How Would You Finish the Barrel on a Pennsylvania Fowling Piece of 1770

[canadianml1]

What do think would be appropriate? I am about do the above and would like some ideas.

Any comments appreciated! Thanks

[Stophel]

White.

[Mike Brooks]

White.

I'd rust the $#*! out of it so it's all pitted. Of course that's how I do everything.

[old george]

Mine is finished aged steel and I really like it.

george

[canadianml1]

How do you age the steel? Thanks

[smallpatch]

Just like Mike said.  Rust it till it’s very pitted, sand it off, just leaving the pits, hit it with cold blue and knock it back with scotchbrite and your favorite oil.

[Stophel]

White.

I'd rust the $#*! out of it so it's all pitted. Of course that's how I do everything.

Well, that's how mine all end up anyway too!   Mine are always at least a little bit "aged"    My guns have the illusion of having been polished white at one time...    I'm too clumsy and ham handed to make a gun that actually looks brand new.

The barrel just rusts plenty on its own from me handling it while working on the gun.  Knock the heavy orange rust off, oil/wax it and call it done. 

[Fly Navy]

Another vote for in the white.

[Bob McBride]

I like slightly pitted and grayed. Bright seems to me to be representative of a brand new gun, or one that a fellow spends time polishing his gun and combing his hair that could be better used doing his work, where grayed feels more ‘workmanlike’ and what it seems to me a gun built bright but with a few years of honest use under its belt might’ve looked like. I mostly knock back browning but knocking back bluing looks as good.

[smallpatch]

Here what the potted browning, sanded back, then blue knocked back looks like.






upload images

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I would prefer a polished brown.

[flintlock hunter]

Bob hit the nail on the head, in my opinion anyway.

[Daryl]

I like polished as well. Let them age through use. But that's just me.(& others)

[canadianml1]

I would like to be able to do a polished brown but my barrels always turn out pebbly. How do you polish rust?

Thanks

[B.Habermehl]

I’ll go against the grain and go with a boiled or scalded brown. With as fine a grain as I can get. Probably not PC but I like it. BJH

[canadianml1]

Hi smallpatch:
.
Very nice gun and  barrel finish. I get approximately this finish with full strength brass black taken back with steel wool. This is what I think I'll finish my JC fowler with. What do you think?

canadianml1

[Daryl]

You get a smooth brown by carding between coats and starting with a very smooth barrel.

[smallpatch]

Canada,
It doesn’t show well, but there is a solid layer of pits that the bluing gets into and retains that bluing better.
It definitely looks like an older, well taken care of barrel. It’s a lot of work, but looks real good.
It is my go to finish and wood look great on your Fowler.
Browning can be a great finish as well, and can produce a myriad of finishes from a textured, almost leather grained finish, or can be smooth as glass plum purple, it can also be turned black.
All depends on the process.

[smart dog]

Hi,
You produce this kind of smooth brown or blue by polishing the surface before browning and not letting the rusting go for very long before carding (no more than 2 hours). Carding is done with a very soft steel brush run at slow speed.

dave

[canadianml1]

Some really beautiful examples of work!

On my first gun I used Laurel Mountain browning agent. It got away on me and produced  a lot of rough looking rust. I was so disgusted with it that I filed the rust all off and polished the barrel bright. It now looks gray peppered with lots of tiny dark pits. It looks so good I left it that way.

I also tried browning with TOW Tried and True browning agent on two guns. The first gun started with a mirror finish  got carded with cloth per instructions. This resulted in a pebbly finish. On the next gun I started with a courser finish and got the same result.

I think I was not carding properly. Not sure I understand exactly how you carded to get a fine finish. Could you expand a bit on this? Thanks.

[Not English]

I have a problem with pitted and severely worn finishes. You need to put yourself in the time that the weapon would have originally been used. If it was your gun during that time, you would have cared for it. Pitted and rough finishes are a product of 200 years of aging or neglect.

[Daryl]

Maybe- but not necessarily. This one went a bit long but I've been able to live with it for 34 years.

[smallpatch]

It’s not just the carding.  It’s the amount of time between carding (coats of liquid at the same time)
Dave just explained it.  The variables are temperature, humidity, and time between coats. When temps and moisture are high, and you leave it in for 12 hours, you get a coarse finish.  Less reaction time, and less temp and humidity, you get a smoother finish.

[smart dog]

Hi,
As Dane said, the graininess results from the speed of rusting (depends on temp and humidity) and the length of time rusting is allowed before carding. Shorter rusting and carding cycles equals smoother finish. However, the job will require more cycles.  A smooth brown or blue requires patience and cannot be rushed.   The short cycles mean that you will see hardly any progress for the first 5-6 cycles except for a developing tarnish and then all of a sudden, the brown will take hold.  It will be uneven at first and more cycles will fill it in.  After 10-12 short cycles you will have your smooth brown.  However, the barrel needs a good polish before browning to get glassy smooth results.  I usually sand up to 600 grit if I want a really smooth finish, coarser grit if the project objectives don't demand that level of finish.  Another tip is if humidity is high, dilute the browning solution with denatured alcohol.

dave 

[greybeard]

3 coats of laurel mt browning, neutralis it     steelwool  superfine.  oil