Antiquing "How-To"

[r0gue]

Hi all!  First post to CCFH!  Link to great Antiquing "How-To"

http://members.cox.net/longshot_logan/Metal%20Antiquing.htm

r0gue

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Great post on how to make 'em look old. Thanks for posting the link. Thanks to Rio, also, for putting this here in gunsmithing.

[jiminy criquet]

Please forgive me for totally and utterly desecrating this brand new EMF Great Western II Single Action. I wanted to use this gun as it was a perfect example and had no wear or damage (until I got my hands on it).

LOL!  That's a damn shame to do that to a brand spanking new revolver, IMHO.  If you want it to look 'old', then use it for a while or buy a used one for cripe's sake.

With that said...if you absolutely must have an 'antique' look , then I would recommend using ferric chloride...available at Radio Shack stores as 'circuit board etchant'.  It's amber-colored stuff that comes in a plastic bottle and sells for a few dollars.  Dillute it 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 parts ferric chloride to distilled water (i.e. 3 parts distilled water, 1 part ferric chloride.  (The higher the concentration of FC, the more agressive the etching.)  You can wipe it on with a cloth or submerse the parts.  Ferric chloride leaves a grey oxide coating on the gun that repels rust.  When you're done etching the parts, simply wash them off with dishwashing detergent and hot water to neutralize the FC.  Then douche the parts with WD-40, and steel wool the finish to your taste.  Keep covered with WD-40 or a good coat of oil overnight so that the oxide coating soaks up as much rust preventative as possible to further protect the gun from rust.  (Don't forget to strip the bluing from the gun and degrease the parts before using the Ferric Chloride....see below.)

Word to the wise:  Don't dump the Ferric Chloride down the drain after you're done, as it will eat your pipes.  Put the diluted FC solution in a plastic container with a sealable lid, (like Tupperware) and label it for next time, as it's reuseable and doesn't get contaminated in the etching process.  Cool stuff.

Here's some other hints for this process:
Common brake cleaner is a cheap and effective degreaser.

Muratic acid is an excellent remover of gun bluing and all around metal stripper.  Muratic acid can be found in your grocery store under the guise of toilet cleaning products...read the labels.  I use some type of 'scrubbing bubble' tablets.  2 or 3 of them in a few cups of distilled water usually does the job on a gun frame.  (You can also get distilled water at the grocery store....but don't drink it as it sucks the minerals out of your body and will eventually kill you.  Besides, it tastes like crap.)
When I'm done with the stuff I dump it in the toilet and clean the toilet afterwards.

Now the legal stuff:  I'm not responsible if you fail to read and understand the product labels and follow common safety practices ....like wearing rubber gloves, not breathing vapors, using proper ventilation and/or wearing a vapor respirator (about $25 at Home Depot), etc., etc., etc.

[Yankee John]

That is a great how-to,  and I used basically the same method when I redid my Uberti Cattleman.  I just had to do something to get rid of that "matte blued" finish!

The only real difference that I did was that I used Flitz polish in the very end.

Here is a pic of the completed Uberti:

[Silver Creek Slim]

That is a great how-to,  and I used basically the same method when I redid my Uberti Cattleman.  I just had to do something to get rid of that "matte blued" finish!

The only real difference that I did was that I used Flitz polish in the very end.

Here is a pic of the completed Uberti:

Looks good.

Slim

[Remington Kid]

On the two Remingtons that I have had for a few years now we just used Birchwood Caseies blue remover. Works fast and easy, no muss ,no fuss. Then rinse with clean water and use Plumb brown or any of the "Rust Blueing methods " to get the Patina to the stage you like.I prefer the rust blueing and carding but it does take a little longer. Mike

[Paladin UK]

Thought I`d throw my hat into the ring too



This is my ASM that I have ...antiqued

Paladin (What lurvs the holy black ) UK

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Did you flitz it with a cloth, 0000 steel wool, or dremel and buffer?

