CT1138
Sr Member
As a long time admirer of refinished Romans, and all original parts Obi-Wan sabers, I finally took the plunge and did my own refinishing job! I started with a clean OWK4 by Korbanth, as I preferred the idea of not having to track down a threaded rod of the right size, along with all the other little do-dads needed to put together the pieces. I understood I was sacrificing some accuracy here, but I also wanted more of the brass to shine through on the windvane pieces, like what I saw on many original parts grenade sections. I also saved some money, so that was good too.
First I started out researching some of the techniques, and started writing down which ones I felt would work best on each part. Being the visual person that I am, I mapped it all out for myself:
With the game plan in mind, I started searching for a few "how-to" guides on YouTube regarding the processes I was seeing mentioned. After watching some of the videos, I gathered my materials, and got started! First part was easy; grabbing a handful of bolts and nuts, the balance tube and knob pieces, and some old Tupperware, I shook the Hell out of both, getting some nice little scratches and dinks in them. I took a wrench, and beat at the grenade and booster section, then took the file tool on my Leatherman, and started filing some small gouges into the pieces, and some scratches across the clamp.
After that, I started on tarnishing the brass pieces. I rubbed them down with steel wool, then I set up an ammonia vapor bath for them, and let them sit. Next I set up a bath of bleach/salt solution, and let the booster and grenade sit for a few hours.
While those pieces were getting their baths, went to work on the balance tube. I did a few goes with a black matte wash, and then doused in oil, and took a blow torch to it. It produced some nice scoring effects on the tube that I really liked. I let the tube cool, and then doused it in the bleach solution to get the excess grease off. With the knob, I applied a light wash, and used steel wool to wipe away the excess.
I pulled the grenade and booster from the bleach after only a few hours. It became satisfactorily corroded in the time. The brass pieces I ended up keeping in the ammonia vapor bath for about 17 hours in total, and am really satisfied with the result. The second day, my aluminum black came in, and I applied it over the entire saber except for the knob piece. I thoroughly rinsed it, and used a toothbrush to brush away any of the excess I caught crusting up. I then added a very fine wash to the brass pieces, to give it that dirty look to it. Finally, I used some steel wool to brush away some of the corrosion that built up on the clamp from the bleach solution. In the end, the entire build was really fun to put together, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.
First I started out researching some of the techniques, and started writing down which ones I felt would work best on each part. Being the visual person that I am, I mapped it all out for myself:
With the game plan in mind, I started searching for a few "how-to" guides on YouTube regarding the processes I was seeing mentioned. After watching some of the videos, I gathered my materials, and got started! First part was easy; grabbing a handful of bolts and nuts, the balance tube and knob pieces, and some old Tupperware, I shook the Hell out of both, getting some nice little scratches and dinks in them. I took a wrench, and beat at the grenade and booster section, then took the file tool on my Leatherman, and started filing some small gouges into the pieces, and some scratches across the clamp.
After that, I started on tarnishing the brass pieces. I rubbed them down with steel wool, then I set up an ammonia vapor bath for them, and let them sit. Next I set up a bath of bleach/salt solution, and let the booster and grenade sit for a few hours.
While those pieces were getting their baths, went to work on the balance tube. I did a few goes with a black matte wash, and then doused in oil, and took a blow torch to it. It produced some nice scoring effects on the tube that I really liked. I let the tube cool, and then doused it in the bleach solution to get the excess grease off. With the knob, I applied a light wash, and used steel wool to wipe away the excess.
I pulled the grenade and booster from the bleach after only a few hours. It became satisfactorily corroded in the time. The brass pieces I ended up keeping in the ammonia vapor bath for about 17 hours in total, and am really satisfied with the result. The second day, my aluminum black came in, and I applied it over the entire saber except for the knob piece. I thoroughly rinsed it, and used a toothbrush to brush away any of the excess I caught crusting up. I then added a very fine wash to the brass pieces, to give it that dirty look to it. Finally, I used some steel wool to brush away some of the corrosion that built up on the clamp from the bleach solution. In the end, the entire build was really fun to put together, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.
