# Blackening brass -- frustrating



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

What's the trick to blackening brass with commercial blackeners? So far I've never had much luck. The black stuff just comes right off at the slightest touch, and the metal underneath is not black. 

Also, even if I rub off all the dusty black stuff, I still can't get paint or glue to stick to it reliably.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

What are you trying to blacken? Usually you need to clean before dipping. You can also etch in a cleaner or clean with scotchbright.


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## dawgnabbit (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, 

I've had pretty good luck with Brass Black PROVIDED I clean the surface really, really, really well. Hot soap and water scrub, hot water rinse, alcohol rinse, handle with gloves, etc. Dry in toaster oven or under heat lamp. Blacken as soon as cool.

Immerse small parts completely, agitate or turn gently. Swab larger parts with cotton ball (not easy to get an even coat with this method, though). 


Don't leave it in the mix too long or it will start to scale and flake off. You just want to discolor the surface, not erode it. 

Good luck 
Steve


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## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

Ray,
I have uploaded a copy of a .PDF file of an article on blackening metal. You can download this article and print it out for reference. This article was written by Pat Majewski and covers many of the methods used by ship modelers to blacken brass. Here is the link -- Blackening Metal


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I guess i didnt clean well enough I had poor results with the Micro-mark product. it looked OK but quickly rubbed off in places and was not uniform other places. I will try again having read that cleaning is critical!


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

While we're on the subject of brass blackening, has anyone ever tried blackening brass-plated plastic parts? My girlfriend has a New Bright (or similar) caboose with brass-plated handrails and markers. She wants to repaint the caboose to make it a little less cheap-looking, and although the handrails are too thick to ever look anything other than toy-like, I was thinking the markers could actually be made to look quite nice if they could be blackened.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

Posted By rwjenkins on 13 Oct 2011 09:50 AM 
While we're on the subject of brass blackening, has anyone ever tried blackening brass-plated plastic parts? 

forget it!
the golden/brass looking plastic parts are painted. the colour contains no metal.
best way to age that is either glascolour for artists, or thinned fingernail colour for women.


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## bvdrr (Jan 3, 2008)

The best and cheapest blackener I have found is Burchwood Casey's gun bluing. It is really black rather than blue and has worked very well for me.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I had trouble coloring my parts; brass, copper. I cut bolts and threads and stuff like that and found the cutting oil inhibited the colrants; next time I need to clean them maybe soap and water 
re: gun blue, isn't it made for ferrous? Brass isn't 


DaveV


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