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Post by elbrittania39 on Sept 22, 2023 15:22:40 GMT
Hi everyone, long time no see.
I recently purchased a Windlass 1840 NCO sword and I would like to slightly antique the brass hilt. Most repro swords come with a very glossy yellow polish on the brass, but I tend to prefer the a more matte golden tone of brass.
Does anyone have any tips on how I could achieve this look? I've heard lots of consumer brass materials come with a lacquer that needs to be removed before antiquing, so if anyone could confirm whether or not Windlass uses a lacquer, I would much appreciate it.
Thanks!
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Zen_Hydra
Moderator
Born with a heart full of neutrality
Posts: 2,659 
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Post by Zen_Hydra on Sept 22, 2023 17:12:01 GMT
I recommend using hot ammonia fumes trapped in an enclosed container (like a lidded bucket or box). You can heat ammonia in a pan on a stove or outdoor grill/firepit to boiling. Then place that very hot ammonia inside the container, then suspend the brass to be antiqued above the pot/bowl with the hot ammonia, and close the container so the fumes are trapped inside. Give it a couple hours to cool down, and then examine the brass. Reheat and repeat until the desired level antiqued patina is achieved. Be sure to thorough clean/degrease the brass before hand to prevent uneven patina.
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Alan Schiff
Registered
Manufacturers and Vendors
Posts: 469
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Post by Alan Schiff on Sept 26, 2023 18:31:02 GMT
You could use Birchwood-Casey Brass Black to blue the metal and then use steel wool or scotchbrite to bring the finish back to a dull patina.
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Post by larason2 on Sept 28, 2023 17:53:49 GMT
I'm looking at doing this for a brass tsuba I have. My plan is to make some liver of sulfur with drano and sulfur powder. However, the same mixture is commercially available. The nice thing about a liquid or gel is you can just immerse it in it or coat it, then take it out/clean it off when it looks right to you. There's lots of ways to do this though!
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Post by mrstabby on Sept 28, 2023 18:28:42 GMT
I'm looking at doing this for a brass tsuba I have. My plan is to make some liver of sulfur with drano and sulfur powder. However, the same mixture is commercially available. The nice thing about a liquid or gel is you can just immerse it in it or coat it, then take it out/clean it off when it looks right to you. There's lots of ways to do this though! I would not use drano. Just buy sodium or potassium hydroxide at a pharmacy. Drain cleaners have other stuff added which could end up in either nasty side reactions or just hindering the process.
The Birchwood-Casey Brass black was something I would have recommended, but I have not used it. I have used the Aluminium version, and I hate the finish it leaves. It's pretty rough. From what I have seen in videos though it seems to leave a pretty smooth finish on brass.
EDIT: The primary reactive species is the same for all of their blueing agents, so other solutions might work as well. I have read Super Blue also does brass, so they all might, but with different speed and resulting oxide layer thickness.
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Post by larason2 on Sept 28, 2023 23:59:04 GMT
Thanks for the tip, I didn't know where else to get NaOH! Maybe I should just buy some liver of sulfur though, it's not too expensive!
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Post by elbrittania39 on Sept 30, 2023 20:16:35 GMT
Quick update for anyone interested: Windlass does indeed use a lacquer on the brass. My first attempt giving it a vinegar bath had absolutely no effect. To get the lacquer off, I did several passes with acetone, sand paper, and a wire brush. Here is the de-lacquered hilt. Compare this to the glossy reflective brass of the hilt on Windlass's website. Also, sure enough, the grip tarnished for the first time after I did some drilling last night. Attachments:
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