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Author Topic: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by  (Read 934 times)

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Offline Rangr44

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I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« on: April 24, 2010, 11:08:23 AM »
I decided that I really, really, really didn't like all the shiney brass/bling on my .32 T/C Hawken, MUCH preferring a more muted/sedated look, that's also less reflective in the game fields - like either the tarnished brass (25 years worth) on my T/C Cherokee, or the blue/black furniture of my T/C Renegade.

Since I don't think I have much more than another 25 years to wait for it to tarnish, I decided to accellerate things a little, chemically.  The process took me two days, from dismounting the brass for coloring, to remounting it when done.

Here's what the .32 looked like earlier this week (lower rifle, with my .54 Renegade)



Here's what it looks like, today



The chemical tarnishing came out very mottled, much like color case hardening - I like it.

FWIW, I used a 2 gal plastic lidded container, with a plastic coffee can (empty) in the middle/upside-down as a platform for the brass.
I put $1.50 in copper pennies + 6" of 1/2" copper tubing scraps in the bottom of the large container, then poured in about 1 1/2 gals of common household ammonia ($3 at the grocery).
I left it covered for two days, while the fumes did their work on the cleaned (with acetone) brass (it was laquered by T/C).
A water rinse, drying, then an oil bath, and some waxing seems to have set everything nicely.



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Offline necchi

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2010, 02:17:01 PM »
Atta boy  ;D never liked shiney either
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Offline flintlock

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2010, 03:00:33 PM »
I just don't polish it, with use it will age itself...

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Offline Rangr44

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2010, 04:57:42 PM »
Yeah, but as I mentioned in my OP - I can't afford to wait another 20+ years, like it took for my Cherokee's brass.

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Offline Semisane

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2010, 08:24:59 PM »
It's brass dammit!!!   It's supposed to be shiney.    :D :D :D

(I like it shiney myself.)

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Offline Rangr44

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2010, 02:53:23 PM »
Yep - The Squills like it shiney, too.  ;)    ;D   ;D   ;D

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Offline Swampman

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2010, 02:56:34 PM »
The first dirty patch out of the bore or cold bluing will do the same thing.
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Offline Rangr44

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2010, 05:38:01 PM »
Cold blue just turned my brass black (I used it on the wedge estucheons   :'(  )  -  not the even/dark tan I WAS looking for, or the ( surprise ! ) mottled effect that I ended up with, and like very much more.

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Offline Semisane

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2010, 07:01:22 PM »
Quote
Yep - The Squills like it shiney, too.   
         

That's the whole point Rangr.   Ya` git um ta look down at dat shiney brass, then shoot em `tween the eyes.   ;D
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Offline moconfed

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2010, 03:31:56 PM »
It may sound odd, but among CW reenactors, it's commonly known that soaking shiny new brass buttons, etc., in a jar of urine will 'age' buttons and other brass fittings.
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Offline Oldwolf

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2010, 02:11:49 AM »
OT...but did you install a Green Mountain .32 barrel on your T/C Hawken? I've been thinking about doing that myself.
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Offline Rangr44

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2010, 07:24:21 AM »
Yes, since the Hawken's original barrel was 15/16" across the flats, GM's 15/16" .32cal IBS barrel/breechplug drops right in.

FWIW, although the 15/16" barrel will also hook up into the tang of my .54 Renegade, there's a lot of space beneath and on both sides of the barrel, and the breechplug's smaller than the tang seat - because the .54 Renegade has a 1" barrel.

I would have preferred to install the .32 barrel in the more conservative Renegade stock, but "it is what it is".   ;D
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: I Kissed My Shiney Brass Good-by
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2010, 08:44:43 AM »
LA-CO sodering paste applied and WARMed up will also tarnish brass or copper . If on long enough it will turn it green .
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