Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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ANODISING ALUMINIUM FIREARMS FRAMES

2002

DEAR SIR,

I WANT TO ANODISE ALUMINIUM ALLOY PARTICULARLY USED IN FIREARMS FRAMES (ALLOY NOT KNOWN), IT HAS BLACK COLOUR BUT WITH A LESS GLOSS I AM NOT SURE AS TO WHAT PROCESS IS TO BE ADOPTED TO SUCCESSFULLY DO IT UP. AND I ALSO WANT TO KNOW HOW TO SEAL THE OXIDE FILM WHEN IT IS DYED USING ORGANIC DYES. MY JOB IS RELATED TO FIREARMS ANODISING ONLY.

INDERJIT SIDHU
- Patiala, Punjab, INDIA

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I am trying to understand your question and not quite succeeding, but it sounds like you are saying you are looking at someone else's product and trying to reverse engineer it. While that is probably legal, most people won't think it's a good idea to volunteer to help you at no charge :-)

It's difficult from this distance to say why the parts you are processing are not as glossy as the parts or samples you are looking at; it can be related to etching, to the dye, to the seal, and other factors. The easiest way to seal is with steam or boiling water, but that may be incompatible with the dye. You may need a lower temperature process like a nickel fluoride or nickel acetate sealing process.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2002

We generally do about 20,000 dollars a month in firearm anodizing. It sounds like what you have got is a frame that has been glass bead blasted as many of ours are. Sometimes this is to remove anodize from a cast material without etching it. Make sure you have got a good black dye that is jet black and not based with blue or purple.

Steve Tanner
- Dallas, Texas
2002