Stainless finishing options

[Koda]

Are there any options for treating a stainless gun to darken it somehow? I'm not looking to coat the stainless or change its color I just want to tone down the bright shiny stainless...

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[MountainBear]

Fine grit glass beads will mellow down the sheen to a nice matte finish.

 

[Koda]

Fine grit glass beads will mellow down the sheen to a nice matte finish.

mine has matte rounds with polished flats, Id like to dull the flats but keep the grain finish.

 

[MountainBear]

Tape off the blasted finish, anything but the flats it sounds like with a good tape like electricians tape, and hit the flats with steel wool or scotchbrite...

 

[Koda]

that might be too time consuming to mask off the slide serrations, plus Id have to remove the thumb safety. The stainless is raw so I don't think scotchbrite will change the shinyness any and I don't want to mess with the grain or the laser etching... especially the serial number. This is just a random curiosity, not a priority.

 

[MountainBear]

Hitting it with either steel wool or scotchbrite will not remove any legally applied serial number.
I'm a professional, and I'm about out of ideas without seeing it in front of me. Maybe one of the other resident gun plumbers can chime in.

Good luck, hope it works out for you!

 

[mkwerx]

Would a vinegar bath darken it any? I know carbon steel soaked in vinegar will darken some. Never tried stainless.

 

[BillGabby1]

I'm trying to do the opposite, I want a mirror finish on my Bowie knife. Been having a heck of a time getting some if the fine scratches out of it.
I only have grits from 220 , 320, 400, 600, then skips to 1500.
8 & 10 hundred would do it I think, but I don't want to spend that much money on it
I'll think I have them gone till I polish it up, and there they are again in the same place.
Went by NAPA and they wanted $10 for a package of 1000 grit, I got sticker shock and left them there.
Back to the 4 and 600 grit again, but not tonight, just got cleaned up so I can Host at the Senior Center tomorrow, gotta do my bit for the community. Didn't want to look or smell like a bum!

Any suggestions on removing those hair line scratches greatly appreciated.
Carbon steel is easier to finish I think!

The glass bead blasting wouldn't erase any numbers or letters, it is way too gentle for that unless they are on there with a Sharpy Marker.
Sorry I didn't mean to Hi Jack the thread, just running off at the mouth so to speak.
Gabby

 

[Koda]

Mountainbear, whats interesting is there was a small scratch I buffed out with superfine sandpaper and then I blended that area with the steel wool to match the grain all around, the end result didn't dull the frame.

I did find a company call Robar that does stainless finishing which does darken the metal but they are too expensive. I was hoping for something simple a gunsmith could do similar to re-bluing a carbon steel gun. Its an attractive gun as it is, I'm just having a little bit of cognitive dissonance on how visible a full stainless gun is for practical use. Always wanted a stainless gun but never thought about it until after that matter....

Firearm Finishes | Robar Guns

 

[The Heretic]

Would a vinegar bath darken it any? I know carbon steel soaked in vinegar will darken some. Never tried stainless.

Vinegar won't do much if anything on stainless.

What I do with some stainless blades is vinegar with hydrochloric acid. That turns it black. You can try that in a hidden spot on the gun that you can buff out later if you don't like it.

Personally I would not do that on a gun. I would go with a nitride/melonite finish - but the OP did not want to change the color, just the surface finish. I have a number of stainless guns that have a bead blasted or 'brushed' finish. I think the latter was probably done with a fine abrasive pad or something.

I have a revolver that has both - a 'stealth grey' finish on titanium. Slightly bead blasted with a grey color. I really like that. I have no idea what they did to get the grey - titanium is a horse of a different color.

 

[wired]

If you want it black-ish

http://www.caswellplating.com/metal...ckener/stainless-steel-blackener-1-quart.html

 

[The Heretic]

If you want it black-ish

http://www.caswellplating.com/metal...ckener/stainless-steel-blackener-1-quart.html

Probably a strong acid - probably hydrochloric. You notice they don't mention exactly what it is.

