Saw this post about someone darkening a brass saxophone using hard-boiled eggs and a garbage bag and had to give it a try with brass rivets:
(third post down)
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/archive/index.php/t-181964.html
First try:
Method:
-mirror polished some brass rivets (cleaned them off with a degreaser, then alcohol)
-made a stand from a pop bottle
-mashed up a fresh hard-boiled egg (still warm) in a saucer
-covered everything with a glass and added water to saucer to make it airtight
-placed the whole in the oven with just the light on to keep it warm (25-30 degrees Celsius(80ish degrees Fahrenheit))
Results:
-seal wasn't airtight as a tiny stream of bubbles was seen escaping
-darkening started after about three hours
-overnight results were so-so as one of the rivets was still half untouched and the darkening that did occur was not very deep (sorry, no pics)
Second try:
-buffed the rivets clean with OOOO steel wool
-used small air-tight container (3" X 4" marmalade jar)
-since a lot of other methods of darkening brass seems to involve salt and vinegar, I decided to add just a few tablespoons of pickling vinegar into which salt had been dissolved (up to saturation point)...........didn't want to drown the egg
-a fresh, warm hard-boiled egg was mashed in the jar and the whole was again placed in the oven
Results:
-darkening started happening within the hour
-by the next morning the brass was perfectly aged
- so either the unpolished surface, the airtight container, the addition of the few spoonfuls of salted vinegar, or a combination of these factors made the difference
Here are the rivets after they have been rinsed and buffed with a soft cloth, they are next to the "antique brass" snap button I had purchased for my sheath and was looking for a way to color match:
Hopefully this will be useful to someone else in the same situation.
(third post down)
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/archive/index.php/t-181964.html
First try:
Method:
-mirror polished some brass rivets (cleaned them off with a degreaser, then alcohol)
-made a stand from a pop bottle
-mashed up a fresh hard-boiled egg (still warm) in a saucer
-covered everything with a glass and added water to saucer to make it airtight
-placed the whole in the oven with just the light on to keep it warm (25-30 degrees Celsius(80ish degrees Fahrenheit))
Results:
-seal wasn't airtight as a tiny stream of bubbles was seen escaping
-darkening started after about three hours
-overnight results were so-so as one of the rivets was still half untouched and the darkening that did occur was not very deep (sorry, no pics)
Second try:
-buffed the rivets clean with OOOO steel wool
-used small air-tight container (3" X 4" marmalade jar)
-since a lot of other methods of darkening brass seems to involve salt and vinegar, I decided to add just a few tablespoons of pickling vinegar into which salt had been dissolved (up to saturation point)...........didn't want to drown the egg
-a fresh, warm hard-boiled egg was mashed in the jar and the whole was again placed in the oven
Results:
-darkening started happening within the hour
-by the next morning the brass was perfectly aged
- so either the unpolished surface, the airtight container, the addition of the few spoonfuls of salted vinegar, or a combination of these factors made the difference
Here are the rivets after they have been rinsed and buffed with a soft cloth, they are next to the "antique brass" snap button I had purchased for my sheath and was looking for a way to color match:
Hopefully this will be useful to someone else in the same situation.
Last edited:
