Pitted/used age look to brass

[Terry Reynolds]

My newest build is a small 40cal. youth rifle with brass fixtures. I would like to finish it in a "been there, done that" look by pitting and dinging the brass up a bit then use some Brass Black to give it a nice patina look. Besides throwing the brass parts down the driveway to ding them up is there a better way?

The barrel and lock will be deeply browned and lightly sanded back. The stock I'm still studying on and may use Mike Brooks tutorial to age the stock.

Thanks

Terry

[Joe S.]

My opinion,go with just the brass black and follow Mike's wood treatment.Guns get that been there done that look soon enough.

[David Rase]

Ammonia fumes is another way to age brass.  Pour a little bit of ammonia in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket and then suspend your brass parts over the ammonia.  It doesn't take too long.  I left some brass parts in over night once thinking that if a little is good more ought to be better.  When I pulled the parts out in the morning I had some great pits and erosion.  A spot on the front end of one of my thimbles was eroded away and a section between a screw hole and the edge of my patchbox was also eaten away.  It worked for the gun I was aging but keep your eye on it.  Also, ammonia will make your brass brittle.
David

[greybeard]

Wipe the brass with  dirty cleaning patch!!
Bob

[Terry Reynolds]

Thanks for the suggestions. David, I have a couple old chunks of brass I may experiment with using ammonia. 

[petera]

I completely disagree with "aging" a new made gun.  How ridiculous it is to imagine a customer asking J.P. Beck, or Jacob Dickert in the late 18th Century to "age their guns.  Mother Nature will take care of it.  One reason I date my rifles, is that guns I made 30 years ago look about three centuries old.  Besides, if you carry your asged gun wearing new buckskins, you look really ridiculous.   PAA

[Stophel]

I like "aged" guns, if WELL done (many aren't), and I like "fake" guns too, and have no problem with "aging" a gun for a certain effect.

I usually do a "slightly used" finish, for that "lived-in" look.      A look that it would get in short order through use, but most people today simply won't use them like the 18th century man would.

Many people overdo "aging".   Even 300 year old brass doesn't look like what some people do to it today to make it look "old".

Old brass seems to turn brown, rather more than the blue or black you get with modern brass black chemical agents.  I don't actually know how to achieve this by any way other than time, but I wish I could...


I'm currently finishing a gun that I made, but never fully completed, at least 12 years ago.  The brass triggerguard has acquired a fantastic brown patina.... too bad I have to file some of it off!   

[Mauser06]

Stophel, ammonia fuming will achieve that color...David gave good instructions that'll get it done.


Greybeard gave another way to achieve a natural color.  I fired my build in the white.  The mizzlecap took on a neat look.


I've never seen old brass to be pitted..scratches, marks and tarnish/patina. But haven't examined lots of old brass either...

[rich pierce]

I broke a guard that was aged with ammonia. Last time I used that. Like others I find that fresh wet cleaning patches work great.

[n stephenson]

I completely disagree with "aging" a new made gun.  How ridiculous it is to imagine a customer asking J.P. Beck, or Jacob Dickert in the late 18th Century to "age their guns.  Mother Nature will take care of it.  One reason I date my rifles, is that guns I made 30 years ago look about three centuries old.  Besides, if you carry your asged gun wearing new buckskins, you look really ridiculous.   PAA

This happens EVERY time someone makes a post requesting information on ageing a gun. While everyone is entitled to their opinion and has the right to post it. Does it not make sense that no matter your opinion on the subject, the OP obviously has some interest in the subject posted, or they wouldn't be  asking to start with. It never fails on this subject that people start calling aged guns "fake" or whatever. The only problem with most of it , is that the same people  that label aged guns "fake" , will be right back on here two days later signing high praises for someone`s "fake" rifle they post pics of . Slightly hypocritical if you ask me . Either you hate the fakes or not which is fine either way , just try to be consistent , that way you don`t look two faced        JMHO   Nate

[Mike Brooks]

I completely disagree with "aging" a new made gun.  How ridiculous it is to imagine a customer asking J.P. Beck, or Jacob Dickert in the late 18th Century to "age their guns.  Mother Nature will take care of it.  One reason I date my rifles, is that guns I made 30 years ago look about three centuries old.  Besides, if you carry your asged gun wearing new buckskins, you look really ridiculous.   PAA

Just call me Mr. Ridiculous, although I don't have any "Buck Skins". I have made a living selling aged guns, always with a several year wait list. gotta be something to it.......

[oldtravler61]

  Mike yeah just got to speed up on that wait list !! Ha ha.  Oldtravler

[kutter]

Here's a link to a long list of soln's and mixes you can experiment with to patina brass as well as copper and bronze.
Different effects, colors, and hot or cold processes.

https://www.sciencecompany.com/Do-It-Yourself-Patina-Formulas-W12C672.aspx#1


Yes ammonia fuming works and can work well.  It's been used quite a bit in the antiques restoration industry. By careful control, that dark mustard patina color can be brought back onto a brass surface.
What they use(d) usually was Heavy Ammonia (ND3 ?), not the common household ammonia cleaner types.
The former is dangerous stuff and more tightly controlled now.
But the common cleaner can also work.
The fuming process was also used to 'stain' hardwood like oak, pecan. ect.

