Black Oxide

[Kim_Howie]

Has anyone used the Metal BLacking kit from Eastwood? And if you have how good is it?

[SS427]

Kim,
I use it quite frequently when I do not have a large amount to sub contract out. I have been very happy with the results with Eastwoods kit but it does take some experimenting with timing to get the right finish. I have had better luck with the finished appearance when the items are bead blasted before plating versus wire wheeling them.
Rick

[Kim_Howie]

Thanks very much Kim

[Denis]

The Eastwood metal blackening kit won't do a good job on previously plated (eg zinc) parts, even if you bead blast them first. A solution to this problem is to soak the part in diluted muriatic acid first to remove the old plating. Remember to neutralize the acid bath with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) before disposing of it.

I've had very good results restoring my phosphated and blackened fasteners with a parkerizing solution from Palmetto Enterprises. A little goes a long way (i.e. a quart will last you a whole car's worth of phosphated parts) but you'll need a heat source and a stainless steel container to heat the solution.

Palmetto Enterprises
(864) 246-3836
Greenville SC
Website

[Kim_Howie]

Didn't Eastwood offer a kit like this a few years back?? Kim

[Denis]

I bought Eastwood only the last couple of years, and can't vouch for what they carried before then.

The parkerizing stuff is pretty toxic and you need to bring the mixture to 205 degrees, so Eastwood may have dropped it for liability reasons.