Black Oxide Coating Parts For Your Own Projects

Did you ever want to restore your own hardware or parts but hate using paint and want a more professional look? See how I do it with this simple DIY kit from Caswell Plating. The oil based sealant is supplied with the Caswell kit.
Link for kits: caswellplating...
I use Red Kap Shirts: red-kap.pxf.io/...
MASK USE WAS DURING MASK MANDATES. HAD NO CHOICE. COMMENTS ON MASKS WILL BE BLOCKED.
~~~~ Contact and Social Media ~~~~
WEBSITE ~ super661.com
EMAIL ~ [e-mail]
INSTAGRAM ~ / 5speeds
FACEBOOK ~ / gearboxvideo
SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL
~~~~ My Books and Store ~~~~
BUY ME COFFEE ~ www.buymeacoff...
MAIN STORE ~ www.5speeds.co...
BOOK #1 ~ amzn.to/3b7x6fT
BOOK #2 ~ amzn.to/3RUaK25
AMAZON STORE ~ a.co/ftlbr0s
disclaimer:
The content of this video is available for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the professional advice of a mechanic who has personally inspected your vehicle, nor does it create a relationship of any kind between GearBoxVideo (Paul Cangialosi) and you. Every situation may be different, and GearBoxVideo does not make any warranties, whether express or implied, as to the accuracy, fitness, or applicability of the information or automotive parts portrayed in this video to any project and makes no guarantee of results. GearBoxVideo and any sponsors or manufacturers of parts that may appear in this video or any of the channel's content will not be liable for any damages related to personal injury, property damage or loss of any kind that may result from the use or reliance on this video and/or any automotive parts represented in this video. You are using the information and automotive parts portrayed in this video solely at your own risk.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Some people think this is a paid promotion. THIS IS NOT A PAID PROMOTION. This is a product I found on the internet and decided to give it a try. So what you are seeing is my first time using it. I've reordered it several times and trust me have paid each time. My video is unbiased. Discussion about the product and your results using different techniques are welcome. We are all here to learn from one another. Any rudeness will get your comments removed and blocked. THE OIL BASED SEALANT IS PROVIDED BY CASWELL. THIS IS A COLD APPLICATION. THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN A HOT APPLICATION. SinCe this video has become popular and comments and questions are constantly repeated... PLEASE READ BELOW MASK USE WAS DURING MASK MANDATES A OVER A YEAR AGO --- LOOK AT THE PUBLISH DATE. There are two general types of blackening for iron and steel: hot blackening and room temperature blackening (or cold blackening).1 Hot blackening can be done from generic mixtures of caustic soda, sodium nitrite / nitrate, wetting agents and stabilizers or from proprietary mixtures.The result of the process is a dark black iron oxide finish with both good durability and corrosion resistance.The hot blackening process however, uses toxic chemicals and operates at about 140°C (284°F) for 45 min. Working at temperatures well above the boiling point of water leads to major problems, particularly when replacement water is introduced. Hot blackening is a polluting, energy consuming and time consuming process.In order to reduce the hazards of hot blackening, and to save energy, proprietary cold blackening solutions have been developed.2 They are operated at room temperature, and are based on different chemistries, so they are substantially less hazardous. Further, room temperature blackening processes are simple and safe to operate. They are becoming more and more attractive. On the other hand, room temperature blackening is not a true black oxide process.Rather it involves the application of a copper-selenium compound. This compound is not always an acceptable substitute for black oxide, as it does not look as durable as the one obtained with a hot blackening process. However it works fairly well for low budget and certain applications. Parts that I make in quanities over 100 items get hot blackened by professional companies set up do to these processes and deal with the harsh chemicals.

[@AlejoMX5]

Caswell is very well known for plating.

[@chrisgarside7974]

Appreciate you sharing your experience. Very useful technique which I’d heard of but not seen demonstrated.

[@xxsilverxxfox5153]

How about a follow up video with a scratch test? Is the finished product easy to scratch?

[@rifqy9966]

Terimakasih atas ilmu nya 👍

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

Well said.

[@eagle3351]

I worked in a research and development fabrication shop back in the seventies and we used to blacken our parts. We always heated our parts before we put them in the solution. They always darkened evenly and quickly we took them out and neutralized them dried them in immediately sprayed them with oil. We never had any complaints from anybody. I mostly work with copper and zinc now so I love playing with the chemicals.

[@Spruce-Bug]

How hot did you heat them up to?

[@sohailawan3572]

With heat & dipping is professional method 👍

[@jonnyonwheels]

I love Caswell’s products. They’re about an hour from me and are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to polishing, plating, etc. They’ve been in business for a long time and it’s easy to actually get a person on the phone for help. A real company, with real people, selling & shipping real products from Lyons, NY.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Their customer service and questions have always been answered

[@sharkskinboy]

I love this channel, it's so refreshing to see authentic people like Paul on KZbin who know their stuff and love what they do.

[@brankelly1921]

My thoughts exactly!

[@jim34morrison]

Looks good. Going forward, after degreasing you may try heating the parts in an oven to ‘gas out’ any remaining oils. If oil surfaces, degrease and repeat heating. I think at a temp of 315 - 350 F?

