I did a couple of AR-15 80% lowers in the raw recently. Followed the directions by scrubbing with a sotchbrite and detergent. Followed with a good rinse, then a good wash with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Let dry and applied the blackening with a foam brush. I am not very pleased with the final product. Anyone have any hints as to flaws in my procedure? Thinking maybe acetone or mek degreaser? Or maybe sandblasting is needed first?
Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black
- Thread starter Hdonly
- Start date
Bill DeShivs
New member
Aluminum black is for touch-ups on worn anodized aluminum frames.
You need to have your frame anodized or paint it.
You need to have your frame anodized or paint it.
Onward Allusion
New member
I had similar results with a pistol frame. Cerakote is probably a better option.
Hdonly,
I reduced your image to fit on the average screen. Please try to avoid more than about 1024 wide, as it makes people use the horizontal scrolling feature to see everything.
I've actually used that kind of chemical to produce a flat black finish on some aluminum channel stock that I was using as electronics heat sinks. It took me a while to figure out how to get it even. Still, I found that by applying it with a discarded toothbrush and constantly scrubbing to get the loose spots off and replaced with fresh black, I could eliminate the uneven bare spots and pinholes and wind up with coloring that didn't rub off easily. This is going back 20 years, but I also seem to recall I diluted the chemical with three parts distilled water by volume to get time to scrub adequately, but I may be remembering that incorrectly. I do that with a steel blackening product, and I could be misrecalling that I did it with both.
I like the very flat black that results. It is functionally desirable for heat sinks (good IR emissivity), and I use similar chemical blackening on iron sights that I have first abrasive blasted with 400 grit aluminum oxide to give them a good, smooth dark matte surface to react with the chemical. It hangs onto that blasted surface pretty nicely, but it is not as rugged as a Cerakote finish applied to the same sort of surface. You could apply a protective clear coat to it, but then you will lose the flat aspect of it and will be better off just going straight to Cerakote or Aluma-hyde.
I reduced your image to fit on the average screen. Please try to avoid more than about 1024 wide, as it makes people use the horizontal scrolling feature to see everything.
I've actually used that kind of chemical to produce a flat black finish on some aluminum channel stock that I was using as electronics heat sinks. It took me a while to figure out how to get it even. Still, I found that by applying it with a discarded toothbrush and constantly scrubbing to get the loose spots off and replaced with fresh black, I could eliminate the uneven bare spots and pinholes and wind up with coloring that didn't rub off easily. This is going back 20 years, but I also seem to recall I diluted the chemical with three parts distilled water by volume to get time to scrub adequately, but I may be remembering that incorrectly. I do that with a steel blackening product, and I could be misrecalling that I did it with both.
I like the very flat black that results. It is functionally desirable for heat sinks (good IR emissivity), and I use similar chemical blackening on iron sights that I have first abrasive blasted with 400 grit aluminum oxide to give them a good, smooth dark matte surface to react with the chemical. It hangs onto that blasted surface pretty nicely, but it is not as rugged as a Cerakote finish applied to the same sort of surface. You could apply a protective clear coat to it, but then you will lose the flat aspect of it and will be better off just going straight to Cerakote or Aluma-hyde.
yeah, but generally when trying something new you want to go slow. perhaps a test inside the mag well, then 1 full receiver, rather than going for broke on both? something similar to the old measure twice cut once adage.
If you going to coat or paint it, all I would think you need to do now is lightly scuff and apply...
Bill DeShivs
New member
Just leave it like that.
If you paint it, it will need to be blasted first, and you will have wasted all the effort.
If you paint it, it will need to be blasted first, and you will have wasted all the effort.
In my case the answer is 'Yes'.Do you drink the beer before or after completing the work?
I've used Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black for years. I have found it to work better on some alloys than others. It has worked particularly well for me on aluminum scope bases. I recently used it to blacken a Weaver mount I hogged out as a 'easy load' mod for low rings my old 721 Remington. The coloring was a perfect match to the OEM color and has held up well.
On the beer question, I must agree to the answer "Yes". But I only drink beer when I am alone or with somebody.
I'm sure the alloy has much to do with how well the blackening works. I like the polished look so I think I will polish the other one out. It takes about four beers to polish to this level.
I'm sure the alloy has much to do with how well the blackening works. I like the polished look so I think I will polish the other one out. It takes about four beers to polish to this level.
I just scrubbed and degreased the last lower down. Tried something different that I read about. CRC dry film lubricant. Looks pretty good. I rubbed hard on it after it cured with a fresh white cloth. I couldn't rub anything off. I'll see if it holds up.
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I used the Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black on a few of my raw AR lowers. I lightly sand blasted them first to rough up the finish, then I heated the lower until it was hot to the touch, put it in a gallon Ziploc bag & dumped a whole bottle of the Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black in on top of the lower ziped it closed & shook it to cover the entire lower fast. It got real hot from the chemical reaction but after I washed the bluing off & soaked it in gun oil & let it cool down it had a black scale covering it. I used a plastic spoon to remove the scale & it was good & black under the scale.
It was a little too much work so now I just use a black spray paint called VHT engine enamel. I just spray it on let it dry for 24 hrs the cure it by putting it in a 200° oven for 30 min. It is a tough chemical resistant finish that all the gun cleaners in the world won't take off.
https://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-engine-enamel
It was a little too much work so now I just use a black spray paint called VHT engine enamel. I just spray it on let it dry for 24 hrs the cure it by putting it in a 200° oven for 30 min. It is a tough chemical resistant finish that all the gun cleaners in the world won't take off.
https://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-engine-enamel