Best kept secret in the IAP forum!

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Texatdurango

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Show Low, Arizona
Tonight I tried what I believe to be the best kept secret on the forum and am absolutely astounded by it so I thought I would share my thoughts!

It seems like every week or so, someone will post a question asking about how to darken brass tubes so they won't show through the lighter acrylic blanks. Many solutions are usually discussed from finger nail polish to model airplane paint, painting the tubes, painting the blanks, etc, but I can't recall seeing much about the BEST solution of all.

The product is Brass Ager and I bought it from one of our members, MLKWoodWorking and I believe it was under $10 for a decent size bottle.

It is so simple, it's scarry! It is liquid, as thin as water, and you just pour a small amount in a container, drop a few tubes in, wait about three minutes, remove the tubes and rinse with water...THAT'S IT! You pour the solution back into the bottle for re-use.

The photo below shows the results after only 3 minutes in the solution. The tubes are a dark charcoal or a "gun metal blue/black color.

This may not be the answer for everyone but it sure meets my needs. I mentioned it because there are probably many new members who don't know about it.

2007102931816_tubes%20darkened.jpg
 
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les-smith

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Oct 2, 2006
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Oklahoma
Yep, I bought a bottle also. I just tie a string through the tubes and put them down in the original bottle. Scratch the tubes first though, because if you do it after it will scratch the oxidation off. Good stuff.
 
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We use a brass ager for brass plaques on trophies and such. We use a small hand sprayer and mist it onto the engraved brass, let it sit a bit then wash it off. Why contaminate your whole jar/bottle of chemical for the miniscule amount of agent you will need to use.
 

Darley

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Sep 3, 2004
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Nice, but 1 question George what this Brass Ager made off, I suppose that you can't ship this by mail so I would like to know the chermical base if it's possible as I will try to find here Downunder, Thanks
 

avbill

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Oct 18, 2007
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San Bruno, CA, USA.
I am new to the forum and this was helpful![:)] Thank you! Now if you are using a lighter color to white color acrylic blank what do you need to do? I would assume you need to paint

bill Daniels
 

Nolan

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Feb 28, 2006
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2,105
Location
oakdale, ca, USA.
Not only does that stuff keep you from finding out that you can see some of the tube still when the pen is finished but you also help support Mike and Linda some of the nicest folks I have had the pleasure of coresponding with here on IAP!!![:D]
 

IPD_Mrs

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Jun 27, 2007
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2,048
Location
Zionsville, Indiana
Nolan,
You need to stop! If Linda's head gets any bigger it won't fit in the shop.[:0]

If I have any folks that are interested it is $9 a bottle including shipping. The more you buy the more wood I can buy from Nolan. Then he buys educational woodworking tools for lil'Nolan then he grows up selling blanks to IAP members children, who in turn....Ah heck you get the idea. What come around goes around, so if you want or need any of the brass ager just PM me.

Thanks Mike
 

redfishsc

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Feb 11, 2006
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2,545
Location
North Charleston , SC
Looks great! I would be totally sure to rinse them very very very well. Residual corrosive agents could, in time, deteriorate the brass tube....theoretically speaking.
 
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