[@duramaxmak]

I owned a black oxide processing company for over 15 years I used hot black oxide process. One thing I like to correct you is your doing a controlled rusting process. If your not keep oil on your parts they will rust (iron oxide red rust).out in the industry there are a couple of things that can be used to stop this red oxide one being oil and the other is a wax type sealant. I used water soulable oil in my five tank process. My chemicals I used were from Heatbath corporation My process was as follows Uniclean 1008 degreaser at 195 degrees then ambient water rinse then Pentrate ultra (black oxide ) chemical at 285 degrees then another ambient water rinse and finally water soluble oil ant 100 degrees.

[@GearBoxVideo]

I've been using Penatrol as a sealant and now do it in a crock pot! Seems to work really well.

[@JWB671]

Mak Tool, how long in each process were the parts kept?

[@duramaxmak]

@@JWB671 the degreasing process generally only 5 minutes mostly just removing tapping oil and any oil left on material rinse not very long maybe a minute then the black oxide was if chemicals were up to concentration and a nice rolling boil you could be in tank for 5 minutes sometimes longer depending on the material then rinse for about 2 to 4 minutes and just dip in oil and pull out and drain

[@g040700]

Water soluble oil? What oil would that be :) trying to learn thanks

[@duramaxmak]

@@g040700 there are oils available that when mixed with water they turn milky white when metal is dipped in the fluid and pulled out the water evaporates and leaves a oil film I ran my dip tank at 125 degrees so when parts came out the water would evaporate quicker I hope I have helped

[@MAYCOCustomRestorations]

I just tried this for the first time today and will be using this all the time. I even inserted the bolt into the threads, removed and checked. Its very durable.

[@user-pj2mn1qp3x]

I bake my parts before sandblasting to burn off oils so they don't get in my sand. I use a weed burner propane torch and turn it down until there is no blue flame hitting the parts. I put the parts on top of a piece of steel box tube to keep them off the concrete and keep them heated until they start to smoke. Keep them at about that temp until there is no more smoke. Sand blast and continue with your coating of choice.

[@midnightsailor1]

I was getting ready to comment on your questionable technique, but glad I waited to end and saw that you caught it yourself and made mention of your bad practice of not lining up your tanks in the order they are used , minimizing dripping sealer into oxidizing solution and visa versa .also cross contamination via dipping gloves hands in solution. Very interesting and useful video. Glad I caught it.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thank you for watching the video completely. The biggest problem with comments is people not watching videos to the end and jumping to conclusions. Also people not reading the initial pinned comment. This video got a great deal of views but according to stats few people watch it to the end

[@brianb-p6586]

@@GearBoxVideo There's no initial pinned comment on this video.

[@jeremyanderson9967]

Great video. If I may add. I do restoration on old guns. You can get a bluing paste that works fantastic and you can just use a few paper towels to wipe it down. Good job on this video. Very educational. Keeper going!

[@ericlipps7152]

I tried the blueing stuff on some chisels I've been restoring like the look alot.

[@RustyEast]

The cross contamination was driving me crazy ,but you pulled it off in the end. Subscribed

[@jamesbruno5896]

Great video Paul, I use the exact same chemicals when I'm restoring old carburetors with steel bases it's held up well. If you want a slightly glossier finish seal with WD-40.

[@dtc1117]

I just wanted to to say THANK YOU for taking the time and the grief, in order to provide us with FREE process' that one normally would be looking to pay for. As I am sure you already know........there are a LOT of people out there with fast fingers and slow thinkers!

[@GearBoxVideo]

HOW TRUE!

[@awizardalso]

I use a charcoal grill to heat treat metal parts red hot then quench them in used motor oil. It turns them black with an oily coating making them rust proof.

[@tribulation138]

Same here

[@nathanhale7444]

I've done that too. Discovered it by accident when I wanted to cool down a part I wanted to cool down faster. I did t have any water handy but I had a bucket of old motor oil. I was amazed with the result.

[@Lykoloo]

Probably not a good idea to do this with hardened steel, though.

[@shelbyavant5081]

@@Lykoloo Yeah there's a lot of people in here that don't understand temper.

[@dlpannebakker]

Always pre-clean before blasting clean again prior to using a scuff pad or sandpaper then clean again. Reason for the multiple cleaning is when you blast without cleaning & or sanding/scuffing you are putting oils into the pits or scratches of the metal. Wipe dry if need to after using parts brake cleaner. Try using a oil silicone remover that’s used in auto painting.

[@captainjohnh9405]

In the past I used Caswell's nickle plating kits for small parts, and it worked well. Just like you experienced, cleanliness and oddities in the base metal can affect the results. Thanks for the video. I've been considering the black oxide kits, but was hoping to see someone else's results first. Those parts looked great!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thanks for watching

[@alankesper4480]

Great vids! I appreciate the time and effort spent in making these for the benefit of many viewers you are handing on your honed skills to many DIYS and younger people. I wish these tutorials were around when I was young it would have saved me years learning the hard way. You have a rare natural talent for teaching and getting the message across clearly with sincere thanks Alan Australia

[@LewHarriman]

Terrific teacher! Engaging, complete and very useful. Thanks, man.

[@91customs19]

Been working on cars and bikes forever now (47yr old) and this was something I’ve heard of but never seen applied thank you I’m gonna try this

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thanks for watching

[@tomferguson4996]

Great video! Well articulated, smoothly flowing, and concise. This is my first time here, and I'm sure I'll be back. Thanks!

