Black Steel Dye

[Stepside]

I would appreciate any and all comments on different steel black products. I want to use as safe a process as possible because it is in a public school metal shop. Are those that use no heat as good as those with heat?What level of dangerous chemicals are we dealing with. How picky does one have to be to have relative success? If you believe the advertisements and labels they are all the best and the easiest.
Thank you in advance for the information.

Pete

[precisionworks]

Here's the neatest small-shop setup I've found: http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/bku/bku106.html

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Barry Milton

[John Stevenson]

Pete, Just been looking at this very subject this morning.
Found these two sites.

http://www.black-oxide.com/

and

http://62.73.188.198/start.html
Go to plating, page 2

I'm looking at getting the tectrate solution.

One of my customs has the 5 tank setup but he has room. I'd have to keep packing it away every time. I have found that the cold method isn't that consistant but can't comment on the hot method until I've tried it. I do have an oven that's why I fancy the single bath method.

John S.

[This message has been edited by John Stevenson (edited 04-10-2005).]

[Steve Steven]

Cold blacking product are sold By Brownells, url http://www.brownells.com/ . They will give a discount to a school. The most common type of blackening uses a copper salt to deposit a thin copper layer (only several atoms thick) which is colored black by selenimum acid, which reacts to the copper. Will only work on iron or steel, not stainless, and can produce a good color if you play with it. I believe Brownells has a phamplet for free about use of clod black.
Steve

[Smtty58]

I've been looking at this, no special equipment needed:

http://www.precisionbrand.com/products/default.asp?p_catid=37

[Rich Carlstedt]

Stepside your question was
" Are those that use no heat as good as those with heat?"

The answer is , no.
color,and depth of color are deeper due to higher action caused by heat.
Many cold treatments require multiple treatments to get the darker, and more wear resistant coating

[hammerfest]

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/black.htm

Try these folks, I used it for 35 pieces this afternoon, while not as deep as the hot process, it works great for my application

[JR in TX]

Yes, I've had good luck with with Caswell's black oxide kit also.

[smurph]

I'll weigh in on the Casswell product too. It works well and it is safe. But Drinking the solution might not be a good idea though.


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That's my story and I'm sticking to it...