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I had never heard of using Boric Acid for an etch before. Thanks Toby for sharing your technique. I recently bought a 5lb. tub of Copper Sulphate which I guess will now be used to kill tree roots in drains or prevent black algae growth on roof shingles. The CuSO4 did seem to bring up the Damascus pattern better than not using it, but I'm concerned about the weak adherence of the flash plating 2-piper mentioned and the potential for loosening jointing or precipitating into pits that Toby mentions. But if flash plating of copper occurred on both the iron and steel, rusting could not happen since copper doesn't rust. I had some old lathe tool-holders that ended up with a thin copper wash after I suspended them in an HCl pickle by copper wire. It seemed to prevent them from rusting.


A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.

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Angier: P.139 Para. 4
2 Piper
Dead right: he doesn't mention etching damascus but does mention matting. He also mentions that derusted part don't tend to after-rust.
Another nice feature of Boric is that it cleans out rust pits very thoroughly down to good metal so you don't have to worry so much about dark spots in the pattern when there are small but deep pits that you don't want to/can't strike out.
Also, if you polish to about 800, it mattes the surface of the iron for the browning solution to 'get a grip' but doesn't matte the steel much at all so as the browning proceeds the steel gets re-polished simply by carding off the surface rust.
Keith
One of the tricks of the old 'fowlers and punt gunners was to copper plate their guns/cripple stoppers. I am at present restoring a Grant sidelever that was given this treatment and even though well worn in the wood, the engraving on the action is pristine!
However, some of the remaining copper plate is the very devil to remove! Other bits just flake off and most of the barrels were worn down to the damascus other than were it was deposited into scratches and pits.

Last edited by Toby Barclay; 01/05/13 04:30 PM.
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One last thought, Boric Acid is used in various skin therapy concoctions I believe and in the concentrations I use it in, it is very gentle on the hands, other than drying out one's skin a bit.
I'm not suggesting bathing in the stuff and you should use protective gloves for the sake of your browning as well as your hands but at least you are not dealing with a really nasty chemical.

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Dr.Oscar Gaddy who wrote about redoing damascus barrels in the Double Gun Journal recommended useing Ferric Chloride to etch the barrels. He has now passed on to a better life. If anyone wants a copy of those articles they can contact the DGJ and get them. He was the one responsible for just about all the activity and interest in redoing damascus barrel SxS's here in the USA. With gun barrels, as well as the damascus knives I make, when bring out the damascus pattern anything finer than a 400 grit finish is unnecessary because the action of the Ferric Chloride and browning solutions will get rid of any scratch marks. His articles are a very good read explaining the whole process.

Last edited by Paul Harm; 01/07/13 07:00 PM.
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Dr Gaddy's refinish articles, and a previous discussion here.

Double Gun Journal Vol 8, Issues 2 and 3, 1997 and Vol 14, Issue 1, 2003

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbt...e=1&fpart=2

Last edited by Drew Hause; 01/07/13 07:13 PM.
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Toby, I think it might be worth a try to attempt reverse plating to remove the vestiges of copper plating. I'd want to try it on a non-valuable gun or part before doing it on anything collectible, but it should get the last atom of copper even in the deepest scratch or pit.


A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.

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Keith,
Thanks for the thought on reverse plating. I have made enquiries about the possibility of removing copper by both chemical and electroplating techniques but all I got was much shaking of heads and grim warnings of damage to the underlying metal.
As you suggest, a trial on some scrap parts might be the best idea.
At present, the Grant I mentioned is free of the majority of the copper and I think what little remains will be of interest rather than a minus point for sale.
However, if I get another one I will consider your suggestion very seriously.
Thanks.

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