I REALLY like the looks of your Uberti after your finishing...gotta get that done to mine as well.
(I too like B-C rust-blue remover...have used it in the past on guns with GREAT success)

[Yankee John]

Dakota,  Just used an old T-shirt.

John

[Dakota Widowmaker]

SUCCESS!!!

I just did it to my first Millenium. I had to get 3 new screwdrivers to tear my revolver down, but, its all finished.

I did it just as you said, but, used 0000 steel wool.

I need to go over a few areas again, but, 1 application of permablue, 2 applications of plum brown, and finish off with flitz gives it a nice finish.

I stoned the hammer, sear, and some of the internal surfaces. (clean up...nothing fancy)

I will take my dremel to the main spring later on.

Between it and the unmodified one, I can feel the difference in trigger smoothness and feel. Everything just feels "smother" having refinished it as well as stoned the surfaces.

(plus, giving it a good clean up and lube job never hurts)

Thanks for the tips!!!

[deucedaddyj]

That is pretty darn cool. I might have to try it on the "Widowmaker" (so called, because it's caused me so much stress, if I was married my wife would be a widow by now) Iver Johnson/Uberti Cattleman.

Palidin: Boy, our avatars are a little close for comfort, aren't they? If you want me to, I'd be glad to change mine. Yours looks better anyways.

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Well, I did the second Uberti Millenium.

Turned out better than the first one!!! (I did a better job of bluing and I used a hotter temp for the browing)

Man, it looks so good after cleanup with the Flitz, I could swear it was color case hardened (if I didn't know better).

Both actions are smooth now. (both need another 500rds through them and they should be good to go for this next season)

Anyone who thinks this is hard has nothing to be affraid of. Just take your time and go slowly.

A good bit of bluing with Permablue PASTE is what made the difference.

don't forget to get the temp up before browning. (350 on my stove worked just fine)
[do the browning twice and after the second time, let er sit for 10min so it has time to react]

Pics to follow...

[Dakota Widowmaker]

OK, here is some eye candy.

[edited: sorry, lost those pics and no longer have those guns... life goes on]

[Yankee John]

Looking great Dakota!  They look like they are 100 years old. 

John

[LazyK Pejay]

Good job on both pistols. I am not sure I like the brass on the UBerti though, but the grips look great. Thx.

LazyK Pejay

[Dakota Widowmaker]

LP-

Yeah, the brass is either anodized or bead blasted with a parkerized style surface.

I am going to sand it down smooth then let nature take its course with the surface finish.

I could blacken it with chemical agents...but why?

Brass grips don't make it any less fun to shoot.

[Revolvr]

These antiqued SAA's in the photos look great. I think I might give it a shot.

Question: My SAA clone has the "Charcoal Blue" that Uberti and Cimarron advertise. Is this bluing removed just like the other?

Also, what happens to the color case hardened frame? Seems like this technique would cover that finish as well.

-- Clay

[Dakota Widowmaker]

Yes, the bluing from Uberti and others is the same. It can be removed with plain old "naval jelly" or "bluing rust remover"

[Revolvr]

So if I can summarize, it seems the real difference in this process is the cold blueing before browning.

The photos in the original web link show a distressed antiqued finish. But some of the photos that have been posted since show a very even newer look.

So is the difference in the blueing and browning, or is it in the care and time taken in the cleaning/degreasing/polishing preparation?

Does this end up hiding the case-hardened finish or does that still show through reasonably well?

Thanks,

-- Clay

[Highlander999]

I took this old gun that I bought for a song, took 0000 steel wool, polished the end of the left side of the BBL where the holster wear would be, along the ejector rod on the right side, buffed more just along the bbl, and then all around the cylinder flutes and where the bevel on the front of the cylinder strikes the holster.  I then used the steel wool on the backstrap where my hand hits it, then across the front of the backstrap, and where my finger hits the trigger guard.  You can see where I started out with 600 emery paper (don't do that).  You can't see it in regular lighting, but under flash you can.