WTK: How to blacken stainless....

Michael64 · March 20, 2000, 08:33 PM

What is out there to blacken a stainless barrel?
Is there an easy or good way to do it?

Any options appreciated.

George Stringer · March 21, 2000, 12:22 AM

Michael, you can have it blued, black chromed, teflon or lacquered. Bluing is probably the most expensive although the chroming might be depending on who was doing it. Teflon or lacquer would be the easiest. You can bake them on yourself in your kitchen oven but you probably catch hell from the wife for stinking up the place. If you go that route I recommend the Teflon over the lacquer. George

**4V50 Gary** · March 21, 2000, 10:47 AM

If you chose the spray & bake method, be sure not to use your own oven. It's a matter of keeping wifey happy. Offer the kid next door $10 (when his mom is out) if he'll bake something for you.

Ledbetter · March 22, 2000, 02:57 PM

How hot does the temp have to be for these products? I'm wondering if you couldn't pick up an old toaster-oven at the thrift shop to heat handgun parts.

Thanks.

mattfra · March 22, 2000, 10:21 PM

Michael64

A couple years ago I was looking through Shotgun News and found an ad for this stuff called Moly Resin. It's a spray and bake type coating. If you read the description in the documentation that comes with it, it is identical to the stuff Wilson Combat uses for their ArmorTuff coating. I did my 1911A1 in the semi-gloss black. Looks really nice. I have also used Brownell's Baking Lacquer. Not impressed. It's more like a paint. If any edge is not rounded off it can flake off. The durability/wearability of this stuff is incredible. The temp for the Moly Resin is 300F for 1 hr or 1.5-2hrs @ 250F. Moly Resin comes in Grayish-Black, flat black, semi-gloss black, gray, tan, green, and stainless steel. Ten ounce bottle is $17 post paid. One bottle can do about 4-5 handguns. It comes ready to spray from an airbrush. No thinning needed. The fumes from the Brownells baking lacquer were much worse that the Moly Resin. A toatster oven would work.
Moly resin is actually produced by John Norrell Arms, Inc./Norrell Manufacturing. Their e-mail is: [email protected]
Fax 501-225-7864
Email me if you want their address.

Michael64 · March 23, 2000, 12:11 AM

Everyone has offered great ideas. However, I failed to mention that I want to blacken a rifle barrel.
Ain't got an oven big enough for that.

George Stringer · March 23, 2000, 09:49 PM

I do Michael. If you want me to teflon it for you just e-mail me. George

pojim · March 24, 2000, 07:41 PM

mattfra,

I'm really interested in getting some of this stuff-does it have to be applied using an automotive type airbrush, or would some other type (aerosol, brush) of application work. I'll be at a big gun show tomorrow-any info from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
pojim

Randall Shaw · March 25, 2000, 02:25 PM

Rifle barrel ? Try a pizza shop after hours

slickpuppy · March 25, 2000, 03:54 PM

Hubbard-Hall makes a line of blackening products that work at room temperature called Black Magic. http://www.hubbardhall.com/prods_ap/mfst/index.html

I haven't tried them myself. Perhaps others have. If you check out the link just look for the finish/pretreat product button. Next click on the Black Magic button. They have a variety of chemicals that are used in the gun industry under other names.

[This message has been edited by slickpuppy (edited March 25, 2000).]

DeBee · March 25, 2000, 06:21 PM

How about a nice matte dark grey?

I've been experimenting with bead blasting stainless steel with an effort to get a finish very similar to the SS Ruger Target rifles or the SS 77/22 Laminated. So far unsucessful. Very matte, very grey- damned near parkerized grey- blends with any surrounding elements far better than black be it concrete jungle or hardwood forest... Some claim a bead blasted barrels cools as fast as a fluted barrel.

Any tips, tricks, articles or links about bead blasting stainless steel, especially those about how Ruger does it would be appreciated...

