Brass too bright: How do you reverse?

[rbs]

I have an old ca 1830 Kentucky rifle by J. Long that a prior owner appears to have polished the patchbox and other brass parts of the gun. While the stock is in very good condition, the brass is much too bright and shiny for an 1830 rifle. How, if at all, should I go about toning down the brightness of the recently polished brass? Thanks.

[Mark Elliott]

The safe and slow way is to use lemon juice or vinegar.    You  will need to apply it daily until you get the patina you want.    Be careful about handling it though.    Your skin will do a pretty good job of polishing brass.   

[Clark Badgett]

A lot of years ago, I quite by accident discovered that BP soot and water will make bright brass turn a nice mustard shade in short order. It also gave a nice walnut color to russet colored leather.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

The method Clark B describes is the way I darken shiny brass to give it the old looking patina.  Here is how I use this process.  I bring the shiny brass gun and another gun to the shooting range.  I shoot the other gun and swab the bore with a spit patch.  Then immediately I begin to wipe down the shiny brass with the dirty, wet patch.  It darkens the brass nice and quickly, and the right color, too.  If you collect the dirty patches in a bag to take them home for later use, it will not work as well as a really fresh dirty patch, they must be really fresh.  If you keep the dirty patches in a plastic bag in the shop for a long time, then try to use them, they don't work at all.

Also, commercial cold blue solution will work, it gives a too black color (in my opinion).

Jim

[Don Getz]

rbs........you have completely ruined the gun.    I would be happy to take it off your hands.   Seriously, but kidding.  I
bought one in the same condition many years ago, but they also cleaned all of the patina off the stock.  I added some
finish to the stock every now and then, it looks good now.   Same thing with the brass.  I didn't do anything to the brass,
just left it take on a patina by itself, and it will.   It might take a few years to look good, but it will come around.  If you
ever want to selll it, get in touch.   I grew up about a mile from where Joe Long lived and worked and I do like his guns.
Don

[Hungry Horse]

 The black, and brown, colors of aging can be accomplished with gun foulings, as mentioned, or diluted brass black. To accomplish the light greening most old brass fittings have around the edges, a solution of vinegar, and table salt, can be brushed around the edges of the fittings and screws. It usually takes a day, or two, for the green to start appearing. It will be a light turquoise when dry, and a deep green if oiled or waxed.
 I did a wall display for a saloon years ago that was comprised of all modern replica firearms, and related equipment. All components of the display were artificially aged, and battered,  to fit the decor. They finally took the display down, because people kept stealing parts of it, thinking these were valuable antiques. 

                    Hungry Horse

[Dogshirt]

Guys,

The method Clark B describes is the way I darken shiny brass to give it the old looking patina.  Here is how I use this process.  I bring the shiny brass gun and another gun to the shooting range.  I shoot the other gun and swab the bore with a spit patch.  Then immediately I begin to wipe down the shiny brass with the dirty, wet patch.  It darkens the brass nice and quickly, and the right color, too.  If you collect the dirty patches in a bag to take them home for later use, it will not work as well as a really fresh dirty patch, they must be really fresh.  If you keep the dirty patches in a plastic bag in the shop for a long time, then try to use them, they don't work at all.

Also, commercial cols blue solution will work, it gives a too black color (in my opinion).

Jim

Years ago we stopped at Thermopolis, Wy on a trip. I noticed all the pennies people had tossed in were black.
I scooped up some water in a jar and put in a penny, started turning right away. When I got it home it wouldn't
do a thing to copper or brass. Even tried heating up but it didn't work.

[JCKelly]

I hesitate to comment on something that has worked, but a mix of vinegar (acetic acid) and table salt makes hydrochoric acid. Whatever nice things it does to brass patina, including selectively dissolving out the zinc so it looks coppery on the surface, it will rust the $#*! out of any iron parts around it. May take some time to do so.

Ahh, you guys should have seen the 304 stainless part returned to our lab from a sauerkraut maker. Cabbage plus Vinegar and salt. The mix won't hurt your stomach, because that already contains hydrochloric acid. However, after some time in production of saurkraut it pitted the $#*! out of the stainless.

[Longshot]

I've also found that a mix of MiracleGrow and water can applied to good effect.  Depends on the look you're after.

[Chris Treichel]

Do this Outside (causes fumes) on a warm day.  Wipe all grease etc off the brass or copper item.  Take PLASTIC bucket, suspend the item by a cross sick take a rag doused liberally with amonia (from the grocery store cleaning isle) and toss it in the bottom.  Cover bucket with a lid... let it sit for a few hours. Inspect every half hour or so... If it stops smelling like amonia and its not brown enough add some more amonia to the rag. It wont pit but will cause copper and brass to discollor all over and takes something bright and shiney and in a few hours makes it look real old. Once it achieves the level of discoloration you desire wipe it down with an oily cotton rag.

Note, this is for thicker items as the amonia reaction will make very thin items brittle.

Can also be used to really PO your fellow Marine or Sailor. 

Amonia NH3 causes the formation of Copper Oxides (green and brown stuff) on brass and copper.

[kutter]

I hesitate to comment on something that has worked, but a mix of vinegar (acetic acid) and table salt makes hydrochoric acid. Whatever nice things it does to brass patina, including selectively dissolving out the zinc so it looks coppery on the surface, ...

I used to engrave the fittings and furniture for a local builder some years back.
He would age patina the brass parts by first warming them w/a torch. Just barely hot enough to sizzle water.
Then give them a coating wash of nitric acid. I don't recall what concentration it was. Knowing him it probably wasn't a concern.
Then after the acid washdown, a quick rinse w/ clean water.
Next using a brush or cloth patch,  swab on a soln of BP & water that he'd always have sitting in a jar on the bench.
Shake it up a little before applying.

Rub down w/ a piece of leather and done.
One of the best looking aged & used look patina applications I've seen.

I think the acid did what you said in removing the zinc from the surface of the brass alloy. Then the BP & water acted on the mostly copper content to color that.
What ever the manner in which it comes about,,it surely works well and is easy to apply.

Thanks for the posting,,it jogged my memory about it.

[Shootrj2003]

Clean off any wax ,grease or protecting covering and use it at the range and it will faily quickly develop its own authentic patina.t