end up with the incongruity of old metal and new wood which, to me at least, is at best a mixed metaphor.

I think the best advice you’ve gotten is to finish it as new, shoot it a lot in all kinds of weather, take it hunting and get some honest wear on  the stock, and in a couple of years you’ll have just what you’re looking for.

[Daryl]

I think the best advice you’ve gotten is to finish it as new, shoot it a lot in all kinds of weather, take it hunting and get some honest wear on  the stock, and in a couple of years you’ll have just what you’re looking for.

Our sentements exactly - actually, my post above, about the Pyro & T-7, was in jest.  It's not quite but almost as bad as some of the other "chemicals" suggested.  If you do use it as suggested, but are less than careful in it's handling, it will take on an 'aged' appearance quite rapidly - maybe only a year of honest use.

[halfstock]

Why would you want it to look 250 yr's old?? I could understand 5 or 10  but 250 yrs old from the past would have been a pile of rust.