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Blackening aluminum?
Rocklobster
Member Posts: 7,060 ✭
Any of you fellers have experience with a room-temperature (preferably swab-on) product that's effective at blackening aluminum? It is my understanding that the process is an oxidation, just black instead of the normal white aluminum oxide.
I've tried "Birchwood Casey's" offering, it does not work well. Are all of the products available composed of the same chemicals with a different name stamped on the bottle?
Thanks.
I've tried "Birchwood Casey's" offering, it does not work well. Are all of the products available composed of the same chemicals with a different name stamped on the bottle?
Thanks.
Comments
I also used the Birchwood Casey stuff, years ago. It wasn't durable and it didn't cover evenly.. It struck me, that it's only use was as a "touch-up". For small areas.
My guess if you want to do a large area, like the aluminum receiver of a gun. They will either recommend, sending it out for anodisation. Or one of their specialized paint products.
What's offered is pretty much a dye stain that wears off about as fast as you can put it on. Black Duracoat is one option. Your best bet is black anodize, that has come way down in price with all the 80% AR builders.
Doing a receiver?
What's offered is pretty much a dye stain that wears off about as fast as you can put it on. Black Duracoat is one option. Your best bet is black anodize, that has come way down in price with all the 80% AR builders.
+1 anodizing is much cheaper and as durable as any bluing....duracoat or creacoat would work well I bet.
My Mossberg slug gun, a Model 9200, has a black enameled aluminum receiver also most of the older CZ75 pistols had a black enamel finishs and this was very durable and a cheap finish to apply. For example, to cover up some pitted surfaces on pistol frames, I've used flat black rustoleum spray paint with thin consecutive coats, then left to cure for a few days, and then baked in an oven at +400 F for a couple hours. Just make sure the surfaces are degreased first and what you don't want paint on gets carefully masked off. The resulting finish looks good and is durable enough for me.
Yes, the Cold war era CZ75 pistols had a black enamel finish that was cheap to apply. . .but, no, I don't think it wasn't all that durable.
Anyway, despite that, I think this is good advice.
You didn't say exactly what you were trying to blacken, but for something cheap, tough, and relatively easy to apply, I'd take a look at something like this purpose designed for aluminum epoxy-based bake-on finish:
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/paint-finishes/air-cure-aerosol-paints/aluma-hyde-ii-prod1117.aspx
The bottom of the trigger guard, the bottom of the backs trap, and along the top of the top strap have bare spots.
beantownshootah, you're reading my mind. I just happen to have a can of Aluma-hyde II sitting in my cabinet. The crane is a bit tight, and I want to pop off the side cover and clean/lube the inner workings anyway, so I believe I'll mask off the barrel and go for glory.