"Antiquing" or aging a Stoeger/Uberti "Hombre" SAA... tips?

[1KPerDay]

First of all, if you are "not interested in artificially aging a gun", and "don't know why anyone would do such a thing," you are free to move along. I'll wait....

Okay. For those who know something about this, I have come into possession of a Stoeger/Uberti "Hombre" in .45 Colt. It has the matte black finish but the cylinder is starting to rust on one side, and I hate the flat black finish on SAAs anyway, so I'm thinking of "aging" it similar to that in this thread: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/antiqued-uberti-hombre.659204/

Has anyone come up with a better-looking method, or maybe a chemical removal of the finish? I don't care about durability of the remaining finish of the gun. It'll be a range toy and kept wiped with an oily rag. According to the thread above this finish is bead-blasted and then blued? is that accurate?

Any tips or recommendations before I dive in with some steel wool?

 

[Jimster]

Great thread question! I wonder how “aged” Custer’s troopers pistols would’ve looked in late June 1876?

 

[ontarget]

Watching this thread with great interest.

 

[Hasaf]

Also watching, I keep kicking around the idea of getting an open-top and it might be a great good candidate for some wabi-sabi.

 

[Pat Riot]

Years ago I got a Ruger Blackhawk for $100 that was covered in surface rust. I used WD40 and 0000 Steel Wool (4 ought) to remove the rust. It also removed some of the bluing but the gun came out with a wonderful patina. I wish I had a photo to show how nice it looked.
The internal works were fine. It was a nice shooting sixgun. I gave it to a good friend of mine.
Perhaps WD40 and steel wool together might help you age your revolver.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Boil water, pour in some white vinegar. Use this treatment on the revolver. I often put the parts in the boiling solution itself. After a minute pour it out, and wipe clean the parts.

Sand the wood grips or even put them in the water too.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Another trick is to use anti-freeze, it removes bluing but darkens wood.

 

[Armored farmer]

My best guess without googling would be brake cleaner+steel wool fb laurel mountain browning solution....




...heaven forbid you try it.

 

[1KPerDay]

Another trick is to use anti-freeze, it removes bluing but darkens wood.

Any idea what it does to brass?

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Another trick is to use anti-freeze, it removes bluing but darkens wood.

Any idea what it does to brass?

Nope. Never found a way to antique brass but i do have a tip, get some sandpaper and just sand the grip frame to get off the surface laquer which is what protects it from the factory. After that, it'll eventually start to patina after some months.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Modern Masters has a full line of antiquing products. I used a rust activator of theirs on an old inline 6 valve cover for wall decor. You use a spritzer bottle and let it chemically do its thing. Once the desired affect is achieved, you rinse it thoroughly and use a specific sealer. Otherwise it keeps rusting. Its some sort of copper salts. They have other patina type things with greens, blues, golds, etc. They even sell iron-laden paint if your material isnt ferrous.

I have found something that ages brass. Cool Tool II cutting oil. My pumps get a green tarnish and goop on them when submerged. And a brass grommet on a homemade no-spill container did the same thing with oil just sitting on top. It happens fast but is not real fast at actually creating a patina.

 

[Brian Williams]

Do not use sand paper on brass

Another trick is to use anti-freeze, it removes bluing but darkens wood.

Nope. Never found a way to antique brass but i do have a tip, get some sandpaper and just sand the grip frame to get off the surface laquer which is what protects it from the factory. After that, it'll eventually start to patina after some months.

Just get some ammonia and soak it in that. Or Mother's polish and lots of newspaper.

 

[35 Whelen]

Use vinegar to remove the finish, then make a slurry of hydrogen peroxide and table salt. Apply it for longer than you think you should, then wipe it off. The result should look something like this-



I've never messed with brass, but here's a link with information on How to Patina Brass

Please post your results here!

35W

 

[1KPerDay]

The problem with this brass is it’s not polished shiny. It’s kind of frosted. So I’m not sure how it would go. Real authentic brass grips stay relatively shiny of course with actual use but get darker or spotty and marked up.

 

[1KPerDay]

@35 Whelen is it the same gun in the top photo?

 

[35 Whelen]

@35 Whelen is it the same gun in the top photo?

Yes, with different grips.

35W

 

[1KPerDay]

“Before” pics for reference. Old style Uberti “safety hammer.”

 

[Armored farmer]

Now I see why you're defarbing it...I forgot the hombre had that finish.

 

[Barbaroja]

Use vinegar to remove the finish, then make a slurry of hydrogen peroxide and table salt. Apply it for longer than you think you should, then wipe it off. The result should look something like this-

View attachment 1051863 View attachment 1051864 View attachment 1051865 View attachment 1051866

I've never messed with brass, but here's a link with information on How to Patina Brass

Please post your results here!

35W

Very nicely done!

 

[CraigC]

Cold blue will turn brass like it was made for it. I really like the guns that are just rubbed out with Scotchbrite.

I've always wanted to do this with either one of the matte blued guns or one that I already have. I kinda started it with a Pietta 1860 but never went whole hog. Suffice to say, I've never aged a gun but I've aged lots of other things. My plan was to strip the bluing with vinegar. Then do the two step process by "painting it" with ferric chloride, then chlorine bleach. After a few minutes a sludge of rust will form and the surface will be pitted and discolored. Just wash it off in water. It can be repeated as many times as needed but usually twice is enough. I've done knife blades like this and the result is fantastic. I would be very careful not to get it on internal surfaces of the bore and chambers. Then if you want to darken areas, use cold blue and then rub it back.

 

[1KPerDay]

Has anyone tried using mustard? As a first step?

 

[CraigC]

IMHO, mustard is so weak it takes too long to have any effect.

 

[nofendertom]

For antiquing brass try an Art Supply Store---They have stuff to put patina on brass and bronze.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I did mustard on a knife and wasn't impressed, it swirls where the edge of the mustard is.

But I'm watching this thread with great interest

 

[1KPerDay]

@nofendertom Thanks. Honestly I’m less concerned about the brass because if you shoot a gun and clean a gun with brass frame it’ll start looking “right” pretty quick anyway. I was mostly curious about the “flat” brass or frosted finish this pistol has. But I’m too lazy to polish it all up first and then let it age naturally.

Currently I’m debating whether to try scotchbrite/steel wool first or try water/vinegar first. I suppose I could try steel wool and then if it doesn’t look good I could go vinegar route. I’ve never tried vinegar… does it basically take all the bluing off instantly? Or can you dilute it and maybe get degrees of patina?