Daniel Watters · March 26, 2000, 12:25 AM

I understand that a solution of ferric chloride can give stainless steel a battleship grey color. However, it isn't something that you'd want to get inside the bore, or even leave on the exterior for any prolonged period.

Commygun · March 26, 2000, 09:37 PM

Black Magic is the best cold blackening (blueing ?) solution I have ever tried and
I've tried them all. It's now marketed by
Kleen-Bore so you might be able to find it
at a local gun shop. Be sure to wipe off excess fluid right away and then polish with
super fine steel wool. A good touch up for
matte/parkerized guns.

slickpuppy · March 26, 2000, 11:09 PM

Commygun,
Have you tried it on Glock slides?

Commygun · March 28, 2000, 11:15 PM

No, being the only man on the planet who has
had an unreliable Glock 23 and an unreliable
Glock 27, I no longer have a Glock. Bet it
would work though.

Michael64 · March 29, 2000, 09:57 AM

Slickpuppy
Called the Black Magic people and was told that the stainless steel product is their least reliable one and its only recommended for small parts and touchup jobs.

slickpuppy · March 29, 2000, 06:31 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Michael64:
Slickpuppy
Called the Black Magic people and was told that the stainless steel product is their least reliable one and its only recommended for small parts and touchup jobs.[/quote]

Michael64,
Thanks for the info. I contacted Kleenbore about their Black Magic product as well and was told it would/should work as a touchup for Glock slides, and match the existing phosphate finish as long as I didn't polish with steel wool after the application. I emailed Hubbard-Hall over the weekend about their MiPhos and PreDip Blackener products, but, haven't heard from them yet.

March 20, 2000, 08:33 PM	#1
Michael64 Member Join Date: January 2, 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 29	What is out there to blacken a stainless barrel? Is there an easy or good way to do it? Any options appreciated.

March 21, 2000, 12:22 AM	#2
George Stringer Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 12, 1998 Location: Earlington KY Posts: 2,299	Michael, you can have it blued, black chromed, teflon or lacquered. Bluing is probably the most expensive although the chroming might be depending on who was doing it. Teflon or lacquer would be the easiest. You can bake them on yourself in your kitchen oven but you probably catch hell from the wife for stinking up the place. If you go that route I recommend the Teflon over the lacquer. George

March 21, 2000, 10:47 AM	#3
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	If you chose the spray & bake method, be sure not to use your own oven. It's a matter of keeping wifey happy. Offer the kid next door $10 (when his mom is out) if he'll bake something for you.

March 22, 2000, 02:57 PM	#4
Ledbetter Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2000 Location: California USA Posts: 4,533	How hot does the temp have to be for these products? I'm wondering if you couldn't pick up an old toaster-oven at the thrift shop to heat handgun parts. Thanks.

March 22, 2000, 10:21 PM	#5
mattfra Member Join Date: July 3, 1999 Posts: 93	Michael64 A couple years ago I was looking through Shotgun News and found an ad for this stuff called Moly Resin. It's a spray and bake type coating. If you read the description in the documentation that comes with it, it is identical to the stuff Wilson Combat uses for their ArmorTuff coating. I did my 1911A1 in the semi-gloss black. Looks really nice. I have also used Brownell's Baking Lacquer. Not impressed. It's more like a paint. If any edge is not rounded off it can flake off. The durability/wearability of this stuff is incredible. The temp for the Moly Resin is 300F for 1 hr or 1.5-2hrs @ 250F. Moly Resin comes in Grayish-Black, flat black, semi-gloss black, gray, tan, green, and stainless steel. Ten ounce bottle is $17 post paid. One bottle can do about 4-5 handguns. It comes ready to spray from an airbrush. No thinning needed. The fumes from the Brownells baking lacquer were much worse that the Moly Resin. A toatster oven would work. Moly resin is actually produced by John Norrell Arms, Inc./Norrell Manufacturing. Their e-mail is: [email protected] Fax 501-225-7864 Email me if you want their address.