[@stevej7139]

Interesting , I watched this to compare with the black oxide I used to do back in 1976 when I worked at a metal plating company . I was in charge of Black oxide and a few semi exotic plating's . When I ran parts we used titanium hooks , racks or baskets to hold parts for most plating and we did several different plating types . The actual corrosive salt and water for black oxide was kept at 280F degrees but with the salt it raises the boiling temperature such that 280 isn't actually boiling , close but not quite . then it goes straight into the penetrating oil while it's still hot . The prep work is a bit different but anything that removes rust and any contaminates is good , as a plating shop we had things like electro cleaners , ultrasonic cleaners , bead blasters (aka vapor hones) , 5% Muriatic acid bath (great for removing rust) and others acids and cleaners depending on the material being plated . I wonder how well the plating you demonstrated in this video compares to the results with the hot salt method .

[@GearBoxVideo]

What I now do is use a crock pot. And let it boil in the crock pot, dry and then into the oil. Works much better. Parts come out great.

[@stevej7139]

@@GearBoxVideo What is the chemical makeup of that solution if I can ask ? I have a product that converts rust using Chlorobenzotrifloride as it's active ingredient and it is similar in that it locks oxygen away from the raw metal . Just curious after I left metal plating I went into aerospace manufacturing which gave me a somewhat unique position as a machinist knowing how plating of all sorts works . Fun stuff but glad I left that industry as it can shorten your lifespan a bit if you do it for a living .

[@GearBoxVideo]

Please read my pinned comment. I have no idea since it was purchased from Caswell. Despite the endless banter here about what is better or not it works quite well with no rust issues. We use it on shifters which are exposed to the elements

[@stevej7139]

@@GearBoxVideo Ok I just read the chemicals involved , it's an interesting solution and I can see how they are able to call it black oxide even though it's a very different process than what I know as such . Seems pretty legit though and better than other solutions people could try , the only better way to go is use a material that doesn't corrode . The old way of Black Oxide probably has better wear properties although it's really hard to say for sure but otherwise I see nothing wrong with it , good thing to keep in the back of my mind that I can do at my own house (outside preferably) without dealing with a plater that wants to charge a minimum fee of at least a hundred or more depending on the shop . I'm retired these days so I don't have access to plating shops like I used to , a few years ago I could get almost anything done for me personally for free but I had close ties to the owner of a plating shop back then , now I live almost two thousand miles from there .

[@GearBoxVideo]

I use it for a few items at a time. I make a great deal of parts. Some in the 5000 to 15000 quantity. Those larger quantities I send out to get done.

[@stephenmitchell3569]

Reminds me of a Hurst Shifter of the late 60s to mid 70s. I was expecting gun parts but shifter remind me of good times...lol! I will be trying the products and thank you for sharing.

[@mmg6282]

Nice work. I know nothing about this product, process, or company. I do consulting work in the coatings industry and know that when blasting for a coating, first remove all oils, grease, wax, ect. Then blast, blow with clean compressed air and apply the coating. If you try to clean with solvent or go any sanding it disturbs the blast prep and creates adhesion issues. In your case, the surface tension from a foreign substance caused the product to move away from and not coat the disturbed area. Nice work. I see where this would be great in the car restoration process

[@steventimme5268]

For best results DO NOT use brake cleaner to clean your parts. Use a water based degreaser such as Caswell SP Degreaser. Follow directions. Spotting and shading will be greatly reduced/eliminated. Glass bead blast parts whenever possible. Generally, the softer the steel, the better the results. Caswell now has a primer for hardened parts that I am currently testing. Best regards!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Good advice. Read the pinned comment. I have zero issues with my later jobs. Brake cleaner IS NOT the primary degreaser. I've since been heating the solution to 120F and the hardened parts seem to take fine.

[@tomconner5067]

Use a commercial degreaser scrub with a soft metal brush, rinse and scrub with distilled water, then steam clean (use distilled water in steamer) and dry in a convection oven at 225°F (toaster oven for smaller parts) for 20-30 minutes depending on part size and mass, up to 60 minutes or 275° at 20-40 minutes and let them cool in the oven, any impregnated oils or contaminants will form a dry scale,rinse with steam or distilled water, scrub them off with a clean non scratching scouring pad and distilled water (green scotch-brite pad for steel) and dry with a fresh paper towel.

[@backnine]

Hi Paul Built a few Transmissions with your expertise and parts. I restore Carburetors. I do the plating and Dichromate conversion. I use the black oxide for screws cast iron bases. I use to manganese phosphate but the black oxide is no heat so it makes it quicker. You can buy the chemical from EPI. That is were Caswell buys it from. I use Insta black 333 and E tech 501 oil. They have a new product insta black 335 which I am going to try. I buy gallon qty. It is cheaper than buying from caswell.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thanks for the tip

[@blackhawk7r221]

After cold bluing, if you want to avoid a light coat of oil, use a “softer” sealer like wood tung oil. It will dry, but not be overly hard and flaky varnish or lacquer. Acetone or MEK bath and scrub for stripping oils before bluing. They are the purist solvents.

[@cfcasazza]

Caswell plating is a great company. They also make the best gas tank sealer.

[@ScottKendall1969]

I watch youtube almost exclusively - lots of DIY. You, sir, are brilliant at these videos. Almost every word that comes out of your mouth is useful while making it look casual. I hope you make more and push out these of DIY yakkidy-yaks who are clueless half the time. I believe I know exactly how to black-oxide parts the best way possible for a DIYer after watching.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thank you

[@lazylizard6532]

Nice vid. I’m glad you said something about the cross contamination. Sometimes a video set up isn’t for best results, but ya got to get the shot!

