Not sure where to put this so I will start here. My daughter in law gave me a real nice “tin” cup. Only problem is the “tin” is stainless. I’m not upset about it at all because I have a real tin cup and it makes stuff taste like………. I’ll just say “tin”.

This has been covered somewhere on here but I can’t seem to locate it. What should I use to tarnish the stainless to make it look more like tin? I have tried vinegar, mustard and “cold” Plum Brown. I “thought” I knew how to do this but nothing is working.

If you have an answer or direct me to the proper thread I would appreciate it.

heat water in it a couple of times on a wood fire the outside will get black.

Thanks for replying but that is not what i am looking for

I have had mixed results with this, but you might try Birchwood Casey's Brass Black. It works well on some grades of SS but not all. I'd use some Brasso or other abrasive to make sure that all the finish has been taken off the cup, assuming there is one. Good Luck

Hmm,I've never TRIED to tarnish stainless steel....*scratches head*

When I tried to unclog the drain in my stainless kitchen sink, the goo I used turned spots on the sink a blackish gray color. These were splashes I didn't get rinsed off and didn't see until too late. I got the drain unclogger stuff from wally world. YMMV but I think this is what you are trying to accomplish.????? It should dull down the shiny stainless color.

doggoner

Try some sulfuric acid drain cleaner, Lowes sells it, but be careful. This stuff turned my stainless steel kitchen sink a dull grey. Did wonders for the clog, not so much for the sink.

First of all, it was nice of the lady to give you a cup. It's great when the family is supportive of our interests.

The question in the original post piqued my curiosity, and I thought Brownell's or Birchwood Casey had some sort of treatment for darkening stainless, and it turns out they do, but the expense and tedium of the process may not make it worthwhile for your needs. While on that search, I found this thread on another forum: Darkening Stainless Steel. Read the whole thing... I think the poster found that Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black did the job on stainless. I expect it would need to be buffed back some to give it the patina you would want.

However...

I have no idea what chemicals are used in these compounds, nor do I know if they are food safe. I suppose you could black the outside of the cup and leave the inside shiney, but that would make a funny-looking mug. A safer alternative might be to have your stainless cup bead blasted, inside and out. Some welding shops can do this as well as some modern gunsmiths. This would give a dull, matte finish without any potentially toxic chemicals. The cost might be prohibitive, though.

I have "fireblued" some ordinary steel items, but have not tried it with stainless. With mild steel or carbon steel, you just heat the object with a torch until that spot turns blue, then move the torch to "push" the heat and the color change until the whole thing is blue. You then rub it (wearing gloves) while it's still hot with a rag saturated with linseed oil. I'll say again, though, that I have not tried this with stainless.

You did say you already have a tin cup, but if you are in the market for a new one, Hot Dipped Tin sets the standard for historically accurate tinware from several different eras.

Notchy Bob

Thanks Bob, you went to a lot of trouble for that. i will read that thread.

No trouble at all. Threads like this never fail to teach me something, and make me search for more. Learning is a pleasure, and I appreciate the introduction of interesting topics.

Notchy Bob