Simulating a patina finish

austinsguns

Does anyone have advise on the best method to make a dark drown patina on metal?

TANK78Z

Birchwood Casey makes a "plum" brown metal coloring liquid.
Works great, just follow the instructions to the letter

steg

Get an older copy of the Dixie Gunworks Catalog. In the back of it you will find all sorts of neat antique gun information, including various browning formulae.

rhmc24

There are various recipes to make it but of those available in a bottle, the best by far in my 40 years of old gun work is Laurel Mountain Forge Browning and Degreaser. Available from Brownells if you can't find it locally.

It is a cold process, no heat used. Works in a few hours. It's not picky about preparation.

Birchwood Casey is good and widely available, quick to use but needs heat and I find it hard to get an even color.

austinsguns

Thanks guys! I think I will try both. I had to weld a broken tang on a win 1890, so I need to blend the patina back in with the receiver. I hope it works well.

BigLoop22

snapcrackle,

I do not know if this will help you, but I will add that you can get some patina chemicals from a stained glass supplyhouse. Various companies make a few "colors" (black; aged patina; green/ verdegirs) for each of the different metals (zinc; copper; lead; steel) that are used in the industry.

Alan Rushing

Helpful info ... thanks. [^]