doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Trial run of damascus B&W finishing

Bill Brockway---,
I noticed your posts re: Laurel Mountain etc. When you and I were taking the Muzzleloading Courses at Western Kentucky Univ, you may remember the beautiful barrel that Mark Silver browned was using Mark Lees browning solution. I have not used it,as I use Dr. Gaddy's or something similar. Lees does not have inorganic chlorides either,I understand.I use 10% Ferric Chloride soln and it works fine. I have also been using Logwood to get a darker color.

Stallones........would you have any pics of both, with logwood and without logwood.
BTW...are you ready to sell me that little French gun yet?

I havent shot enuf Quail with the little 28 yet. Will keep yu in mind yet. I have only done a couple with logwood and didnt keep a comparison. However, below is a recent bbl that I refinished using logwood.

[img][/img]

Stallones..........now thats perfection! What do ya have on them lacquer, or are they wetted down?

I usually put a thin layer of Watco natural finish,but this is just Minwax on these.

Very nice, Stallones. Anything you are doing different than my test other than the logwood?

A saturated, or nearly so, solution.

Chuck,
I am just using the basic Gaddy technique and boiling in Logwood and Copper Sulfate for the final 5 minutes.

Stallones.........are you using the logwood on the final boil only?

A little history of damascus used in knife blades. Years back when Bill Moran reintroduced damascus knives to the USA many people thought if a low and high carbon steel was used, say 1020 and 1095, that the finished blade of around 320 layers would have a fine layered cutting edge of soft and hard steel that would cut very good, almost like a saw. Then some blades were tested at a lab and it was found out that after seven heats, welds and folds, the carbon had migrated and was equal. What is seen in the finished blade is a loss of carbon in the weld joints. Now days bladesmiths use all high carbon steels with different alloys, which the etchant attacks at different rates. One or two etchs is all it takes. With gun barrels, the fine patterns are harder to bring out because of the very many more folds, twist, and heats to get the patterns than say a twist barrel with less welds. In knives we're only talking about six or so heats and folds to get 320 layers. I've read there are more than a hundred heats and welds to get some patterns in gun barrels. Just something to think about, and not even knowing what steels were used, it's not a wonder some barrels are harded than others to make look nice. Paul