Hello all,
Before I begin, yes, I know this thread is worthless without pics. And I'll have some later. I don't feel like working for the next few minutes, so I thought I post a little on this project.
Being interested in all things mechanical, and a fanatical DIY'r (to a fault) I had decided to explore all of the different options for blackening the stainless frame on one of my pistols. No good reason why, just wanted to tinker. After a very exhaustive internet search that lasted literally hours, I ran across this website that many of you have probably seen;
www.caswellplating.com
They have all types of interesting metal finishing kits designed for folks like me that would rather try something and spend twice the price before getting done right by a professional, ultimately costing three times the price.:banghead: Along with the cold stainless oxide chemical kit was the base metal cold oxidizing kit which nearly everyone and his girlfriend's brother-in-law's housekeeper regards as worthless. So why not try?
The kit comes with the oxide chemical, a tank (read new white plastic bucket with lid), two cans of sealer and some very basic instructions. I was skeptical to say the least. As I have been trying to keep a job and some symbalance of a career
, the kit sat in the garage until I got a strong 'jones' to clean up an old rusty and pitted 18" riot barrel for my 870express shotgun.
Unfortunately for this DYI'er, patience and attention to detail are not among my strong suits. Fearlessness (stupidity?) and gumption are among my asset's. I spend a solid 30 minutes scouring the old barrel with ~50/50 acid water solution and a maroon scotchbrite pad to remove the old blueing and surface rust. I also spent a few minutes with the wire wheel on my grinder knocking down some of the heavily pitted areas. I didn't want to spend a great deal of time because I was curious if my $32 investment in an oxide kit would have been better spent on beer and women (my wife).
Basically, I mixed the oxide solution with 9 pints of water and poured it into the lid of one of those giant plastic storage containers. This allowed me to get the barrel into a container other than the bucket which the barrel obviously would not fit into. As soon as the barrel hit the solution, it immediately began to turn black. Hmmm. Good start. Directions say leave in for 30 seconds to five minutes and agitate occasionally, or simply leave in for 5-10 minutes. I did both...agitated it for 10 minutes. Couldn't help it. At any rate, I removed from the solution, per instructions, and rinsed with plenty of cold water. I DID wipe it a bit, which is not in the instructions, and a little came off on the towel, but not a lot and it didn't mark up the barrel. Per the instructions, I then brushed on the sealant which has the consistency of 10-30 (no, not 20w-50 and I CAN tell the difference) although it does not at all smell like regular oil. I hung the barrel up to dry for an hour or so.
Results? Well, I'm frankly amazed. The color is very even and dark. It is not a blue, but almost the color of a black parkerized finish. I can see the pits of course, and I could kick myself for not taking more time to prep, which I will do as I plan to do it over and take pics for the forum. I have not had it out and knocked it around at all, but in just trying to "nick" it with my finger nail, the finish seems as tough as anything else. As with any finish of any kind on any project, the secret to success is in the prep work. What you see on white metal is what you'll see when finished!
Have not tried the stainless kit, but I've read the few results posted out there in cyberspace ranging from "amazing" to "didn't work worth a damn". One positive account came from a proclaimed machinist with SS experience who tried it for fun like I did on a SS reciever and claimed it blackened the stainless that nearly matches the blueing on the barrel of the gun he finished.
I recommend the the black oxide. I'm sure people will poo poo it since it's not as good as a hot process or one cannot achieve good results at home (never made sense to me when people say this...is it the address or just that folks sleep near the workspace?) but I can testify that it's pretty neat stuff. Also, the small kit will do 500 pistols maybe. There is no loss of chemical, only what evaporates and spills.
If someone wants to take a chance on a slide or a short barrel or something, I'll give it a try for you, but ABSOLUTELY NO GAURANTEE OF ANY TYPE IS IMPLIED WRITTEN OR EXPRESSED! I'm just a dude with a garage and a pail full of blackening stuff.
