Where theworld gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989
-----
Blackening steel for shopfitting items
March 15, 2008
Hello Readers
I have been working in stainless and other metals for 30 years and are always looking for new finishes for metals at present we have two shops were we would like to apply a black finish to the mild steel racks etc ,shoe polish looks good but I cannot get it in liters ,also Japan black looks ok if you apply it very thin with the brass color coming through,I know tannon from hardwood blackens steel and I guess you could even try sap but on a big scale that could be a pain
.
So what do you suggest I do to blacken the steel which will not rub off that has a satin or flat appearance,some of the units are one meter square holding fabric sample books other racks are free standing in all there is about 4 ton of steel and they don't mind a bit of a rough look as it doesn't have to be consistent,hope you can be of some help.
BUSINESS OWNER - MELB, AUSTRALIA
Oil your objects very, very sparingly and then heat(slow) them with hot air gun to max. 400 C.Any edible oil or fat can be used(linseed is best),shellac solution(5-20%)can be used too(but much more expensive). Hope it helps and good luck!
Goran Budija- Cerovski vrh Croatia
March 19, 2008
tannic acid [on eBay or Amazon] solution(20 gm /1 lit water/if you add 15 ml phosphoric acid solution can work much better) can be used too,but in that case you must use lacquer or wax finish.Decoction of local tannin containing plants must work too.Even used tea bags from local pub can be used!Hope it helps and good luck!
Goran Budija- Cerovski vrh Croatia
March 28, 2008
Hi Brett,
The way that most display and point of sales items are now coated is with a product called powder coating. You can find several applicators in the "Yellow Pages". They will have many finishes to offer - semi gloss blacks, even aluminiums. This type of finish will look good and stand up to all the kicks and knocks your customers may wish to give it. :-)
Birmingham, United Kingdom
March 28, 2008
Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread