Background blackening tip

[Marrinan]

There have been many discussions on background blackening and I thought I would share one that I have been using for sometime now. Did not mean to keep it a secret just never got around to posting it. I have been using Brichwood Cassey "Presto" Gun Bluing Pen. I degrease the surface using lighter fluid, acetone or rubbing alcohol dry with heat gun (not get surface hot-just dry) then apply the pen. Works great for me. You can wipe off high spots or surface or you can give a light 0004 steel wool treatment. Have had no problems with it rubbing off. Fred

 

[fegarex]

Unless they have changed in the last year or so the "pen" is nothing more than a Sharpie. Which by the way works pretty decent and are a lot cheaper.

 

[KCSteve]

? The one I have goes on clear and then darkens up just like regular bluing.

 

[Marrinan]

Rex, I would guess they have changed the formulation. Poor picture but this practice plate was blackened with Presto Gun Blue Pen. The lines under the engraving were prepared with alcohol then the one on the left was four strokes with presto blue pen the one on the right was four strokes with permanent Sharpie marker. After they dried I took four strokes with a Pink Pearl Eraser.

Steve, That's how mine works too.

PS-I gota learn to take pictures-Fred

 

[fegarex]

My mistake. I looked at the the web site and see they make a "black" touch up pen as well. This is different than the one I have. Mine was just a Sharpie.

 

[mrthe]

i use it for background of my hobo nickels but with nickel only i have a brown tone, is the same product? i have the presto blue gun sharp ( the withe and blue one sharp) and other two black birchwood sharpyes with pigment ink ,gloss and flat black, wich one have you used in your photo and wich type of metals you can blackening with it?
thank you

this ones are the pens that i have :

 

[Marrinan]

Mrthe, The product I am speaking of is the one with the blue cap. It is for bluing touch-up on guns. It has a flat finish. The Super Black is for guns with a gloss finish. I have both but prefer the flat black I get with the Presto Gun Blue. I tried it on a nickel and found that it did not darken as it did on steel, however it did give an aged tone and darken in the recess areas. If I recall there were some threads on aging nickels on the forum in the past. You might search for those for your nickel work. Also there is a product called Midas "Nickel Oxidizer" designed for antiquing nickel. Try a google search for nickel oxidizer. Fred

 

[Dulltool]

Birchwood Brass Black will darken nickel.

 

[mrthe]

Thank you Fred and Dennis for the advice i will search it.

 

[K Frei]

thanks for posting this. I have been looking for a better way K Frei

 

[Chujybear]

So..... Won't work on gold?