# Need help from a real hillbilly survivalist.



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I need the recipe for browning steel using walnut hulls please?


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

bump.

I need this recipe,my foxfire book got lost.lol


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## Blackthorn-USA (Oct 7, 2011)

I can look in my Foxfire books for you. Do you remember what book number it was in?


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## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

Well, I'm not a real hillbilly survivalist, but I play one on TV. :sssh:

I couldn't find anything about using walnuts for browning, but I did find a series of posts on a muzzle loading forum all about browning:

browning barrels - Topic


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## BrookeKilby (Oct 17, 2011)

I could not find a browning solution using walnut hulls either.

You can find most of the firefox books at larger public libraries and if they do not have them you can usually have them sent to your library from other ones and they will get the mfor you and call you when they are in.

I did find this page that has browing solutions on it. It shows one of the original browing formulas:

The formula for the solution used for the Brown Bess musket (taken from General Regulations and Orders for the Army, 1811) is as follows:
•Nitric acid - 1/2 ounce
•Sweet spirits of wine - 1/2 ounce
•Spirits of wine - 1 ounce
•Blue vitriol (a.k.a. copper sulphate) - 2 ounces
•Tincture of Steel - 1 ounce

You can see more at the website here: Firearms History, Technology & Development: Metal Treatments: Browning and Bluing


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## grandpadave (Sep 29, 2011)

Magus said:


> I need the recipe for browning steel using walnut hulls please?


Its not really the hulls but the outer casing you want... that fruit where the nut lives inside of ... you mash that up boil it then dip your steel and let it soak for a good long time (Over Night) doesn't last... and despite what people say... doest really stop rust either... but that's how the old folks did it.. BTW your fingers will get stained in the process too... just so ya know


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

That was it!

Its supposed to de scent iron traps too.

I was thinking you mixed lye in it for browning but who knows?
I'm wanting to finish a couple of axes and hawks in original style,cold blue looks tacky.


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## Kessler (Sep 27, 2011)

grandpadave said:


> Its not really the hulls but the outer casing you want... that fruit where the nut lives inside of ... you mash that up boil it then dip your steel and let it soak for a good long time (Over Night) doesn't last... and despite what people say... doest really stop rust either... but that's how the old folks did it.. BTW your fingers will get stained in the process too... just so ya know


Gunny, I used to use that process on steel traps, but that was years ago. It worked well for me as I remember.


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