Author Topic: Grey longevity  (Read 2651 times)

Offline hortonstn

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Grey longevity
« on: October 10, 2020, 03:49:30 AM »
I removed a rust brown finish on a barrel with Birchwood Casey blueing and rust remover it left a beautiful grey finish which I liked question is will this finish be durable?
« Last Edit: October 10, 2020, 04:53:49 PM by hortonstn »

Offline Not English

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2020, 05:27:40 AM »
Hortonstn, I'm not familiar the initials Bc blueing and rust remover. I've always used muriatic or hydrochloric acid. I think if you give the barrel a good coating of oil, you should be OK. I would make a point of keeping the barrel oily for awhile so some of the oil will be absorbed. It really shouldn't be any different than what I did to antique a barrel in the white for a fusil.

Offline Waksupi

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2020, 11:21:33 PM »
I have a rifle I built around ten years ago, and French Greyed the barrel. It has been building a beautiful  patina over the years, leaning towards brown. Love the look!
Ric Carter
Somers, Montana

Offline TommyG

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2020, 02:36:18 AM »
I have done several barrels with LMF rust brown, rubbed back after 4-5 coats, then applied Oxpho-Blue rubbed back, then waxed.  This finish has held up very well for me.  After cleaning the gun, I wipe the barrel down with an oiled cloth.  One thing I did notice, before applying the blue, I would wipe down with denatured Alcohol and ended up with some surface rust after waxing.  I've since switched to Acetone for wiping and haven't had any surface rust since.

Offline hanshi

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2020, 12:30:06 AM »
A nice rifle I had sometime back had a grey metal finish I liked very much.  Over the years it did indeed acquire a patina that really looked sharp.  I like that type finish.
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Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2020, 02:47:04 AM »
Rust removers like "Naval Jelly" contain phosphoric acid, as far as I know, and they leave a grey finish.  this finish is not good at preventing rust.
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2020, 03:23:40 AM »
Could have been Oxphos available from some paint stores by the gal. I got mine from a Sherwin William's store.

I have used it on bare shinny metal to get a grey finish. It is used to stop active Russian, where it will turn rust into a hard black finish that paint will adhere to.

I told the two rifles I used it on but one of them did show a few rust flecks through the grey after firing it a few times. They cleaned right off but may have formed a patina if allowed to continue.

Main ingredient is phosphoric acid.
Dennis
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Offline alex e.

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2020, 03:45:35 AM »
All gun finishes are temporary, and subject to wear from use. Greys will turn brown,blues will turn brown. They age like we do.
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2020, 04:33:08 PM »
I like the gray look but find it doesn't stand up to a lot hands on use, the metal turns shiny again if you touch a spot repeatdly like a buttplate.

Offline eggwelder

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2020, 05:08:50 AM »
I did a grey on my first one, i still like it, but the brown is slowly spreading down the neck of the cock, and on the barrel radiating out from the vent. I don`t try to scrub out off. Active rust when it appears, yes, but this stuff, no.

Offline Not English

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2020, 02:39:48 AM »
Eric, the shiny spots created by wear are patina in my books. It takes a lot of use to get them naturally.
Egg, I know exactly what you're talking about. I built a rifle 30 years ago that had a white barrel that was polished with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper and then oiled. It was originally done as an experiment because I don't believe that many guns were browned originally in the mid 18th century. It has developed a very definite gray area around the breach/touch hole area and parts of the lock. I have carded it occasionally with 0000 steel wool just  enough to take bake any heavy oxidation/rust. I quite like the results so far. It has a really nice look of use. 

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2020, 05:44:00 PM »
I do like the patina that grows over the years, this was a very gray barrel, it looks rusty but but that is a light rust patina that forms even under oil and Barricade. Of course it looks much more prominent in the bright sunlight, it is subdued under normal lighting.



Before it aged;



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« Last Edit: October 18, 2020, 05:48:49 PM by Eric Krewson »

Offline Daniel Coats

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2020, 06:07:59 PM »
I removed a rust brown finish on a barrel with Birchwood Casey blueing and rust remover it left a beautiful grey finish which I liked question is will this finish be durable?

I've done this on purpose a few times. Not sure I would call it a finish or durable but one has lasted 18 years so far.
Dan

"Ain't no nipples on a man's rifle"

Offline Not English

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2020, 04:50:37 AM »
Eric, your photos tend to reinforce my belief about white barrels. Quite a few of the old guns I was able to disassemble had barrels that resembled yours. When the barrels were removed the areas protected by the forestock were still a grayish white.

Offline hanshi

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Re: Grey longevity
« Reply #14 on: October 19, 2020, 10:17:20 PM »
I no longer have this rifle but it was built with gray finished metal.  It still acquired some patina and looked sharp!

!Jozai Senjo! "always present on the battlefield"
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.