Making new guns look aged?
- Thread starter N3rday
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mustang_steve
Member
What you do is tarnish the metals. Go check out some guitar forums for very innovative ways to do this.
Reason for guitar forums, is there's a HUGE business/scam going on with "relic" finishes on guitars....I won't go into the why it's a scam, but you can probably figure out why.
The non blued steel needs to grey, the blued steel needs to brown in certain areas while wearing off in others (and the wear spots should be greyed as well)...if you have cellulose grips, you need to create the conditions to accelerate cellulose rust (cellulose outgassing accelerates corrosion, straight razor collectors often have a box spcifically for cellulose handled razors for this reason, since there's a far higher degree of maintenance needed to prevent corrosion). Brass needs to form a nice patina, but not form green corrosion.
Wood is another matter entirely..I have no idea how to weather wood to make it look old.
There's a lot to consider, but the materials in use are in use in a few other hobbies (knives and guitars) so checking them out will lead to the best advice.
Reason for guitar forums, is there's a HUGE business/scam going on with "relic" finishes on guitars....I won't go into the why it's a scam, but you can probably figure out why.
The non blued steel needs to grey, the blued steel needs to brown in certain areas while wearing off in others (and the wear spots should be greyed as well)...if you have cellulose grips, you need to create the conditions to accelerate cellulose rust (cellulose outgassing accelerates corrosion, straight razor collectors often have a box spcifically for cellulose handled razors for this reason, since there's a far higher degree of maintenance needed to prevent corrosion). Brass needs to form a nice patina, but not form green corrosion.
Wood is another matter entirely..I have no idea how to weather wood to make it look old.
There's a lot to consider, but the materials in use are in use in a few other hobbies (knives and guitars) so checking them out will lead to the best advice.
General Geoff
Member
Best way to make new guns look aged, is to shoot them until your trigger finger has blisters. 
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
I'm more concerned with making a gun that looks "unique," than trying to make a newer gun pass for an antique; more "steampunk" than historically-accurate Wild West, per se. I will do some Googling on the guitar stuff and see what comes up, I was just surprised when my internet searches didn't turn anything up. Do Cowboy Action Shooters normally do this with their firearms?
General Geoff
Member
If you're looking for a steampunk pistol, look no further than the Chiappa Rhino.
Buck Snort
Member
http://www.usfirearms.com/html/gunslingerholster.htm
Check this out. Its a USFA SA revolver with their proprietory patina finish, it looks like it must've belonged to Billy the Kid! When they first developed it they took the gun to a big east coast gun show and "experts" were offering them thousands of dollars for it thinking it HAD to be an ancient gun in excellent working order.
Check this out. Its a USFA SA revolver with their proprietory patina finish, it looks like it must've belonged to Billy the Kid! When they first developed it they took the gun to a big east coast gun show and "experts" were offering them thousands of dollars for it thinking it HAD to be an ancient gun in excellent working order.
Shadow 7D
Member
look into plum brown and rust blueing
both take a lot of work, but, if 'improperly' done, should give you the aged look you want. Or bury it in coffee grinds, curry powder and mud, then wash with change and other objects
thats what works for counterfitters
both take a lot of work, but, if 'improperly' done, should give you the aged look you want. Or bury it in coffee grinds, curry powder and mud, then wash with change and other objects
thats what works for counterfitters
ranger335v
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- 3,797
"Making new guns look aged?"
Well, there's the honest way; use it heavily for maybe 30-40 years. Faster to just toss it in the back of a pickup for a few months tho.
I'm more into making my very old guns continue to look new. But then I never got into the 60-70s fad of showering well and then lathering on a costly layer of artifical "musk oil" scent so I could smell more like a grown man. ??
Well, there's the honest way; use it heavily for maybe 30-40 years. Faster to just toss it in the back of a pickup for a few months tho.
I'm more into making my very old guns continue to look new. But then I never got into the 60-70s fad of showering well and then lathering on a costly layer of artifical "musk oil" scent so I could smell more like a grown man. ??
FIVETWOSEVEN
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- 5,147
Sandpaper lined holster?
Shadow 7D
Member
^^^^^^^^^^^^
LOL
soaked in salt
LOL
soaked in salt
bannockburn
Member
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- Apr 24, 2007
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- 26,541
I used to know a guy who specialized in mainly Civil War era weapons. His best sellers were usually Colt Model 1851's and Model 1860's. He would "age" the ones which he thought looked a little too pristine. For whatever reason, the more used and aged the guns appeared, the more money they sold for. I remember he tried various methods, including burying the guns in cow manure and some form of organic compost, to get the desired patina.
J-Bar
Member
Check out Longshot Logan's website. Longshot died not too long ago, but his memory and expertise live on in Cowboy Action circles.
I have used his methods to refinish stocks and antique a new pair of revolvers. They work just fine.
http://members.cox.net/longshot_logan/
I have used his methods to refinish stocks and antique a new pair of revolvers. They work just fine.
http://members.cox.net/longshot_logan/
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