How to put antique finish on small iron parts?

[Mikecooper]

So I have some bright shiny screws to attach a patchbox to the wood.   I don't have a commercial browning product.   Is there a quick easy way to darken the screw heads with common household chemicals? 


 

[JTR]

Common bleach will do it. Just wet the screw heads with some regular bleach, blow off the excess and let them dry. By the next morning they should be rusty. Wash them off with a neutralizer, dry them, then give them a coat of oil. If you want just a smooth brown/blackish finish, steel wool them a bit and then oil.

If you don't want to wait, light up your propane torch, hold the screw with needle nose pliers, dip it into some bleach, blow off the excess, then pass the screw through the flame until the bleach boils off,,,,, and instant rust. Steel wool, oil, etc.

John

[Scota4570]

Heat them until they just start to glow red in a dark room and drop them in 3 in 1 oil.  That will make them blue-black. 

[P.W.Berkuta]

Heat them until they just start to glow red in a dark room and drop them in 3 in 1 oil.  That will make them blue-black. 

+1 -- I polish the screw head with 320 or 400 paper then heat until the head starts to turn colors then dip it in oil (motor oil is good) then heat a bit more - drop the screw back in the oil to cool - looks good to me .

[Mikecooper]

Thanks for the advice, that's what I was looking for, something quick and easy.  Since the barrel is brown I think I'll try the bleach rust rather than oil bluing. 

I also read somewhere that if you put a rusty part in boiling water the rust will turn black.   

[PPatch]

"I also read somewhere that if you put a rusty part in boiling water the rust will turn black."

This is true and known as rust bluing. It is a tough finish.

dave

[WadePatton]

"I also read somewhere that if you put a rusty part in boiling water the rust will turn black."

This is true and known as rust bluing. It is a tough finish.

dave

You'll want distilled water I understand.

[PPatch]

"I also read somewhere that if you put a rusty part in boiling water the rust will turn black."

This is true and known as rust bluing. It is a tough finish.

dave

You'll want distilled water I understand.

Good point Wade, I'm so used to using well water that I had forgotten that.

dave

[P.W.Berkuta]

I've only used my hard tap water with good success --

[b bogart]

I got a deep black on a barrel by browning as usual, carding smooth then suspending in a pvc tube plugged on one end and pouring boiling water in (tap water). I emptied the tube and poured in the H2O three times I believe. Maybe I got lucky?

[WadePatton]

"I also read somewhere that if you put a rusty part in boiling water the rust will turn black."

This is true and known as rust bluing. It is a tough finish.

dave

You'll want distilled water I understand.

Good point Wade, I'm so used to using well water that I had forgotten that.

As we see above, it could be fine-but I wouldn't trust my well water on big parts-until I had tested in on small parts.  Oh wait, you're doing small parts.   

[Mikecooper]

That's a nice looking finish on the barrel.   My screw heads turned out ok,  not quite what I wanted but they look better than they did before. 

[moleeyes36]

I got a deep black on a barrel by browning as usual, carding smooth then suspending in a pvc tube plugged on one end and pouring boiling water in (tap water). I emptied the tube and poured in the H2O three times I believe. Maybe I got lucky?

I've also done it that way and it worked out just fine for me too.  I used a length of 4 inch PVC plugged on one end and put the barrel inside. I filled it with boiling distilled water, let it go 10 minutes, emptied it and refilled it with boiling water and let it go for 10 minutes.  I repeated the process one more time and things turned out very well when I finished.

Mole Eyes

[Mikecooper]

Here are the patch box screws.  I may try to treat them some more.  They are still not all that dark.  I need to do the ones on the toe plate and butplate also.   Oh, excuse the poor engraving,  I was young and stupid and thought I could do anything.  LOL 

[Hadden West]

Some cold bluing, like 44/40 will rust, almost as fast as browning solution. Put the cold bluing on, and don't neutralize it, and it will start rusting, then card it off and neutralize it. Watch out, some bluing will rust pretty fast, and others like Oyxpho, will not. I am not sure on the spelling, but it's sold by Brownell.