Zinc and black phosphate Services Needed
- Thread starter robl72
- Start date
Caswell plating has a diy black oxide kit. It may work depending on your goals.
Black Oxide Kits - Caswell Inc
Black Oxide Kits - Caswell Inc
Done at home with Caswell black oxide, it's not difficult or terribly time consuming. Before and after photos...
LowBikeMike
Well-Known Member
I do Parkerixing at home. Incredibly simple.
That looks great. What did you do to prep the hardware? Sand blast?
Yeah, would like flat black finish, is that the non oily? Caswell got back with me on storage, once mixed, lasts up to 2 years. Didn't understand their explanation on finish. Boy, seems like they want a ton of info on you!
I wire brushed everything on a bench grinder because that’s what I had.
After wire brushing the parts were soaked in acetone to degrease. They were dried with compressed air after soaking, latex gloves were worn to avoid contamination from body oils.
Once dry the parts were placed in a mix of the Caswell product and distilled water, IIRC the ratio was 1 part of the chemical to 8 parts distilled water.
After soaking for 3 to 4 minutes in the mixture, the parts were removed and placed in straight distilled water to neutralize the chemical, then dried with compressed air.
The final step was to place everything on a paper towel and spray with generous amounts of penetrating oil, I let the parts sit for several minutes to allow the oil to soak in. Excess oil was wiped off with a dry paper towel.
At that point, the parts are ready to use…
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The finish is not like paint, it is an actual chemical reaction with the steel. It doesn’t chip or peel off…
Jesse6869
Well-Known Member
Oily or dry solution? Thanks
You oil the parts after doing the black oxide process. After the oxide absorbs the oil you wipe off the excess, but they really don’t feel oily if that’s what you’re asking.
Jesse6869
Well-Known Member
Well I went to order it it asked if you want oily or dry . I ordered dry and I read your earlier response.
I wasn’t aware that there were options, I just ordered a pint of the blue liquid and mixed it with water according to the instructions. There are some basic tutorials on YouTube, that’s where I got inspired to do it myself.
Jesse6869
Well-Known Member
Well dry you can use on all parts , then if they need oil like undercarriage then add penetrating oil. Thanks
Before oiling the parts, they have a very flat gray/brownish color. The oil makes them appear black and adds a slight amount of sheen.
Sam69sat
Well-Known Member
Those look good. Did you need to heat the solution or is it done cold?
More of a dark gray color, I see they have a mega black color which I assume would be even darker. I don’t think you want to skip the oil step at the end of the process, that’s what provides corrosion protection.
room temperature
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