You can get a gallon of HCI or other similar acid for less than what they ask for a quart of that stuff (depends on the concentration). Just go into a spa or pool store and look around for 20%+ 'Muriatic' acid. Just be careful with it and how you store it. It is useful for other things (e.g., cleaning stained concrete)

 

[wired]

Disposing of ex wives

 

[Certaindeaf]

Would a vinegar bath darken it any? I know carbon steel soaked in vinegar will darken some. Never tried stainless.

That's what I was thinking.. some sort of pickling agent or something. I know Brownell's etc. sells stainless black that can be used diluted and by timing to get different results other than dead black.

 

[sed]

I'm trying to do the opposite, I want a mirror finish on my Bowie knife. Been having a heck of a time getting some if the fine scratches out of it.
I only have grits from 220 , 320, 400, 600, then skips to 1500.
8 & 10 hundred would do it I think, but I don't want to spend that much money on it
I'll think I have them gone till I polish it up, and there they are again in the same place.
Went by NAPA and they wanted $10 for a package of 1000 grit, I got sticker shock and left them there.
Back to the 4 and 600 grit again, but not tonight, just got cleaned up so I can Host at the Senior Center tomorrow, gotta do my bit for the community. Didn't want to look or smell like a bum!

Any suggestions on removing those hair line scratches greatly appreciated.
Carbon steel is easier to finish I think!

The glass bead blasting wouldn't erase any numbers or letters, it is way too gentle for that unless they are on there with a Sharpy Marker.
Sorry I didn't mean to Hi Jack the thread, just running off at the mouth so to speak.
Gabby

Walmart has 3M fine grit sandpaper reasonably priced and in stock at the Walmart near me:
- 5pk of 1000 grit for $3.37 - https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-Wetordry-Automotive-Sandpaper-1000-Grit-5pk/16913669
- 5pk of 800 grit for $3.37 - https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-Imperial-Wetordry-Automotive-Sandpaper-P800-Grit-5pk/16913672
- 5pk assortment of 1000, 1500, 2000 & 2500 for $3.84 - https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-Wetor...V&visitor_id=cJTS8XrPSEbZDmJpcjoXTQ#read-more

**edit** FYI, the 3M sandpaper is in the automotive section.
Best prices I've found for fine grit sandpaper.

You can also try Harbor Freight, but I don't remember how fine their options go.
I like the 3M product better myself.

 

[Koda]

A dark grey would make a stainless gun look cool. I belive the Kimber Eclipse stainless guns are that way... Not certain how they did it.

Some interesting ideas here, but im not really wanting to experiment...

Ill get used to the shiny bling.... Not really my style, but maybe Ill buy some rings for all my fingers and some medallion necklaces like Mr. T when I shoot it....


Kidding.

 

[deadeye]

Firearm Finishes | Robar Guns

View attachment 417887

If it is like pictured strip it, lay flat on 220 grit and drag across in single direction.

 

[Certaindeaf]

A dark grey would make a stainless gun look cool. I belive the Kimber Eclipse stainless guns are that way... Not certain how they did it.

Some interesting ideas here, but im not really wanting to experiment...

Ill get used to the shiny bling.... Not really my style, but maybe Ill buy some rings for all my fingers and some medallion necklaces like Mr. T when I shoot it....


Kidding.

How 'bout degrease it good and mist coat it with a hi-temp BBQ rattle can? Seems it'd be the least permanent and easily alterable, one way or another.

 

[Koda]

Spraypaint.... Uh, no.


Its ok guys, this was a minor curiosity if there were any options. I can live with the raw stainless...

 

[Certaindeaf]

Spraypaint.... Uh, no.


Its ok guys, this was a minor curiosity if there were any options. I can live with the raw stainless...

Hey, they spray paint engines and cars so hey.. just a thought.