[@mnhoss2100]

Great video! Thanks. One could use a metal minnow bucket for the sealer too. It also has a strainer. About the same price as yours though.. but I happen to have one that I don't use so free for me. 😁

[@dangoldbach6570]

Just one thing to try, When rinsing, keep fresh clean distilled water in a spray bottle and use the pan to catch the dropoff, that way every single part is rinsed with clean water instead of the rinse tank getting progressively dirtier. Nitpicky but hey, cleanliness is key

[@JKWilson61]

Glad to see you back. Always enjoy your videos! 👍

[@DM-rp7ps]

Dr Paul strikes again - great vid! Nice to see you branching out to other topics. Your genuine, true to life vids are refreshing compared to overproduced and edited ones which would have removed the imperfection and explanation thereof which most of us could encounter in real life. Luv this guy; with his book, parts and vids; I was able to rebuild my first 4 speed and get my 2nd gen Z back on the road which was a bright spot in a blah year. My 17 year old daughter was disappointed when she heard I was ready to put an auto in it due to several crashbox failures. She runs it like a champ now, and is proud of driving a stick car!

[@narmale]

free knowledge... craftsmen giving up their time and knowledge to help those that will listen thank you Paul!!!! will be doing this on my truck for sure now that i know how to, btw your website has an order :)

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thank you

[@spelunkerd]

This is so cool. While you were doing the demo I did a quick search on the chemistry. I stumbled across a remark that by heating the liquid you can reduce the patchy nature of room temp oxide coating. It certainly looks better than paint, forming Fe3O4 with an alkaline solution. Great demo, thanks for my morning dose of education!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Trying that next with a glass container. And heating it

[@brianb-p6586]

That would be hot (or medium temperature) black oxide treatment; this is entirely different, just depositing a copper-selenium coating (which is then sealed with oil).

[@TheDude1764]

Great video! I use cold blue-type processes for gun parts. I’ve been reading about these kits and want to try one out. You might be interested in a company called EPI. They have similar products for black oxide finishes (room temp, mid temp, and high temp). They have a few other product options you may find useful for some of those hardened parts. Thanks again for the great demo.

[@troytaylor1913]

I did some giant vintage scissors last year. I spent about 2 weeks grinding and polishing out the steel, I mean skin pinchers. Then after the oxide coating, I polished them with steel wool then coated them again. You can't tell that I took a grinder to them. They have an original shiny black finish just like they had from the factory. It's probably how they did it.

[@troytaylor1913]

When I was younger and I made some DIY tools I just used regular natural rust coating. I would leave the tools out in the weather and then polish them with steel wool. I keep doing it until I got the color I liked then soaked them in oil. It was free.

[@dennisbarnett5635]

I have tried Caswell Black oxide product It does produce a nice finish quickly BUT It does not produce a lasting finish unless the Protective sealant dip is repeatedly reapplied forever if you don't parts start flash rusting. Also that little bottle doesn't do very many parts before its spent and you need more. My advice AVOID Caswell Cold Black Oxide coatings! I am curious to who you used that was doing a True HOT Black Oxide coatings. I have looked into doing in myself but It takes some specialized equipment and the Temps are 350 or so. I have had good luck with Baking parts to 400-450 and then dipping them in used Motor oil. I have mainly been doing Cadmium plating, Copper and Nickle for most all my stuff any more I enjoy your Transmission videos and have purchased one of your books.

[@scubbarookie]

This video was very impressive and helpful. The options for anyone willing to do the job themselves is really great and convenient, but with an initial investment. Thank you for putting this out and demonstrating how this works! 👍

[@peterweller8583]

The black oxide concentrate looks like a copper sulfate solution. On an aside we used to blacken metal with a torch and some old drain oil.

[@darrensaltiel440]

that is oil bluing or hot bluing this is more of a cold blue

[@jalyukon]

I would also wash the part with soapy water first, solvents like brake clean do not always remove all contaminants, also a water break test will ensure a perfect result, great video.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Before making comments about masks please look at the date this video was uploaded. YES ... 1 YEAR AGO. At that time no store would allow you in without a mask. I also live in the wonderful state of Florida and now a year later we have no mask mandates and can carry on living life normally. If you feel compelled to make stupid comments about me wearing a mask in this video a year ago your comment simply gets deleted and you blocked from my channel.

[@AllAroundTube50]

It's best to ignore the haters and the whiners!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Its sad to see the ignorance of people that jump to conclusions without looking at the video's date of upload. However I am impressed that people feel compelled to take time out of their day to rant about masks.

[@brendancurtin2632]

For a bunch of people refusing to wear masks because of their personal "rights" and "freedoms" and so on, they sure spend a lot of time telling other people to take their masks off. They're a bunch of hypocrites.

[@shannonjohnson3075]

Personally, I would prefer that you NOT delete and ban the loser/idiot/rude comments. I find them funny enough while reading them that they are no longer offensive to me. They are just entertainment... like watching really tiny train-wrecks... BTW, Thank you for taking the time to make the video. It's nice to see folks doing these things in sort of a real time format/fashion so that I can think through the process and the differences in how I would do it myself and how I will need to set up my workstation while doing it...

[@GearBoxVideo]

Basically I don't like the current state of social media where there is a great deal of discord on comments. I'd much prefer people learn from one another and share knowledge.

