BARREL BROWING

[projeeper]

i,m using Danglers browing solution to brown my barrel how long should i let it rust and the best way to card back?
 anyway to speed up this process?
 thank you

[T*O*F]

anyway to speed up this process?

Yeah, boil it in bleach like you did your lock.

One a more serious note, quit trying to speed everything up.  Some of these things take time.  There is no set timetable because conditions are different every place in the country.  It takes as much time as it takes.

[Birddog6]

I brown mine in a steamy bathroom, card every 3 hrs with a Dixcel Wheel from Brownells, takes 21 to 24 hrs to complete the job.  I use Tru-Brown but it may work as well with the solution you are using.

[Karl Kunkel]

Steamy bathroom, LMF, carded back with denim - one weekend.

[Ky-Flinter]

....... anyway to speed up this process?

The aforementioned steamy bathroom, although the wife may have something to say about it.  Some guys build "sweat boxes" with light bulbs for heat and wet rags for moisture.  Here in Kentucky we have plenty of humididitty most of the time, so I've never bothered.  I card and apply the cold brown solution every 12 hours or so, before going to work and when I get home.  Takes several days to a week.

....... the best way to card back?

I use a plain old paper towel the first couple of cycles.  Doesn't remove the developing color like steel wool will.  Once the color really gets going, I switch to 0000 steel wool (degreased).  Oh, yeah.... I wear latex exam gloves.  No worries about finger prints.

-Ron

[George F.]

I have only used Laurel Mountain brown, I get good results. An even brown, medium texture after finial carding, heating on a burner then linseed oiled then waxed, wiped hard.
 Bill Shipman likes to use Wahton Bay brown. He get's a fine grain, and a nice job, then again I'm not a Bill Shipman. He says it's idiot proof. I have some and I will try it soon though....Geo.

[projeeper]

i,m just getting kinda antsy it,s the only thing left to do and it looks more blue than brown.

[Bill of the 45th]

Hey Pro, resist the temptation.  Slow it down, it takes a number of coats to get good results.  As has been mentioned if you use steel wool you need to degrease it first, as it has oil in it to act as a rust inhibitor, and will goof up your browning job.  A number of us have learned the hard way.  And then you start over.  Burlap also works good to card the rust.

Bill

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

For carding I use a roll of new canvas tent material about four inches in length and two inches in diameter.  I can really rub hard without doing any damage.  This yields a fine grained rust with no scale.
I use a damp box ala Bivens, applying every 2 1/2 hours carding between applications.  If I start at 8 am with a polished and degreased barrel, I am finished before I go to bed, usually.  If it isn't perfect, I remove it from the box and leave it on the bench 'til the next morning.  It is really dry here, so the damp box works well, though without it one week will produce the same result, applying only once a day.

[Dphariss]

i,m just getting kinda antsy it,s the only thing left to do and it looks more blue than brown.

If the blue solution has nitric acid in it it tends to turn blue when first applied. But the nitric makes it more effective.
As someone else  mentioned you need to slow down and see what works best in your situation.
Remember you will be looking at this gun for a long time so make it look right.

Dan