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Brass patina solution

Started by Stuart, June 23, 2023, 09:51:52 AM

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Stuart

A number of years ago I purchased a product called Blacken It which was used to darken brass and copper chemically, thus, eliminating the need for paint to do the same.  When I began running low on the product I was disappointed to find that the company, A-West, was no longer producing it.  I kept trying to eek out results with the limited quantity I had, but, its active life was quickly fading. 

So I was happy to recently discover a similar product supplied by a jewelry supply company called Rio Grande out of Albuquerque, New Mexico here in the States.  I purchased a bottle and am glad to report it works wonderfully.  They also provide a large quantity of very fine tools and equipment which would be useful for scale model builders.  You might take a look at their web site to see all they carry at riogrande.com.

Stuart


Patina solutions.jpg   

Bill Gill

Thanks, Stuart. Good to know.

finescalerr

Rio Grande is an excellent source of tools and materials for metalworking. Everything I have purchased from them has been top notch. -- Russ

Lawrence@NZFinescale

An excellent soldering aid as well, when you DON'T want things to stick.

For locomotive valve gear, for example, simply blacken the rod end, leaving the clevis clean.  Make the joint by soldering in a pin.  Generally it is perfect, but occasionally, a little force is needed to free it.  The resultant joint is slop free.

Rio Grande is probably an expensive source, being for the jewellery trade.  Gun shops do brass black and gun blue (which is slightly different but does still work on brass, but not solder).  The stained glass people also use a similar product that blackens solder too which is what I'm using. It's in a plain bottle as I got it from a friend - the quantity supplied being quite large for a modest price.

Cheers,

Lawrence in NZ
nzfinescale.com

WP Rayner

Quote from: finescalerr on June 23, 2023, 12:21:24 PMRio Grande is an excellent source of tools and materials for metalworking. Everything I have purchased from them has been top notch. -- Russ

I agree with Russ. I used to buy from Rio Grande when we lived in the U.S. and the quality and service were always excellent. Here in Canada, I recommend Gesswein https://www.gessweincanada.com/default.asp, very similar to Rio Grande. Perrin https://perrinwatchparts.com/ and Esslinger https://www.esslinger.com/ are excellent sources for fine watchmaking tools. I've had excellent and efficient service from both. And yes, these suppliers are generally more expensive than run-of-the-mill hobby suppliers, craft stores, hardware stores, etc., but tool selection and quality are far superior. Remember a poor man cannot afford cheap tools.
Paul

Stay low, keep quiet, keep it simple, don't expect too much, enjoy what you have.

WP Rayner

Quote from: Lawrence@NZFinescale on June 23, 2023, 12:40:55 PMAn excellent soldering aid as well, when you DON'T want things to stick.

A good tip Lawrence. I've used Neolube (microfine thin-film graphite lubricant) as a solder resist and had good results with that, preventing solder flow onto areas where I didn't want it. The Neolube film cleans up easily afterward with alcohol, much faster than cleaning off excess solder.
Paul

Stay low, keep quiet, keep it simple, don't expect too much, enjoy what you have.


Lawton Maner

Rio Grande is a go to source for tools and metal working materials.  I find their syringes of silver solder allow me to put a tiny amount on a joint.  Their metal "stains" work across the board on most metals one would use.  I have found that they are cheaper then a vendor from New Jersey popular with modelers in the US.  Their sterling silver findings are not expensive and offer shapes not available in brass for modelers.

On the other hand, America is awash in gun shops and the chemicals sold there to repair the finish on older weapons work well on models.  I have a meter long tube made from plastic plumbing tubing in which I blacken rail prior to laying track.   Experiment with different chemicals as all will color metals that they aren't advertised for.

Frank65

I have used these products too. A problem occurred when I discovered the result of the "ageing" was the electrical insulation/isolation coating that resulted from its use. All the brass elements (rail, support rollers, and brass parts of the spider) of a turntable were treated. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to find the cause of lack of power through the configuration and quite by accident the failure was isolated to the coating left by the blackening. Coating polished - power restored! I use it still but not for anything that will require electrical conductivity!