Marking my brass

[1911jerry]

I have one of the brass stripers and I like it. I can use a sharpie and get good results, but the sharpie fades a lot when fired in the gun. When looking for my brass, the colors don't show up so well.

Lately, I have seen some brass that looks to be dyed almost half way up the case and is a solid color of red or blue. It is very visible and easy to identify.

Is there a particular dye for brass that would make seeing the brass on the ground more visible?

What color is the most visible on the ground when looking for your lost brass.

Thanks

Jerry

[JFlowers]

You can patina brass in various colors by dipping it in solution (http://www.sciencecompany.com/patinas/patinaformulas.htm). Basically you get the solution hot and the brass hot and dump the brass into the solution. If you just want to mark brass, you can get paint markers at WalMart, Hobby Lobby, etc that work well.

[AlamoShooter]

Jerry send Don or Randy a note or ask them Sunday, = but the will ask for there brass back. Randy sprays his with ?Dykem?

[z40acp]

They make the Dykem in a 2 fl. oz. container with a felt applicator top. They come in red and blue

[Aircooled6racer]

Jerry: You can use Dykem blue and dilute it with alcohol. You can then dip the brass into it. I made my own striper and use a Marks alot marker. I use a single black stripe. So if you find any 40 brass with a single black stripe you can send it to... ;-). Thanks, Eric

[wide45]

I don't mark brass. Send me all the unmarked brass you find, and I will send everything I pick up with the black stripe.

[Jeff686]

Will the Patina Formulas or DyKem be permanent? Will it withstand tumbling?

I use a Marks-a-lot to stripe my brass, and it makes it much easer to spot on the ground. However, it doesn't survive tumbling.

[vluc]

Don't tell Pharaoh Bender or racerba. They may dye their brass to match their guns, shoes, shirts, etc....

[Pat Miles]

I mark my brass with a red Pilot Super Color Marker. I spend a few extra minutes and put a band around the case in the extractor groove. Way easy to spot on the ground and survives through several polishings.

CYa,

Pat

[Zerwas]

To answer part of your post.

You had asked which marker color works best..... Well, I have tried red, blue and black. I'd stay away from black as it can sometimes hide the brass. I have found the red is the color that stands out the best. I have mine marked red and blue, but the red realy makes the biggest difference. I have a brass marker from hosercam.com It works well!

[Franksremote]

There's a thread I came across a whiles back from another forum that went into detail about using chemical mixes to dye brass. WOuld be interested in whether any of the "forumlas" work and how well.

*****************

Re: Colored Brass

The Coloring of Brass

by Royce W. Beal

written on 17 March 1995 specifically for the readers

of the rec.guns newsgroup.

Read this entire essay before attempting any one

treatment. If you choose to just "cut and paste" part

of this, please make sure you get the safety instructions

and warnings after the recipes. Under no circumstances

do I consider myself liable for any accidents which occur

while using any of these chemicals. Also, I do not consider

myself an expert in this field and am still doing research

for the FAQ. This will be a temporary article. Because I

am still experimenting, I cannot vouch for all of these

colors.

Concentrations and conditions Do matter. (Concentration

is more important than actual volume, so if you want to

use less, make sure that you use proportionately less of

each ingredient) If you want good results follow the

recipes closely. Above all it is important that the brass

surfaces be clean. This means an extra hour or so in the

tumbler for the cases and then touch them only sparingly.

I have tried to collate recipes which will require the

acquisition of the more common chemicals. I have also tried

to steer clear of the really hazardous arsenic and cyanide

salts (which you probably can't get anyway) If you feel

that you've been cheated by this, please refer to the

references section of this report and find the books for

yourself in any well stocked library.

It is my understanding that these are all surface

coatings and should not damage or weaken the brass.

obviously you will want to do this treatment with unprimed

brass. Do NoT USE METAL UTENSILS (ok maybe stainless steel)

Glass or Plastic containers are the preference. If you are

really worried about what this is going to do to your brass,

refer again to the reference section below.

TIFFANY GREEN:

Copper Sulfate................. 8 ounces

Ammonium Chloride......... .....4 ounces

Sodium Chloride........... .....4 ounces

Zinc Chloride............. .....l ounce

Acetic Acid............... .....2 ounces

Water..................... .....l gallon

VERDE:

Copper Nitrate................. 16 ounces

Ammonium Chloride.............. 4 ounces

Acetic Acid.................... l quart

Water.......................... l gallon

GREEN:

Iron ( ferric) Nitrate......... 2 ounces ( Fe(III)(No3)3)

Sodium Hyposulphite............ 8 ounces

Water.......................... 1 gallon

(use at boiling temperature, brass can be immersed

or the solution may be "painted" on)

HARDWARE GREEN:

Iron (ferric) Nitrate.......... l ounce (Fe(III)(No3)3)

Sodium Thiosulfate............. 6 ounces

Water.......................... l gallon

(use at 160F)

RED:

Iron (ferric) Nitrate.......... 6 ounces (Fe(III)(No3)3)

Sodium hyposulphite............ 6 ounces

Water

(use at 170F will speed up this reaction)

BLUE:

Sodium Hyposulphite............ 8 ounces

Lead Acetate................... 4 ounces

Water.......................... l gallon

(use at boiling temperature)

or

Lead Acetate................... 2 to 4 ounces

Sodium Thiosulfate............. 8 ounces

Acetic Acid.................... 4 ounces

Water.......................... l gallon

(use at 180F. This color will change if

not lacquered [Do NoT LACQUER FIREARM CARTRIDGES]

Take your chances with the color change.)

BLUE BLACK:

Copper Carbonate............... 1 pound

Ammonium Hydroxide............. l quart

Water.......................... 3 quarts

(Add the water after the carbonate and hydroxide

have been mixed. There must be excess Copper

Carbonate. Use at 175F. This color can be fixed

(made more permanent) by quickly dipping in a 2.5%

Sodium Hydroxide solution.)

BLACK:

Ammonium Hydrosulfide........... 2.25 ounces

Potassium sulfide............... 1 ounce

Water........................... 1 gallon

(use at room temperature or COOLER for best results)

BROWN:

Potassium Chlorate.............. 5.5 ounces

Nickel Sulfate.................. 2.75 ounces

Copper Sulfate.................. 24 ounces

Water........................... 1 gallon

(use at boiling temperature)

SAFETY:

1. NEVER taste any of these chemicals.

2. Keep very far out of the reach of children.

3. Most Nitrates are good oxidizing agents and

should not be stored with anything flammable.

4. Acetic Acid has a VERY strong pungent odor.

Use in well ventilated areas. This acid can

be airborne in vapor form. If you feel that

you have breathed enough of it to feel

uncomfortable, leave the area and drink a

carbonated soft drink. "Have a Coke" Do not

underestimate this chemical.

5. Many of these chemicals may stain your skin or

clothing. Wear rubber gloves and protective

clothing including glasses of some sort.

6. Steam can cause serious burns. Solutions of salts

can actually exceed the boiling point of water.

The steam from these solutions can be very dangerous.

BE CAREFUL WITH STEAM AND BoILING SoLUTIoNS.

7. Feel free to change concentrations for experimentation

purposes but do not change the ingredients in any

one recipe.

8. Always be fully awake and alert around chemicals.

CONVERSIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS:

Ounces are assumably troy ounces, even when dealing

with liquids or solutions. Do not use fluid ounces.

1 ounce = 31.103 grams = 480 grains

1 quart = 0.25 gallon = 946.4 mL

1 gallon = 3.78S L