Andrew Smith Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 I was wondering how to brown steel. I have seen pictures of it but I can't figure out how to do it. Also is there anything to do to steel to protect it better than just bare metal and 3-in-1 oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Browning, IIRC, is controlled rusting with oil as a preservative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalliferous Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I going to go ahead and assume what you mean by browning is heating steel that has had a thin layer of oil applied to it. That's what I call browning, at least. For an even (and lighter) color, I generally sand/wirebrush off any rust or scale and then wipe down the piece with old cooking oil. To heat it, I either put it over a coke-downed fire or use a propane torch. I've tried heating the piece though the tempering range and then quenching it out in oil, but I can never really get the thing to stop feeling greasy that way. For a darker color, I apply old oil of pretty much any type and heat it until it just begins to smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 What you need to do is check out some gunsmithing sites. Brownells is a large supplier of gunsmithing stuff including bluing , and browning solutions. They have been around for years, and should be able to get you the information that you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Smith Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks guys, I am going to work on it today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Aftist got it right. Easiest way is probably to buy some Birchwood Casey Plum Brown, or another ready-made browning solution (yes, Brownell's is a great source, I'm a second generation customer), and follow the directions to the letter. You can also create instant rust many different ways. One way is by cold bluing a part (cold blue is available at most gun stores), then repeatedly dunking it in bleach and rinsing with hot water and a stiff plastic bristle brush between dunks. I've never tried that method for browning, though; I've only used it to get an antiqued/etched appearance. Experimentation on something expendable would be in order. I'll warn you right now that you'll be amazed at how aggressive the combination of cold blue and bleach is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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