[@randallorr3730]

This was awesome. Your production quality is stellar. I think the best I have seen on youtube. Can't wait to see the videos on the Saginaw and on the T5. I am glad you figured out a funding mechanism to get some of the other transmissions. I wanted to see part 2 on the Corvette 4+3 overdrive. I know they don't make those anymore and they are starting to get rare but, it would be really cool to see you put one back together. Watching you do what you do I learn so much. I have been wrenching for 35 years and I love to watch people who have a passion for what they do. And I agree don't stay gone so long. If you want, just say high. I will watch. I think I will be buying you a lot more coffee going forward. I hope you really do take some of the money and buy yourself a coffee though. Thanks Paul.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thank you.

[@recyclebills]

I've done it with straight Muratic Acid using water only for rinsing.

[@stealhty1]

This is way better than the process of Parkerizing

[@davidryle]

"Cold Black" is different from hot dipped "Blacken" process. I've been blackening parts for nearly 50 years in a hot dip process and it is much more durable. This process will do for a quick finish but will rub off if handled. For a hot dip process on ferrous steel you must reach 290 degrees fahrenheit and seal in oil. The key ingredient is sodium hydroxide (lye). The vendor I use is Maxim Oil in Dallas and the manufacturer is Heatbath (Superblack 290). I don't blame anyone doing this technique and it is good enough for some uses but for a full-on professional finish there is nothing like a hot dipped process. Also, there is no way stainless will blacken fully. Why would it be necessary? Stainless will not rust or oxidize so why bother?

[@dntlss]

Hey David,what kind of process they use on guns? hot dip also? when you buy a gun, mainly a revolver thats black it has that really thick nice shinny coating that never comes off,i was wondering what that was? thank you for your input.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Did you take the time to read my pinned comment?

[@GearBoxVideo]

Exactly my point in my pinned comment. I'm getting all these comments about hot methods being better, not true blackening etc. I do agree with everyone about the differences and am well aware of them. People just don't read the comments so the same questions get asked and I have limited time and cannot keep answering the same questions over and over because someone is to lazy to read. Usually parts that we have 500 to 5000 pieces made we have done by companies that handle those volumes. However on 1 off or small rebuild projects that is not possible. The video has got an amazing amount of views in 1 Year. Fact is I've done quite a few shifters in that year and have worked out a better system using a small crock pot for a warmer solution and rinsing and drying then 4 hours in sealant. Great long lasting results.

[@ScottAuch]

@@Rattletrap-xs8il the Caswell product uses Selenium in their formula.

[@Rattletrap-xs8il]

@@ScottAuch I don't use Caswell's bluing. But I do Use some of their plating. As I said, the Selenium process is not a resilient bluing method.

[@jackhanson8467]

Nice work. Your end product looks good & professional. A small insignificant point is that while cast iron has pores, steel does not.

[@Ademann]

You're back!! Greetings from Germany!!!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Yes I am!

[@philpartin8618]

I remember you rebuilding a standard transmission for Eric the carguy. Awesome

[@achill9603]

Great videos, thank you. A few comments on conversion coating, having tried this myself on very small parts using a "gun blue", actually black. The reason it doesn't come out rust-coloured is the chemicals force the converted iron layer to a different valency. You didn't mention safety at all and I was very nervous about you getting your bare hands wet. The stuff I used contains some very nasty chemicals and I needed to keep it all well away from the family and dispose of responsibly. Also the sealant was just an oil, which I feel may not be too permanent and need topping up. Thanks again for the video!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thanks for the feedback. Great tips

[@kevinmorris8727]

How abrasion resistant is the coating? Would have been nice to see on the parts you were going to re-sandblast. On the prep, wondering if soaking in acetone for 15 minutes, then sandblasting with clean and oil free media, then degassing the metal at 250 deg F. for 30 minutes to remove all oils from within the metal would have produced better results on the brackets.

[@tedecker3792]

Blast using new/clean media. Re-used media is fine most of the time

[@Hobsonize4me]

After sanding or sand blasting, acid wash parts to clean out pores of the metal of to free them of microscopic dust and oils. I use distilled water with 5-10% muriatic. Rinse well with just distilled water. Dry parts off first with air blast (only if your compressor blows clean dry air) then with heat gun or put in an oven. Getting it perfectly clean and keeping it perfectly clean will produce the best results. It's very important to not touch the metal with your fingers between steps or let the parts come in contact with anything that might contaminate the surface. While parts are dry and still warm proceed to putting parts in to the black oxide solution.

[@thomasmacbride8006]

Hello ha from sunny Ireland the quickest way to plate parts is sand blast them then heat your parts until it turns blue then use a Brass wire brush to coat your parts the results are amazing very good for small parts brackets bolts ect great video mate keep it up 😎👍

[@GearBoxVideo]

Cool, thanks

[@SSJIndy]

More info on this? Is this transferring brass from the brush to a hot part? Where can details on this be found?

[@GearBoxVideo]

I think what he meant was some solutions you can brush on to blacken the parts. Some manufacturers use a gel form of the solution. Some brush it on. Usually brushing on may be for touch up work as well

[@thomasmacbride8006]

It's important to use a real Brass wire brush you can check by useing a magnet it wont stick if it's real brass make sure the part to be plated is clean bare metal and just hold the part to be plated with a pair off mole grips and heat the metal until it turns blue I use a small butane gas torch to do this but you can use oxyacetylene aswell when the metal turns blue just brush it with the brass brush until it turns gold you can repeat the process to build the plating up I find it very useful for small parts it's cheap and very effective

[@steventimme5268]

Also, stick with the Caswell oil that comes with the kit. Cold blackening can be ruined by some strong petroleum distillates. I used oil from my hot black system and had to refinish all my cold blackened parts. Remember, cold black is not a true replacement for hot black.

