Blacking Brass?

Does anyone know how to chemically black brass? (i.e. what chemicals to use?)

Cheers all

Martin

Reply to
Martin L
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If you only have little to do why not pay a visit to your local gunsmith, he might do it cheaply or sell you a kit or even tell you where to get one.

Reply to
Neil Ellwood

In message , Martin L writes

Metalblak do a kit......

I have not used their brass-blacking kit but I have used their steel kit. Works fine for me..

They do visit ME shows or contact them at:

Delway Technical Services

192 Seabank Road New Brighton Wallasey Wirral CH45 5AG

Tel / fax 0151 639 3201.

Regards,

Reply to
Pat Martindale

Thanks both, but I was hoping for a recipie.

Cheers

Martin L

Reply to
Martin L

From The handyman's Practical Receipts 1913: "Add to a solution of Copper Sulphate a strong solution of washing soda; allow this to settle , pour off the liquid, and add a quantity of water equal to the amount poured off; then allow to settle again, Then pour off as completely as possible, take the green sediment with four times its value in water, heat to 140degrees F., and add ammonia gradually until the articles immersed in it assume the desired colour." Never tried so entirely at your risk and best of luck. Let us know if it works

Reply to
Roland and Celia Craven

I will have a go next week......

Cheers

Martin L

Reply to
Martin L

Have this in my favourite folder.

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Also try and get a copy of this book from your local library. The Colouring, Bronzing and Patina of Metals published by Thames and Hudson.

Its around 400 pages of formulas. There will be several formulas for black. If I can find my copy I can get the details for you.

Lionel

Reply to
Lionel

Bronzing and Patina of Metals published

I can find my copy I can get the details

Please do - I'd like to get hold of a copy.

Regards,

Reply to
Stephen Howard

Colouring, Bronzing and Patina of Metals published

black. If I can find my copy I can get the details

The Colouring, Bronzing and Patination of Metals, by Hughes & Rowe. There are several editions, and

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finds copies from 26 quid to 40ish. Bookbrain says its rrp is 38 quid, and Amazon do it for

28.

-- Kevin Poole

**Use current month and year to reply (e.g. snipped-for-privacy@mainbeam.co.uk)*** Tiltbed car transporter trailer hire advert snipped
Reply to
Autolycus

I might have trouble finding the Arsenic trioxide, seems to be used to treat lukeamia, , but muriatic acid is just hydrochloric acid.

Martin L

Colouring, Bronzing and Patina of Metals published

If I can find my copy I can get the details

Reply to
Martin L

Hi Martin, I knew that I had seen this somewhere, just had to hunt for it. Hope it helps. Cheer's, Ian.

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Reply to
ian

Thanks Ian,

Looks easy, I'll give it a go next week.....

Martin L

Reply to
Martin L

Colouring, Bronzing and Patina of Metals published

If I can find my copy I can get the details

Have found the book and here are the details.

The Colouring, Bronzing and Patinisation of Metals

Richard Hughes and Michael Rowe.

ISBN 0 500 01501 5

Published 1991 Republished 1995

Recipes for colouring

Cast Bronze, 213 recipes Cast yellow Brass, 208 recipes Copper and Copper Plate, 228 recipes Gilding metal, 207 recipes Sheet Yellow Brass, 201 recipes Silver and Silver Plate, 69 recipes

There are several colour pages showing over 200 of the results of test strips by the authors of the book. Reference listing archaic chemical names and modern equivalents. The bibliography lists

404 references where the listed recipes originated.

Book priced at £35 when I bought it. I bought this a couple of years back with some book tokens that were received one Christmas.

Maybe it can be ordered in at you local library?

Regarding black colour requested by original poster of this thread.

Blue/Black Copper Carbonate Ammonia Water

Black/Slate Grey Sodium Thiosulphate Water Copper Sulphate Water

Dark Slate Sodium thiosulphate Ferric nitrate Water

Matt Black Copper Sulphate Water Sodium thiosulphate Lead acetae Water

Black Semi Gloss Sodium thiosulphate Ferric nitrate Water

Above lists chemicals used, each has a description in the book explaining how each recipe is done. There are several references warning not inhaling fumes and keeping mixture away from skin and protecting your eyes.

Hope this is of interest.

Lionel

Reply to
Lionel

Much appreciated Lionel.

Regards,

Reply to
Stephen Howard

Thanks Lionel.

I tried the recipie from Ians reference, which is the same as you quote:

Ammonia Copper Carbonate Water

And my test pieces have gone a nice shiny black :)

Now I will see if they change to grotty green or something this week, then I will have a go at the real thing.

Cheers all

Martin L

Reply to
Martin L

Hi Martin,

Where did you get the amonia from ? I've been looking for ages but the only place I've ever seen it is in a supermarket in France and I was hiking at the time so it wasn't very convenient to get some then.

Thanks,

Reply to
Boo

If it's any help, I got a Winchester of it from my local chemist. It wasn't that easy, it was perhaps only down to the fact that I'd been a regular customer for some time that he agreed to sell me it - apparently it's the stuff that criminals use to incapacitate security guards and the like!

If you're at all known by your local chemist, and you explain what you need it for, you might have some luck. Alternatively, if you're based anywhere near Hampshire I'm sure I could spare a bottle...I only bought the stuff to add to a special potion I use to clean wood, and a bottle of this stuff requires just two or three drops of ammonia! I figure I have enough to last a few hundred years!

Regards,

Reply to
Stephen Howard

Hi folks, having only just joined this list I missed the beginning of this thread. could you tell me where you aquire the Copper Carbonate please? up to now I have always used Liberon Tourmaline which isnt that satisfactory, sometimes it just doesnt take to the metal and goes patchy. Another problem that someone may be able to answer is I have aquired a new 2850 rpm motor with a 5/8'' shaft, I would like to use it to drive a TAIG lathe but the pulley bore is only 1/2'' and cannot be bored out because i would lose the smallest diameter, any idea where I can get a pair of pulleys with 1/2'' and 5/8'' bores using a small section (Z?) belt,

best regards, Terry

Reply to
Terence Lynock

Taig pulley bore is 5/8ths" ??

See spec on

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-- Steve Blackmore

Reply to
Steve Blackmore

The headstock pulley is 5/8" bore. The motor pulleys can be either

1/2" or 11mm. They are sold in pairs (one headstock, one motor pulley). See price list on:

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The headstock pulley gets over the problem of losing the smallest diameter groove by not boring it 5/8" for the full length of the bore. You could probably do the same & bore out the 1/2" pulley, or persuade Peter Morrison to sell you a second headstock pulley or swap it for your 1/2" bore pulley.

Regards, Tony

Reply to
Tony Jeffree

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