Ageing one of Franks reproduction plugs.
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:34 am
Franks plugs a different from the original plugs, his has a thicker head, the ball is set in a different manner, there are swirls in the finished metal, the spring is not as strong as the original plugs. So this is a method of ageing one of the newere ones so it would match your old rat. First pic, the old and new.
I wanted to get rid of some of the swirles on the finished metal, to do this I use a fine dedurring wheel, this wheel can be used for things like dedurring a impacted socket.
next I want to use a product that will brown the metal. there are many products that can be used, a gun shop has these, or you can get them online. We want to heat the metal to very hot, then apply the product while hot using a small brush.
If this were another tool, I would wash it first, you will have a very dark finish on the metal, there are two ways to finish this, by a fine foam backed sandpaper, or a fine brass wire wheel, or both. but since this has inlets I passed the wash and took it to a fine brass wire wheel and cleaned it up and finished with a foam backed sandpaper. You may not get the finish you want on the first try, with this method if you mess up, you can just repeat the browing etc till you get the desired result. It took me two times to get what I wanted to match the rat I wanted to use. Drop a couple of drops of oil in the socket balls too.
I wanted to get rid of some of the swirles on the finished metal, to do this I use a fine dedurring wheel, this wheel can be used for things like dedurring a impacted socket.
next I want to use a product that will brown the metal. there are many products that can be used, a gun shop has these, or you can get them online. We want to heat the metal to very hot, then apply the product while hot using a small brush.
If this were another tool, I would wash it first, you will have a very dark finish on the metal, there are two ways to finish this, by a fine foam backed sandpaper, or a fine brass wire wheel, or both. but since this has inlets I passed the wash and took it to a fine brass wire wheel and cleaned it up and finished with a foam backed sandpaper. You may not get the finish you want on the first try, with this method if you mess up, you can just repeat the browing etc till you get the desired result. It took me two times to get what I wanted to match the rat I wanted to use. Drop a couple of drops of oil in the socket balls too.