[@danl.4743]

When the video starts with shopping at the supermarket for plastic containers, I know this going to be long and details. I'm saving it for later. :) EDIT: Subscribed.

[@ataarjomand]

Thanks a lot. It was really helpful.

[@brianbaumgartner7223]

NICE! I stumbled across this video. By chance, I am presently already in the process of ordering a comprehensive Caswell setup for unrelated projects.

[@N.Cognito]

Blast with aluminum oxide 180 grit. Don't touch the parts with bare hands (wear rubber gloves). A proper water break test consists of dipping the clean part in water and then looking for the water to break off of the dirty areas. I've been in the plating industry (including conversion coatings like black oxide) for almost 20 years. What I described is standard practice at coating facilities.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thank you for sharing

[@rogermccaslin5963]

When you dip the part in water, doesn't it start to rust or do you have some treatment for that? Or does it not matter about a little surface rust when dipping in the black oxide solution? I have sanded parts before and a few hours later, you can see tiny dots of rust starting to form. I'm in South Florida and the humidity is all it takes. I've got a project I'm thinking of doing this to so I'm doing the research now so when I get to that stage, I don't screw things up.

[@N.Cognito]

@@rogermccaslin5963 it's not for a long period of time. You can literally dip them in and out and then check for water breaks. If it's still water wet after 30 seconds or so it's clean.

[@rogermccaslin5963]

@@N.Cognito I get the part about the water tension cleanliness check. I was just wondering about it possibly starting to rust. I guess if you water check and then dry (or at least shake off) and process through the chem bath in a short period of time, you won't have to worry about rust.

[@N.Cognito]

@@rogermccaslin5963 no need to dry. Perform the water break test, when your happy with the results simply put the part in the solution. Keep in mind you should only start the test when your ready to process the parts. As long as the parts stay wet they shouldn't rust in the short timeframe between starting the test and processing.

[@DontCallMeGarage]

black oxide concentrate = selenium dioxide the active ingredient in dandruff shampoo

[@davidbrewer7937]

Electroplating with other metals is also a good choice (DC). Gold, silver, tin, copper can all be used for the -ve donor electrode with the part being positive. The solution will require something to make it partly conductive.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Factory early shifters were zinc plated. When doing a restoration I'll blast the parts and send them out to the plater for a Zinc finish

[@OrangeManStan]

I've used the Caswell product for black oxidation. It does look great when it's done. My only issue is if you leave the item for any length of time in a damp environment it rusts. So not good if you want to rust proof something. I'm surprised that all the videos on this process never tests the rust proof properties. I think it's only the oil sealer that stops rust forming. As soon as the sealer is gone they rust like normal steel. That's just my experience.

[@GearBoxVideo]

The parts I use are greased. Never an issue. This video was done 11 months ago so I have used this process alot

[@OrangeManStan]

@@GearBoxVideo I agree if you keep them greased then they won't rust. My issue is that the product is always suggested that it's a rust proofer, it may have a small amount of protection but in my opinion not a lot. For example if you think doing all your motorbike bolts on your resto will be a great option then I'm sure ride it once in the rain and they will all be rusty in a couple of days.

[@OrangeManStan]

@@GearBoxVideo good video though 👍

[@kittypigeonclueless5566]

WOW! What are the odds? I just started cleaning and disassembly of my Hurst Competition shifter. I was planning on bluing mine as well, however I am going to try the heat and quench method to see how it goes. Once again thank you so very much for this video. I don't know what I would do without them! Oh....the rebuild kit I ordered from you for the super t-10 is coming tomorrow, can't wait to get started! Thanks a million!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Very cool!

[@kittypigeonclueless5566]

@@GearBoxVideo all done. Went exactly like you demonstrated. You should give lessons on how to share information. The hot bluing went excellent, but I don't recommend it unless you have a whole lotta time to spare.

[@GearBoxVideo]

All part of the fun

[@Hobsonize4me]

wash parts in acid first to clean out the pores of the metal

[@94jimmy5]

I didn't know this process could be done at home. Thank you for posting it. it will come in handy.

[@johnact9134]

Paul, measure the chemical first then use the water to remove the chemical from the measuring cup as you measure out the water ! This is not like diluting H2SO4 where you MUST add acid to water never water to acid.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Makes sense. Thanks for the tip

[@mojunk19]

Thanks for the information. I do a lot of little restoration jobs and this may save me some time.

[@billmoran3219]

Man this is dated two months old, never got notifications, you tube you suck! Thanks for the tutorial.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Make sure you use the notification bell and subscribe. Thank you

[@davidlandry9113]

Great video, Paul. I actually ordered a kit from them. The pricing is really good especially given the amount they give you. Fantastic video as always, appreciate your practical, no-nonsense approach!

