I will be fitting a #4 stainless Steel Mesh radiator guard on my RPU and want to know can I chemically blacken the S/S. I don't want to Powder Coat it as that will close up the mesh (the mesh has a 68% opening per area covered) and paint will eventually wear or chip off. Any good (and cheap) ideas will be greatly appreciated. Pic below is how I want the look to stay. Cheers, JW
I'm about to redo mine as well Jeremy, so nice timing with your question. Personally, I'll probably just go with a commercial black paint, unless your thread flushes out a better option. I have an old mate who's a commercial welder, but don't see him much. If I run into him, I'll ask, as he's an expert on stainless.
Check this out. HRP http://www.caswellplating.com/metal-finishing-solutions/stainless-steel-blackener.html
Do a search on chemically treating stainless to color it. We use an example to color stainless reproduction round gutters on historic buildings. Gun bluing is an option. Here are others. https://www.google.com/search?clien...c.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..2.32.3357.3.OJ7RUjX1vXc
I just saw a demonstration piece done on a laser cutter which had a setting so you could "print" onto stainless. This was etched into the surface and looked kinda neat. You can etch words or print the whole sheet black.
That etching isn't actually printing, it is low voltage and low amperage etching. As such it is more like engraving and does not really give much in the way of color. And, trying to etch screen mesh would not prove to be very successful.
I used to be a jeweller. We used a solution my boss called " liver of sulphur" to tarnish silver black before polishing to highlight texture. It's a mixture of pot***ium sulfides used mainly to oxidize silver, bronze and copper. My stainless tweezers became a very dark grey color, so that may work for your mesh,
There are many processes capable of coating stainless although "cheap" doesn't apply in some instances here and "cosmetic finish" would not in others. The alloy or grade of stainless you have is another factor. - EM - Black Zinc - Black Nickel - Black Chrome - Black Oxide
try finishing .com they have a section on it , I know the sufuric acid we haul will blacken the trailer interior ( ss 304 ) one of the platers I used to deliver to used sulfuric and and powder to blacken stainless parts and it was almost a real dark blue
Thanks or the replies guys, its giving me something to look into. The grade of the mesh is 304. I want to bond (urethane) the mesh into the A shell so that will make it difficult to re-coat with paint etc. I may bond some mounts in instead and have it re moveable yet.
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