Heat anodizing steel - does it last?

[ilikegunspdx]

Can we get some pictures?

Right now it's back to bare metal after vinegar bath. I'll try to put some color stripes on it tomorrow and post some pics (of the barrel anyway, the cylinder came out only darker blue last time.

As it gets hotter this steel goes from kind of a burnt look, to yellow, then redish/purple, then brighter blue, then back to almost the same as when starting, and if you keep going it turns a dark not-real-attractive blue.

Barrel and cylinder are steel. Hammer is polished stainless steel. Most of frame is aluminum. Lower part of frame and band around grip is some kind of metal I haven't figured out yet. Some kind of aluminum but doesn't behave the same finish-wise as the other part of the frame (aluminum).

 

[Flymph]

You should still post "process" pictures...
Very cool none the less!

 

[edzz]

Lower frame likely some kind of Pot metal (a zinc/aluminum material) that will have a low melt temperature.

For those in WA & OR it possibly should be noted that pot metal is not a cannabis product.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Lower frame likely some kind of Pot metal (a zinc/aluminum material) that will have a low melt temperature...

I think ur right cuz that's exactly what it feels like and weight feels like that also. The aluminum frame kept it's "polish" while that lower frame turned grey over time. Both those parts looked the same when putting a "hammered" type finish on it with a dremel and rubber polishing type bit. But aluminum part didn't "tarnish" for lack of better word while lower frame did.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Here are pics of some quick colors form this morning. I think next time I will try to make wide bands of blue with just a little yellow in between the bands. That's the nice thing about this is if u don't like the color just soak it in vinegar and start over. Similar with the aluminum frame you can just polish it to matte or super shiny anytime you want.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Re case-hardening it is beautiful but is way, way beyond the amount of time I would be willing to put in and requires special equipment and materials.

Heat anodizing the barrel takes about 15-20 min with just a torch. Of course it creates a totally different look than case hardening. I might also try jeweling the barrel and then heat anodizing it just for fun. That would probably look over the top though but who knows until u try.

My colt 1903 pocket model had a fire-blued finish, done entirely by heat treating the metal. That was the factory process 100 years ago.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

My colt 1903 pocket model had a fire-blued finish, done entirely by heat treating the metal. That was the factory process 100 years ago.

That is how my cylinder ended up, with the whole thing that final dark blue. I bet that "final" kind of blue is more durable than the lighter colors just based on what I've seen so far.