[@jonnygranville281]

We get hot black oxide on thousands of parts a year. Its funny to read the comments in here. People speak with authority on a subject and they are completely wrong.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Read my pinned comment

[@MrClassiccarenthusia]

I'll give you a like. My method is a bit different, I just blow torch them until they go blue, then dip them in oil. They go black and oily, and so far the few bolts and brackets I've done haven't rusted. Alternatively, you can make nickelacetatetetrahydrate out of a couple of nickel electrodes and pure acetic acid (white vinegar). Then plate em! Steel and Iron only mind you. Worth noting that for me, looks are never the issue, I just don't want them to rot.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Not recommended for precision parts especially heat treated parts. I get the blow torch then dip in dirty oil comment quite a bit on this video's comments. I'm sure it works great. Just something I don't do. This isn't a hobby and as mentioned in the pinned comment when we have large volumes we send the parts to a professional plater/Coatings company. 1

[@MrClassiccarenthusia]

@@GearBoxVideo Ah well yes of course if you're concerned with precision, then blow torching is perhaps not the best idea for thin stamped parts. Mind you, there isn't anything there that can't be remade in T304 with the proper application of time. Getting stuff made and plated where I am is almost impossible, because most engineering businesses are going under in the UK as a result of government property management. I needed an oil pump machined for my Buick 215, in the end I hand scraped it to within less than 2thou, and hand made a 1.5mm T304 spacer plate that matched the pump face again to within 2thou. All by hand, which believe me is a skill that nobody uses. One of my much older friends taught me the methods I needed, which is apparently what they used to do in his day. I don't have a mill so, yeah. All of the machine shops and plating companies are gone, one last fully accredited engine shop remains outside the city, but they too will be gone in less than two years. I don't personally want to touch chrome plating, but I have managed to get my nickel plating technique to an "okay" level. By which I mean I can put a mirror finish on most things. Don't worry, the day is coming soon when they sell cars that have the bonnet welded shut. And if these stupid EVs take over, gearboxes will be a thing of the past.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thanks for your reply. Learning skills like that are something to be thankful for since the opportunities are hard to find these days.

[@MrClassiccarenthusia]

@@GearBoxVideo Indeed, because unfortunately most of the people with those skills are dead. It pays to befriend older people, those in my age group are idiots for the most part. Sorry, but they are, it's quite irritating I can assure you.

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

Personally, considering water is cheaper than the concentrate, I would have put eight cups of water then one cup of concentrate then one cup of water just to make certain I got every drop of concentrate out of the measuring cup. But then I am a little obsessively compulsively frugal.

[@GearBoxVideo]

To each his own. Just keep to the proportions.

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

@@GearBoxVideo Absolutely, but waste not want not.

[@wakefieldyorkshire]

Quality, quality work Paul that stuff puts a real professional finish to the completed job.

[@d.j.fowers456]

Probably a dumb question: Would this product work - in the sense of over the top of - a traditional "cold" gun bluing (Birchwood Casey Super Blue)? Or would you have to kill / acid strip the old bluing and repolish all the metal?

[@GearBoxVideo]

You would have to ask Caswell. They are pretty good with phone tech questions

[@tomconner5067]

Baking them for a long time at 350⁰ helps draw the oils from the substrate, an induction heater is much faster but I don't know if that makes the parts too hot.

[@karinchaney101]

What is the "sealer" being used?

[@TimothyFrancisco]

I use stainless steel welding rods to hold our parts and it works great.

[@michaelmounts1269]

i have tried caswell…but much prefer oxpho blue from Brownell’s…it requires boiling the solution…but great really tough finish…I just use mobil 1 to “seal”

[@yukonrott]

I wonder if baking the parts for a bit would help push the oils out like when ya cerakote items..they say to clean them then heat them up then clean again.. I guess it pushes the remaining oils out . Never personally done it but might be worth a try

[@Dj-ve2hx]

I have done that as well after being so frustrated, thinking I would sweat out whatever was in the metal, I worked in a steel mill for years that we melted down recycled metal , evertr on the planet , who knows what oily bit could be hiding in a tiny spot , sometimes that's what I think but just don't know.

[@ThePsychodad69]

I used to use the brakleen to, then used electronics cleaner which was better, then went to dawn and warm water and a brush, dry with clean cloth... All my issues went away when doing dips.

[@Haithamz]

I had a rusty vin plate , after cleaning it I soak it in engine oil and left it in the oven for about 20 minutes , it came out like new with shiny black coating.

[@KetansaCreatesArt]

This is the type of uncle I would expect staying near the next block, where I can visit and assist everyday 😊🍀

[@LeonardoStaAna-cf8ll]

What kind of sealant is that?

[@brianstevens3858]

I have found over the years that any sort of coating is only as good as the wear factor, if the part gets a lot of movement against other parts it will eventually compromise the coating, replace with stainless steel where possible.

[@caswellsubs]

This is a great video for our products. Very impressed! Thank you

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thank you. Glad you liked it. KZbin features it often.

[@deusexaethera]

Electroless nickel plating is also a good option. Way easier than chrome plating. Also, try CRC Electronics Cleaner instead of CRC Brakleen. It works just as well for parts that don't have baked-on grime, and it doesn't smell nearly as bad as Brakleen does.

[@GearBoxVideo]

It's a black oxide coating video! Some parts have to be blackened. So Nickle plating IS NOT an option. The CRC in the green can has no odor

[@davidwilson2581]

What are you using as a sealant

[@mr.hanger]

I've been cold blueing firearms for years and recently found it hard to find materials locally. This stuff looks better than most of the crap I've found at Wally world or gun shows. I'm totally getting some to play with. Your absolutely correct about different grades of steel. Most of the time you can make a riffle barrel look fantastic, but small parts ( the hammer) hardly do anything.