All the best,
Allen Dye
Republic of Texas
US Gateway for All Things Illegal from the South
Before I begin, yes, I know this thread is worthless without pics. And I'll have some later. I don't feel like working for the next few minutes, so I thought I post a little on this project.
Being interested in all things mechanical, and a fanatical DIY'r (to a fault) I had decided to explore all of the different options for blackening the stainless frame on one of my pistols. No good reason why, just wanted to tinker. After a very exhaustive internet search that lasted literally hours, I ran across this website that many of you have probably seen;
www.caswellplating.com
They have all types of interesting metal finishing kits designed for folks like me that would rather try something and spend twice the price before getting done right by a professional, ultimately costing three times the price.:banghead: Along with the cold stainless oxide chemical kit was the base metal cold oxidizing kit which nearly everyone and his girlfriend's brother-in-law's housekeeper regards as worthless. So why not try?
The kit comes with the oxide chemical, a tank (read new white plastic bucket with lid), two cans of sealer and some very basic instructions. I was skeptical to say the least. As I have been trying to keep a job and some symbalance of a career
, the kit sat in the garage until I got a strong 'jones' to clean up an old rusty and pitted 18" riot barrel for my 870express shotgun.Unfortunately for this DYI'er, patience and attention to detail are not among my strong suits. Fearlessness (stupidity?) and gumption are among my asset's. I spend a solid 30 minutes scouring the old barrel with ~50/50 acid water solution and a maroon scotchbrite pad to remove the old blueing and surface rust. I also spent a few minutes with the wire wheel on my grinder knocking down some of the heavily pitted areas. I didn't want to spend a great deal of time because I was curious if my $32 investment in an oxide kit would have been better spent on beer and women (my wife).
Basically, I mixed the oxide solution with 9 pints of water and poured it into the lid of one of those giant plastic storage containers. This allowed me to get the barrel into a container other than the bucket which the barrel obviously would not fit into. As soon as the barrel hit the solution, it immediately began to turn black. Hmmm. Good start. Directions say leave in for 30 seconds to five minutes and agitate occasionally, or simply leave in for 5-10 minutes. I did both...agitated it for 10 minutes. Couldn't help it. At any rate, I removed from the solution, per instructions, and rinsed with plenty of cold water. I DID wipe it a bit, which is not in the instructions, and a little came off on the towel, but not a lot and it didn't mark up the barrel. Per the instructions, I then brushed on the sealant which has the consistency of 10-30 (no, not 20w-50 and I CAN tell the difference) although it does not at all smell like regular oil. I hung the barrel up to dry for an hour or so.
Results? Well, I'm frankly amazed. The color is very even and dark. It is not a blue, but almost the color of a black parkerized finish. I can see the pits of course, and I could kick myself for not taking more time to prep, which I will do as I plan to do it over and take pics for the forum. I have not had it out and knocked it around at all, but in just trying to "nick" it with my finger nail, the finish seems as tough as anything else. As with any finish of any kind on any project, the secret to success is in the prep work. What you see on white metal is what you'll see when finished!
Have not tried the stainless kit, but I've read the few results posted out there in cyberspace ranging from "amazing" to "didn't work worth a damn". One positive account came from a proclaimed machinist with SS experience who tried it for fun like I did on a SS reciever and claimed it blackened the stainless that nearly matches the blueing on the barrel of the gun he finished.
I recommend the the black oxide. I'm sure people will poo poo it since it's not as good as a hot process or one cannot achieve good results at home (never made sense to me when people say this...is it the address or just that folks sleep near the workspace?) but I can testify that it's pretty neat stuff. Also, the small kit will do 500 pistols maybe. There is no loss of chemical, only what evaporates and spills.
If someone wants to take a chance on a slide or a short barrel or something, I'll give it a try for you, but ABSOLUTELY NO GAURANTEE OF ANY TYPE IS IMPLIED WRITTEN OR EXPRESSED! I'm just a dude with a garage and a pail full of blackening stuff.
All the best,
Allen Dye
Republic of Texas
US Gateway for All Things Illegal from the South
