colouring brass

[Gordon WassParticipant @gordonwass]

I made a small model ships cannon from brass, about 6" long. I want to stain/ colour it to look a bit more like bronze. All my books have recipes using white arsenic and similar materials. Was going to try ammonia but can't even get that at any shops round here. Does anyone know a method using common materials ? I have thought of chicken manure, I have that, but not sure of results. BTW no need for perfection, it's only a filler piece.

[Gordon WassParticipant @gordonwass]

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Gordon,

You might find inspiration here

or here

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/09/2013 10:08:10

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You could also pee on it.

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Also worth looking for Carrs metal balcking for brass – used a lot by the model railway folk. I've used it on brass for outdoor use and it stands up fine to the exposure.

Keith

[Gordon WassParticipant @gordonwass]

By, that was quick! The steam punks come up with some ideas, might try chicken muck, I'm not in a hurry. Prefer Jason's, will show to wifey and tell I must go to pub first. Thanks.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Ahh.when I read post.though you were aiming for bronze as apposed to brass. Ie more coppery..now I see you are aiming for “antique” bronze…there are some very effective antique ing solutions available….
Most start where I was going to lead you..mild acid..citric or vinegar.in our case..this will remove some of the zinc from the surface layers…leaving the surface coppery. .this is aged with other agent’s. .
As to chicken poop…active ccomponent ammonia ..a component in brasso…draw your own?conclusion ?in

[Engine BuilderParticipant @enginebuilder]

I haven't tried this myself but a friend gets good results blakening brass with a 50 : 50 mix of ammonia and domestos bleach. He says other makes of bleach do not work as well.

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

hi come down to my farm all free range bring a large shovel and you can have as much hen poo as you can take away F R E E….. (Hope people do not mind the smell in your car) will even give you some eggs
citric acid diluted is good.
Jason only do it if neighbours are out…

have fun
Bob

[Gordon WassParticipant @gordonwass]

Will try the vinegar and salt mix and see what happens, nothing much to lose. Trouble is can't easily get all the exotic solutions suggested , can't even find ammonia solution. Could get everything on line but it's just a one off, well for now. Plenty of organic solids and liquids round here, thanks for the offer tho'.

[Loose nutParticipant @loosenut]

Try Liver of Sulphur (avaialble on ebay) small doses diluted with water ages. brass & copper..

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Many supermarkets stock ammonia, look in the household cleaners section, it's used (diluted) for removing wax polish from floors. Many years ago (not knowing any better) I took a good sniff of this stuff, was a bit like being hit on the head with a brick, from the inside.

Dave

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

called "liquid ammonia"….actually a soluion in water… and this is the stuff you want

ammonia can be liquified but at room temperture needs high pressure….you will see tankers of it on roads..

[Gordon WassParticipant @gordonwass]

Thanks , know about ammonia solution and etc. even from my young days with iodine. Strange thing is lots off stuff used to be available just about everywhere. Nearest supermarket to me, about 20 miles does not have it. Whent to village chemists and the helpful lady looked on a data base and could not find anywhere near that stocked it, but did offer to order 5 ltrs for me. Don't sell sodium silicate now ( water glass ) either.

[modeng2000Participant @modeng2000]

Amonia is what the liquid was in the little bottles of 'Smelling Salts' that used to be available for clearing the nose etc.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

I think “smelling salts” was ammonium carbonate a solid that dis assccociates into CO2 and ammonia NH3….. but who cares can’t buy that in chemists either.

[Gordon WassParticipant @gordonwass]

A little update on colouring brass. Tried the vinegar and salt method, nothing except a cleaner bit of brass, yellowy colour, maybe the vinegar was old. Found, in a tut shop, stuff called Kleen Off, by Jeyes. This seems to be ammonia. Some in bottom of jar, brass bit in the fumes, lid on, next morning all nice and dark brown. Cleaned up and another shot will be done tomorrow. A bit of rub with oily rag will look like 17C job.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Thanks for update.

[modeng2000Participant @modeng2000]

Gordon,

How durable is the resulting coloured surface?

John

[Jerry WrayParticipant @jerrywray14030]

These are the kiddies, give them a try, you might get a sample quantity if you are lucky.

**LINK**

They produce some of the most sophisticated coating systems that exist.

JerryNotts

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Slightly off-topic, but google 'golden book chemistry' for memories of an age when you could let pre-teens loose with ammonia, carbon tetrachloride, hydrochloric acid and a warning to 'be careful'.

Neil

[modeng2000Participant @modeng2000]

I have a book called Manual of Formulas. Some of the ingredients are scary to say the least!

It does have a few recipies for colouring metals.

John

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Coating after exposure to the ammonia fumes seems durable, but is only for decoration so not really tested. I grew up with all sorts of chemicals, most could be bought easily, ether, sulpher, sod. chlorate and nitrate, carbide, etc. etc. Also access to fog detonators, found a Webley pistol with a box of ammo. once, maybe lucky they were all badly corroded.

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

There is an excellent chapter on colouring various metals contained within the following 2 volume set.

Google:

The Modern Gunsmith James Virgil Howe

This man was the director of the Frankford Arsenal in the US. Printed in 1941 it is one of the best books on precision toolmaking I have ever read.

Regards
John

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