Many a brass frame Henry rifle now sporting an  original brass patina is nothing but an original redone patina.

Ammonia contact can weaken brass alloy structure and the process to build a patina is not an overnite one.
Quick fixes and heavy doses can weaken and even eat away at the brass.

[moleeyes36]

I completely disagree with "aging" a new made gun.  How ridiculous it is to imagine a customer asking J.P. Beck, or Jacob Dickert in the late 18th Century to "age their guns.  Mother Nature will take care of it.  One reason I date my rifles, is that guns I made 30 years ago look about three centuries old.  Besides, if you carry your asged gun wearing new buckskins, you look really ridiculous.   PAA

This happens EVERY time someone makes a post requesting information on ageing a gun. While everyone is entitled to their opinion and has the right to post it. Does it not make sense that no matter your opinion on the subject, the OP obviously has some interest in the subject posted, or they wouldn't be  asking to start with. It never fails on this subject that people start calling aged guns "fake" or whatever. The only problem with most of it , is that the same people  that label aged guns "fake" , will be right back on here two days later signing high praises for someone`s "fake" rifle they post pics of . Slightly hypocritical if you ask me . Either you hate the fakes or not which is fine either way , just try to be consistent , that way you don`t look two faced        JMHO   Nate


Well said, Nate, well said.

Mole Eyes

[Joe S.]

I like Mike's technique,in my opinion he has a way of making his guns look, well,an older,used appearance but not left in a damp,dank basement neglected look.If you look at well kept rifles from days gone by you see wear,age,patina but not neglect. Some folks who artificially age their guns go to far,IMHO.Granted plenty of rifles,guns found did not have a perfect life and show it,didn't have the benefit of being well kept,even while being used hard and put away wet so to speak.Its a personal preference how far to take it,if you like a rusted,pitted,beat like a mule look have at it,to each his own.

[Tuffluck]

Hey, This my first post, be kind. An easy way to get a “been out and about” look on brass and copper is a fifty fifty mix of hydrogen peroxide, drug store variety , and white vinegar. Make enough to completely submerse the piece, or you will end up with a two tone overlap. It works best if the solution and the piece are very warm. Just heat the clean metal under a hot water tap before submersing. It will fizz and in a minute develop a nice patina. Take it out and let it dry, it won’t wipe off, but will show natural lighter areas in time, not shiny, where you handle the rifle. This is the solution used to do home electroplating with copper.

[Terry Reynolds]

I like the look tuffluck, Thanks.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Welcome to our world Tuffluck.  Nothing like jumping right in to a controversial subject!!  Your aging to the brass looks pretty good to a guy who doesn't do it himself.  think I'l go down to the Lincoln dealer and have him put some patina on a brand new car...make it look like its been around for a while.

[bob in the woods]

Take a new vehicle, then drive it from my place to the highway, in / out for a week , and it will be "aged"    The county calls it a road, but it's merely a suggested route of travel .

[bob in the woods]

One thing to remember, ;   just altering the colour or adding pitting isn't enough. You need to add wear..softening corners, edges etc to the entire piece in order to make things look right.  In my opinion , Eric Kettenburg is a master at "aging"   Studying his work is a fine place to start.

[JCKelly]

As some have noted, ammonia cracks brass

May do a nice job of aging, if you get to the piece before it cracks.

Brits first learned this during the Monsoon season in India. To "protect" their .577 Snyder ammo they stored it in the horse barn. Funny thing, every monsoon season their cartridge cases cracked. So they called it "season cracking"

Some years later they realized it was ammonia fumes from horse urine. Practically speaking, these days mice do much more damage.

Just remember whilst Aging your brass with ammonia, it will crack. Maybe, or maybe not, before you get a nice patina.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

When I noticed that cleaning patches worked to age brass I started just using a little black powder that I spit in and make a paste.  I then rub that on the brass parts and leave it over night.  Then wash it off with dish detergent and it looks nice. 

Cory Joe Stewart

[rich pierce]

Me too, Cory. I think it needs to be fresh. I tried old dirty patches from the trash can and they did not seem effective.

[Mad Monk]

Ammonia fuming brass causes a leaching of copper from the brass. 
Black powder residue will "age" brass by also leaching copper from the brass.  Not as destructive as strong ammonia.  The potassium carbonate in the black powder residue is what will attack the brass by leaching small amounts of copper out of the brass.  Both ammonia and potassium carbonate are caustic chemicals that will attack brass via copper leaching.

Bill K.

[Mikecooper]

I thought it was the sulfur in the black powder residue that makes the brass turn black.  Same way liver of sulfur turns it black.