Actually I'm coming round to my own conclusion that with most of the English guns I've done dated between 1860-1920 the main things that effect the colour are:-
- Mix of charcoal bone to wood
- Temperature, critical, 723 Degrees C
- Length of hold for 723...although this mainly drives colour depth not the colours themselves
- Contact of charcoal to the metal and retaining that contact through the quench
- Blocking of parts with back plates beneath each piece that needs to be coloured.
- Temp of water and good aeration
That's it...those are the main drivers...and if I stick to the basics I can get colours across all metal constructs I've worked with so far.
T
