PEOPLE helping each other -- No AI, no cost, no reg'n, no damn popups
(As an Amazon Associate & eBay Partner we earn from qualifying purchases)

Curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

  The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing 1989-2025

-----

Make steel black without painting

Q. I am a home hobbyist experimenting in welding metal lamp bases. I made a floor lamp and the part that holds the lamp slides up and down depending on the how it will be used and is held in place by squeezing a central post. The problem is paint scratches. I want to make another one. Is there a way to turn steel (the kind you buy at hardware stores) black without painting? Like some kind of chemical patina. If so, where do you get it?

22029

Jenny Ogborn
- Cleveland, Ohio
2003

"Patinas"

on AbeBooks

or Amazon

(affil links)

A. Have you looked at black chrome? this may solve your problems.

WILLIAM SKLAVENITIS
- canton ohio usa
2003

A. You could apply a 5% tannic acid ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] solution on a bare steel surface to get a black coloration. The ferric tannate formation being more or less adherent you could apply an acrylic coating (ex : Krylon Crystal Clear) to obtain the final and satisfying aspect.

Jerome R. Morissette
- Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
2003

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: