pics of Peak brass tarnished/antique looking

[Beacon of Light]

I love the look of unpolished brass. I have an old Crampon-Buffet saxophone from the 1950s that looks nicely tarnished, I was wondering if the Peak brass can also get this tarnished look or is the brass laquered from Peak? Anyone have pics they can post of their tarnished/antiqued brass Peaks, it would be great to see. Thanks in advance!

Not my sax but an idea of the tarnished look I want for a Peak!

 

[Dances with Flashlight]

Peak brass is untreated and will tarnish, so they say.

Some of my Peaks have not been polished for almost two weeks... and because of some sort of medical/psychological disorder, they're more likely than not going to be shiny again pretty soon. Consequently, I'm unable to offer any photos showing Peak brass in any antique state. However, last time I visited Peak I did see a few old bodies that looked very, very aged.

ps. That sax looks like it was made before music was invented.

 

[Beacon of Light]

That's good to know. Usually I would be obsessive about polishing to keep a light looking spiffy, but for the tarnished look I have to go against my natural urge to keep it polished. I'll be hoping Curt decides to add copper as a material to use as a brass/copper set of a few types would not be able to resist and have to be bought.

 

[saabgoblin]

Copper Logan please, heavy on the tarnish! I'll take an Eiger or El Capitan as well or better yet, a 2XAA Copper Logan. The brass looks better tarnished IMHO but to each their own. Mine aren't terribly tarnished because handling them does wear away the oxidation but I do have one that is getting a nice green patina spot on one side from being located next to my shower for quite sometime.

 

[Beacon of Light]

pics saabgoblin, please.

 

[Toohotruk]

+1 I'd love to see some tarnished Peaks! :thumbsup:

 

[jonesy]

Mine is tarnishing as fast as it can.

Just got a new brass eiger, great little light. Unfortunately, it's really shiny. Any tips on making it tarnish faster?

 

[Beacon of Light]

Jonesy I read someone suggested urine lol no kidding. Not sur if it works but in a Maratac Copper AAA thread someone sugested painting on urine to speed up the tarnish. BTW I think we ordered our EIGERS around the same time. I think mine was 6/30. Maybe mine arrived today. Sure hope so.

Mine is tarnishing as fast as it can.

Just got a new brass eiger, great little light. Unfortunately, it's really shiny. Any tips on making it tarnish faster?

 

[ninemm]

Jonesy I read someone suggested urine lol no kidding. Not sur if it works but in a Maratac Copper AAA thread someone sugested painting on urine to speed up the tarnish. BTW I think we ordered our EIGERS around the same time. I think mine was 6/30. Maybe mine arrived today. Sure hope so.

Found this link for you guys! Just skip down to the "Gentle Methods" and read all the way to the bottom. Lots of methods in there including urine. :sick2:

http://www.architecturalclassics.com/blog/how-to-age-brass/

 

[Toohotruk]

I'm letting my brass Peaks tarnish naturally, and they are still pretty shiny, or I'd post some pics.

 

[jonesy]

Hrm. Not about to pee on a new light, but maybe the vinegar will work. Thanks for the link!

 

[nanomu]

Because this thread really needs some pics. Here's my Eiger 10180 #1 after a couple weeks of pocket carry:

 

[Beacon of Light]

Very nice nanomu!!!

 

[fyrstormer]

Mine is tarnishing as fast as it can.

Just got a new brass eiger, great little light. Unfortunately, it's really shiny. Any tips on making it tarnish faster?

Hang it from a tree branch for a year or so. It'll be good and nasty by the time next summer rolls around.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Here are a few pictures of my Matterhorn. Brass and copper, the best!

You can use gun blue to artificially age the brass. You'll have to scratch off the oxide for the solution to really do it's magic on fresh brass, then buff out the darkness until you reach a desirable tone.

 

[Toohotruk]

That's more like it! Beautiful light! Did you let it tarnish naturally, or did you do something to speed the process up?

Great backdrop!

 

[Cesiumsponge]

I artificially aged it, but its difficult to get an even patina on small brass items. I've had much better luck on large brass and copper items. I bought it second-hand on the marketplace and the previous owner polished it up before sending it off, doh! You could see where it was tarnished when you took it apart so it had a nice patina at some point in the past.

 

[Dances with Flashlight]

The thoughts that come to mind when looking at these incredible pictures are of Fred Sanford as he holds his hand to his heart while crying out about "the big one". These pics have come closer than any others I can remember to making me want to stop the eternal polishing I always thought brass Peaks required.

 

[Beacon of Light]

Very nice cesiumsponge, that's what I'm talking about! What did you use to artificially age it as it looks convincingly natural to me

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Stop by a real sporting goods store or gun shop and pick up a small jar of "super blue" by Birchwood Casey which should be next to all the gun lubes. Its a blue container about the size of a pill bottle for about $5 or so. It's for touching up blued steel but it'll tarnish copper and brass too. Methodology is buy the finest scrotchbrite pad you can find and apply the blue on the pad, then -lightly- scuff the light up. I suggest using gloves unless you like having stinky black fingertips

It'll turn dark fairly fast when you remove surface oxidation when the solution has some fresh brass to react on. If it seems to slow down, apply a little more juice. If you just swab it on, it'll take much longer, or not even work properly. After it turns really dark or even black, wash it off with water to get all the bluing fluid off. Don't worry if it isn't even and splotchy.

Then take some really fine scotchbrite, steel wool, or polishing compound, and gently work it on the light. This will slowly lighten the tarnish. Keep working on it until you get to the level of patina you want and manage to smooth out uneveness. Then I just lightly oil the light and call it a day. Of course, test on a scrap piece of brass first (something around the house or a hidden spot on the light?) to get comfortable with the process and remove the o-rings. I don't think bluing fluid is good on rubber.