BRASS BUCKLE: A FUMING STORY

[Indiana Croft]

Well as the topic imply's, I wanted to try my hand at artificially aging a new brass buckle.
Bought from Straight City.
http://straitcity.com/present/militaryb ... itary.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Nice thing is it comes with the tip. Bad thing (sort of) it's made in Taiwan, and
the ends have a slight flare up which the ones made in US don't have, or should I
say true military product.

You can them on the Bay, but mostly they are used (which is fine for SA).
All ready have the nice aged look.

But I wanted try my hand at it.
Here's my story/adventure.

First I did a search, but alas I did it on the quick, meaning I should have done
more and you'll see why soon.

Ok my quick search came up with ammonia, but in the form of Windex.
So I put my buckle and tip in a container and poured enough to cover it. But I sanded
it with 600 wet/dry sand paper and steel wool first.
After three day, no change.
So I buried it in the ground for a fey dayS, what the heck, couldn't hurt, it's solid brass.
Still not much changed, so I tried the Windex again, added some vinegar, be
carfeul when mixing. Plenty of ventilation.
After a few day's, still not much change.

this isn't working, so back to the search button.
AND BAM, there it was, Ammonia. So I read it and it looked like you just dropped into the Ammonia.
I should have read more.
After a bit it came out looking like this.


But still not aged, well I did a U-tube search and found this guy who was aging
some brass plumbing fittings for a display and wanted the brass to look old.
Well this is what I was looking for.
You take a container and suspend the brass to be fumed above the Ammonia.
He did it for 24 hrs. So I did to. Came out like this.


Now this is aged. So I started buffing it with steel wool and 600 grit wet/dry sand paper.
Guess it couldn't take all the abuse I gave, started to look like this, nice and aged.


But that didn't last. It fell apart.


So back to the drawing board. Bought two more brass buckles.
Gave it the same treatment of distressing prior to fuming.
I also used some ointment on the inside edges and stuffed them with cotton so t
hese areas wouldn't be as affected as muck. Vasaline or I had some E-ointment.
It worked.
After 24 hrs, no change, left it for three days, better but not enough, three more
day came out like this.


After 7+ days this is what I got.

Buffed it down.

But felt it need more on the up turns, so I hit them with more distressing and back to fuming.

Now this more like it.


Here's a new buckle next the aged.


Next to a USA brass buckle


Attached to belts purchased from Straight City.
My aged is on the bottom. Colors are Brown, Taupe and Kahki.


Here's my fuming container. Punched small holes and used some long twist ties to suspend it.
You can see the buckle suspended, the tip I just used the open side to hang it over.


Now I'm trying one in dissolved sea salt in a jar and we'll just see what happens.

Croft

[Canyon]

Croft, this is awesome. Thanks so much for posting!

For a moment there, I thought this thread was about you fuming over a webbing belt that you bought.

[Michaelson]

No, he’d post that in feedback.

Regards! Michaelson

[Indiana Croft]

Who me.

Your welcome Canyon, it was a fun process, really like these type of Indy related projects.
Next up is a holster stuffer. One I hope I can make quick and cheap, and at the same time a neat item.
Working on the template now.
And Michaelson.....
I take it this kind of distressing is ok.

Croft

[Dalexs]

Michaels sells something that's designed to do exactly what you're doing.
sophisticated finishes

I used it on my headpiece at one point.

I also found this, which gives a variety of ways to age different types of metals.
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-age-metal/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kokopelli]

I cringe just thinking of the hours upon hours I spent in my youth with a bottle of Brasso trying to do the exact opposite to my Class A uniform belt buckle and tip!