March 23, 2000, 12:11 AM	#6
Michael64 Member Join Date: January 2, 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 29	Everyone has offered great ideas. However, I failed to mention that I want to blacken a rifle barrel. Ain't got an oven big enough for that.

March 23, 2000, 09:49 PM	#7
George Stringer Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 12, 1998 Location: Earlington KY Posts: 2,299	I do Michael. If you want me to teflon it for you just e-mail me. George

March 24, 2000, 07:41 PM	#8
pojim Member Join Date: December 20, 1999 Location: Milford, PA Posts: 61	mattfra, I'm really interested in getting some of this stuff-does it have to be applied using an automotive type airbrush, or would some other type (aerosol, brush) of application work. I'll be at a big gun show tomorrow-any info from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, pojim

March 25, 2000, 02:25 PM	#9
Randall Shaw Member Join Date: December 26, 1999 Location: Palmdale,Ca,USA Posts: 44	Rifle barrel ? Try a pizza shop after hours

March 25, 2000, 03:54 PM	#10
slickpuppy Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 1999 Posts: 928	Hubbard-Hall makes a line of blackening products that work at room temperature called Black Magic. http://www.hubbardhall.com/prods_ap/mfst/index.html I haven't tried them myself. Perhaps others have. If you check out the link just look for the finish/pretreat product button. Next click on the Black Magic button. They have a variety of chemicals that are used in the gun industry under other names. [This message has been edited by slickpuppy (edited March 25, 2000).]

March 25, 2000, 06:21 PM	#11
DeBee Senior Member Join Date: October 5, 1999 Posts: 408	How about a nice matte dark grey? I've been experimenting with bead blasting stainless steel with an effort to get a finish very similar to the SS Ruger Target rifles or the SS 77/22 Laminated. So far unsucessful. Very matte, very grey- damned near parkerized grey- blends with any surrounding elements far better than black be it concrete jungle or hardwood forest... Some claim a bead blasted barrels cools as fast as a fluted barrel. Any tips, tricks, articles or links about bead blasting stainless steel, especially those about how Ruger does it would be appreciated...

March 26, 2000, 12:25 AM	#12
Daniel Watters Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 1999 Location: USA Posts: 644	I understand that a solution of ferric chloride can give stainless steel a battleship grey color. However, it isn't something that you'd want to get inside the bore, or even leave on the exterior for any prolonged period.

March 26, 2000, 09:37 PM	#13
Commygun Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2000 Posts: 132	Black Magic is the best cold blackening (blueing ?) solution I have ever tried and I've tried them all. It's now marketed by Kleen-Bore so you might be able to find it at a local gun shop. Be sure to wipe off excess fluid right away and then polish with super fine steel wool. A good touch up for matte/parkerized guns.

March 26, 2000, 11:09 PM	#14
slickpuppy Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 1999 Posts: 928	Commygun, Have you tried it on Glock slides?

March 28, 2000, 11:15 PM	#15
Commygun Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2000 Posts: 132	No, being the only man on the planet who has had an unreliable Glock 23 and an unreliable Glock 27, I no longer have a Glock. Bet it would work though.

March 29, 2000, 09:57 AM	#16
Michael64 Member Join Date: January 2, 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 29	Slickpuppy Called the Black Magic people and was told that the stainless steel product is their least reliable one and its only recommended for small parts and touchup jobs.

March 29, 2000, 06:31 PM	#17
slickpuppy Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 1999 Posts: 928	<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Michael64: Slickpuppy Called the Black Magic people and was told that the stainless steel product is their least reliable one and its only recommended for small parts and touchup jobs.[/quote] Michael64, Thanks for the info. I contacted Kleenbore about their Black Magic product as well and was told it would/should work as a touchup for Glock slides, and match the existing phosphate finish as long as I didn't polish with steel wool after the application. I emailed Hubbard-Hall over the weekend about their MiPhos and PreDip Blackener products, but, haven't heard from them yet.