[@trunorthmusketeer6266]

Case hardened parts (Firing pins, Hammers, various internals, Sometimes receivers and buttplates), absolutely will not cold blue properly, and may not even hot blue properly. Additionally, Some manufacturers use or have used weird iron alloys for receivers and other parts to save money. These will not cold blue either.

[@GearBoxVideo]

They do make an activator for case hardened parts but some alloys work better than others . This video is old and I found that using their activator and heating it , then putting the parts is a warm bath pretty much gave consistent results. Problem persist with parts previously plated and not getting the plating removed completely

[@trunorthmusketeer6266]

@@GearBoxVideo Do you mean the Pickle #4 Caswell offers? Good to know and would be worth a try sometime. Thanks for the video by the way, very informative.

[@mgsharnhorst]

What sealant are you using ?

[@jameslezak8179]

Great video! This product is exactly what I've been looking for! Excellent explanation of coloring process and tips about cross contamination of the process liquids! Thanks for your time and sharing your knowledge! 👍

[@domenicozagari2443]

If you heat metal red hot and you dip it in car oil it turns black and rust proof.

[@pjl1919]

Also how you harden steel 😜

[@renaissanceman7145]

no steel is "rust proof", not even stainless steel which stains less but isn't stain proof.

[@randytravis3998]

but if the part is heat treated already you will mess that up .. you could also get the parts brittle ,, so if a shifter arm it could break ,,

[@domenicozagari2443]

@@randytravis3998 sure.

[@Bigskyguy56]

Paul, Great to see all is well. Glad to see you are back on KZbin. Stay Real.

[@otterconnor942]

That's not technically black oxide. It's a copper reaction with the steel to etch it and make the steel black. It's probably slightly better, but I've never seen any significant difference between bare steel and cold blued steel. Real black oxide, or hot blueing, is much different and is a complex process. Which is why they want a large batch to do.

[@GearBoxVideo]

I guess you never took the time to read my pinned comment before saying this?

[@imdeplorable2241]

That was excellent. I really like the look of that coating. I'm going to try that on some parts of mine. Thanks for the education. Well done, sir. Well done.👍

[@GearBoxVideo]

Right on

[@nickonick9372]

Hey mate I’m a new subscriber thanks for a fantastic basic not to complicated video really liked watching it several times . What sort of sealant did you use was it from Caswell ? . Do you think you can use aluminium with this black oxide process ?

[@GearBoxVideo]

Sealant from Caswell. Will not work with aluminum

[@rudytorres6559]

Great video. Thanks for the information. We have a project that may require black metal parts. Coming from a true beginner on Black oxide processes this may be the path we take. Thank you again.

[@Hutchy45445]

What does he use as “sealant”

[@kevinkoepke8311]

The Caldwell site sells the sealant with the kit.

[@DaveyBlue32]

Great video… you definitely laid out a nice little work area…. If you acid wash your parts with a quick muriatic acid dip then neutralize in baking soda water… you can get past your sanding issue… that’s a surface… what’s the info on the can with the strainer inside??? You like this sealer???

[@genemanno1533]

Sending parts out to commercial plater for black zinc chromate or Nickel plating will hold up better and last longer. This so called black oxide is a poor corrosion protection at best. Electro plated commercial done finish will be much better. Cheap and dirty home kits are just a waste of money and time. Been there done that. Your presentation is complete and well done. This process may be ok for the masses but if serious not so much.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Read my pinned comment and description

[@petermarsh4993]

Dear Paul, thanks for your very informative video. I too have used the Caswell blacking solution and found variable results which I thought were because of variations in the metal surface itself. I use Acetone on a fresh paper towel to wipe my surfaces clean, wearing gloves. Machining produces a variable uptake on the metal as well and so I gave up using it as the results were not what I had anticipated. On another note, you seem to have attracted a large number of antagonistic opinions with this topic. I guess it because there are so many ideas in this area and many people have their own favourite recipe they want to push. Don’t take the criticism to heart, that is just what happens sometimes. I guess finding multiple opinions means that the field is still one of keen interest and not yet closed. Please keep up the good work.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Thanks for the great reply. If a person wants to heat parts up and dip them in dirty oil as some suggested... great. This process and been very consistent for my builds. I use this weekly and require consistent results and not a process that is also a time sink. These are also precision mechanisms

[@petermarsh4993]

@@GearBoxVideo Dear Paul, exactly - a precision job requires a high quality workmanship. Putting black on a hammer head is not. Cheers.

[@jamesmcnamara7484]

Have you any experience using this with firearms? Very cool, definitely gonna use on my vehicle builds

[@GearBoxVideo]

I'm sure if you read the threads people talk about that but my channel deals with transmissions and not firearms

[@petermarsh4993]

@@GearBoxVideo Ah, the penny drops. Firearms is not an issue in my country, we gave up the wholesale ownership of them about twenty years ago and our country is a much safer place because of it. Cheers.

[@michaelgiddens4118]

What do you use for the sealant

[@ryanhaydon9187]

Those hands...... they’ve seen some work in their day. Great video. Not that I’ll even need to do this myself but I thank you for the entertainment my good sir!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Yes every square inch of my hands has a scar someplace! Thanks!

[@agmeasurematics1097]

what is the sealant?