doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Rust finishing

[IMG]http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv50/barrelbrowner/black7.jpg[/IMG

This is my first attempt at posting pictures of my work! I hope they appear, revdocdrew has kindly been posting them for me, thankyou for your help, I will still be pestering you, and I am still looking for the rosetta stone!!!

Paul,

That is some first class work!

Very nice Paul, and I'm happy to help. Now get out of the shop and check out the closets in the bowels of the Birmingham Science Museum and the Royal Armouries in Leeds

Hi Paul,

Very nice work.

Re getting photos to "appear":
When you create or reply to a post you type in a dialogue box, at the top of the box, click the third icon from the left and inter the address of your photo - http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv50/barrelbrowner/black7.jpg - click ok and the software will do the rest.

Good luck

re-finished greener

re-finished Greener

Re-finished damascus gun

Boss barrels re-finished

Re-finished damascus

Churchill rust black finish

Spanish gun rust black finish

Re-finished blacking job rust process.

That's some beautiful work. I'm wondering what formulas you are using for your rusting solutions, especially for the blacking process. The solutions I have used have had too much bite and I can't get the sheen you are, even with a high initial polish. Apparently I am not the only one as I have seen advice that polishing past 220 is a waste of time.

The formula is very old and has been used in the family for around 150 years, I go to 320 400 grit, I dont think you need any more than that as your solution will bite into the metal, the more polished your barrels are the harder it will be for the solution to take, I dont think barrels look so good if they have had a high polish but I guess its down to personal taste, will post some more pics soon of the rusting process.

Dear Barrel Browner;

Your work is beautiful. You are indeed a master.

I have not seen any barrel blacking work of this quality and luster at home in the USA. In the past I sent English barrels to be blacked to UK, but now the shipping expense is several times the cost of the re-blacking of the barrels, since Parcel Force will not return ship to USA. I still send English barrels on very high grade guns to UK even with the $1,000.00 air freight round trip cost.

Jack Rowe, the English gunmaker/gunsmith now living in the USA (he apprenticed a S. Wright & Sons, Birmingham in 1940's) has stated that a blacking formula should exclude nitric acid in order for the barrels to have luster. Do you agree or disagree?

Kindest Best Regards;
Bushveld

Hi Bushveld, I have just done some barrels for Mike Harrel his barrels are going back via the cheshire gun room although I dont know the costs perhaps mike can tell you, I am trying to talk my wife into a move to canada but she is having none of it at the moment!! I do use nitric acid and I am still trying to improve my lustre, it certainly affects the final finish so does the rusting time, my process only takes 3 days once the barrels have been degreased, my grandfather was better at this than I am so I have a bit more to do yet to get to his standard, when he was alive he did all the barrels for Purdey, Boss, Holland and Holland etc all the top makers, who does your finishing over here?

Paul Stevens work is first class, I now send all my barrels to him after 'discovering' his business last year. I've had barrels blacked by the best people the length and breadth of the UK and Paul is first on my list now. He clearly does something slightly different to everyone else. What that is, I am sure he won't tell you!

More neat stuff by Paul's family here http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20256832

Barrel Browner;

Thank you for your reply. As to who does my work here in the USA: Buck Hamlin for damascus---it is almost the right Hersey Bar chocolate colour that your grandfather could get his barrels to colour--not quite though, however they are beautifully done by Buck.

For barrels needing blacking, I formerly sent them to Kirk Merrington, where his father-in-law (trained by Kirk) would black them almost to the high quality lustre that you are doing. However, Kirk's father-in-law no longer does them, leaving me without.

The barrels I have had done in UK, I have sent to Malcolm Cruxton in Price Stree, Birmingham and he sends them out.

Canada is a bit cold for my thin blood, except on the Pacific coast side. The Canadian Pacific coast cities are almost as beautiful as Cape Town, South Africa.

Best Regards;
Bushveld

Thank you for all comments/ replies, Fletchedpair that something different I do, I am not sure what it is myself yet!!! I have seen a lot of posts on here reference browning in the U.S.A and some of you guys are excellent, and the black and white finish is something I must have a go at, I am very passionate about the work I do and I can see you guys are passionate about your guns just by reading all these posts! to anyone trying barrel finishing I would say, keep at it, keep trying different things,its taken me twenty years to re-discover a family gunsmithing secret, there is no substitute for experience,will post more of my story on here if anyone is interested, keep posting your work everyone.

Post as you can. To many of us they are the best eye candy around. If shipping was a little less expensive several of my barrels would be heading your way. You do your family traditional work well.

Very, very nice work, BB, do you do this as a past-time?, I'm impressed.
As a Colchester boy, where do you hang your hat in England?
Mike

Barnstaple in North Devon, a long way from you guys! plenty of shooting to be had around here if you can put up with our lousy weather, will dig out some more pics and post soon. I hope to go full time asap

rust browning pics messy pattern!
Boss twist barrel

Three more patterns