Blue steel (or is it Nickel Silver?)

I've tried an experiment...

I remember reading in Martyn Welch's 'The Art of Weathering' over ten years ago that it was possible to take the yellow tint of Nickel Silver rail with steel blue (Birchwood Casey if I remember correctly).

With the purchase of my first etched brass kit - where I have a few things to blacken - I got a bottle of Carr's Steel Blackening fluid. I wondered if this would have the desired effect on Nickel Silver?

So after cleaning the rail surface with a track rubber, I used a cotton bud to work the fluid into the surface. It gradually turned black and dried with a matt oxide layer. You've got to remember to neutralise the acid with water - and once it was dry I used a polishing mop in a mini drill to take off the oxide layer.

So the result?

I think it's pretty good! The rail on the left is treated, right original. You can see the 'blue' effect nicely. So is it longlasting? I'm not sure... the chemical works by creating a new oxide layer. After polishing it shouldn't need cleaning as unlike un-treated Nickel Silver it shouldn't oxidise any further... so it might be possible to rub it off with a track rubber - but you shouldn't need a track rubber again! We'll see anyway!

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