Aluminum Blueing/Blackening

[kody]

   Whan we have modified or just used our guns with aluminum parts and the coloration is worn or marred , What are the fix options ? I have heard of two products ,one from Birchwood -Casey and a product sold by Brownells called Aluma -hyde. Does any body know what the active ingredients are in this type of product? I have also heard mention of using a black felt-tip pen.   ----Comments??          Ken Lacey

[trotterlg]

I've colored in a lot of aluminum with sharpies, but it does come off, especially with bore cleaning solvent.  I would try the alumuninum blacking, I have just never run across it when I had a few extra bucks to spend.  Larry

[Kmrere42]

Hi Kody,



Here is a link for a guy who has done experiments with home anodizing of aluminum.  Seems rather simple, Just need a source for the acid.


http://astro.neutral.org/anodise.shtml


Good luck,

Paul

[Kmrere42]

Hi,


Here is another link with slightly more detailed instructions.

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=355794



Paul

[gunnut69]

The material Brownells sells is baking lacquer. It is sparayed on allowed to dry and baked.. I've had mixed results with it.. Powder coating is another option if there is a local provider that will do the job for you. I've seen products available thru outlets such as 'Hardor Freight' but have no knowledge of their performance. The material is a super fine powder that is applied electrostatically and fused with heat(think oven). Only 400 degrees or so are needed. The result is very durable and has a minimal amount of film buildup, but there is some. Colors are almost unlimited and include such things as hammered copper. I have used this from a commercial provider(local) and it works much better than any paint which is another possibility..

[Dinny]

I just went through many hours of research looking for the same info on recoloring an aluminum Win 1200 receiver.  I chose to have the entire gun DuraCoated.  I have a custom blended finish that makes this gun look better than it did when it was new.  I suspect this new finish will last longer than the original finish did also.  Gary Hadley from Oakridge Custom Finishing was very good to work with and does top-notch work.  He has a few trade secrets that makes his finishes better than most.  Check out his website and look at some of his work.  His blended color for replicating bluing can be mistaken for actual bluing.  He actually put on another layer to give my gun's finish a brighter sheen.

http://www.oakridgecustomfinishing.com/previous_projects.html

I know it's not exactly what you were asking but this is what I found to be the best finish for my particular project.

Good luck!

Thanks, Dinny