I have some steel escape equipment that has a real nice "blackened steel" finish, including some custom stuff that is so new that some of the excess even rubs off. Can someone please tell me what this finish is, and where I can get it, so that I can make some new stuff from Home Depot match the other equioment? Thanks so much!

Yours,

Paul

It does not sound like powder coat since it rubs off. Maybe it is the hammerlike coating that is sold in a spray can.

Richard

Gun bluing, available at gun shops, seems to be a popular product. I've never used it, but I've seen it mentioned here several times.

Powder Coat, when properly applied and baked will not rub off. It may peel off in sheets if the surface is not properly prepared. The finish you describe may be Black Oxide, a corrosion inhibiting finish that will not change the parts dimensions. Plating and Anodizing operations will change part dimensions depending on the tolerance range you are working with. As mentioned above Gun Bluing is another alternative. Some Blues need to be applied hot, others can be applied cold. There is another finish sometimes used on muzzle loaders called browning which imparts a brown corrosion resistant finish.
Bill

I think George is right -- bluing is the likely culprit, though something of a misnomer (traditionally blue, the available colours are more varied today; browning doesn't have quite the same ring to it, though).

Doc, hie thee to a gun shop, taking said implements and new provisions from Home Depot with you. The friendly proprietor (anyone sitting on that much firepower can afford to be friendly...) will likely have some nostrum or potion handy to effect the shade you seek.

Caution: Better not to mess with zinc plated steel, if the plating must be removed. Zinc poisoning is cumulative and fatal.

Leland

Thanks everyone! No shortage of gun shops around these parts, either. It's funny thinking about me buying a bottle of elixir from someone else, though, isn't it?

Just to clarify, when I say that it rubs off, a kind of oily powder rubs off, still leaving the implements nicely blackened.

Yours,

Paul

You can heat steel (red hot) and dip it in a heavy motor oil or linseed oil.

Kregg

There are also artificial patina products available at arts and craft shops to add color to clean metal. If it is plated or lacquered it may not work.

Dr. Wilson,

There is a product called Antiquing (hope I spelled that right). It's kind of like India Ink. You rub it on metal and when it's dried leaves a nice black finish. The only problem is it rubs off esaily on polished surfaces. Jewelery supply houses all carry it.

There are some nice epoxy paints that leave a great, long lasting finish.

Ian McColl made me a nice Iron Head Cage with a black finish. He just used 'stove black' paint.

Steve

These might help.

http://www.finishing.com/faqs/blackoxide.htm
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/black.htm

ChrisG

Sounds like "Black Oxide" to me.
Very EZ to do at home, with the right stuff.
W.W.Granger or McMaster Carr both have kits. If the Item is plated you may want to have it sandblasted first, in fact that's a good idea for all parts as the black is better after blasting.

In industry, black oxide is a bad gun blue job. Both are done with salts and oils only the gun parts are highly polished first and the salts and oils kept cleaner and changed more often.