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Cold Black Oxide on Galvanized Steel

I'd like to know if it is feasible to apply cold Black Oxide treatment to galvanized steel without pre-treatment, or would I have to strip the zinc coating first. I'd like to blacken some wearable chain-mail items which are constructed of galvanized steel wire rings.

Thanks,

Wayne Seguin
- Boca Raton, Florida

+++++

HOW TO DARKEN GALVANIZED? I'm making a Chainmaille shirt but I want to know if darkening it will work. If it does work how would I go about doing it? Please be specific :)) nothing worse than me confused..

Tanks! a lot!

Paul Anderson
hobbyist - Overland Park , Kansas

October 24, 2010

Hi,Wayne
Conventional hot black oxide treatment would probably quickly dissolve the galvanized coating, but contaminate the black oxide solution. Cold black oxide offers very little corrosion resistance and is terribly smutty for something you would wear. I think you'd be better off stripping the galvanizing in muriatic acid before a hot black oxide treatment and waxing or oiling. These are fairly dangerous chemicals so if you can't get hands-on instruction, at least get a couple of metal finishing books and proper PPE. Good luck.

Hi, Paul
It may be possible to use a simple black patina for zinc rather than stripping and hot black oxiding, but I haven't tried it on galvanized coatings. Best of luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

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