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Blackening of 316 ss screws

September 5, 2012

Q. Hi everyone,
I'm looking for a way to dye 316 ss screws in black, without affecting their resistance to corrosion in seawater.
I read somewhere that black oxide will reduce the 316 resistance to corrosion, so that option is off the table...
Does anyone know something about the black-T technology, and how it will affect the screws?
If I just need to dye just the head of the screw, is there a simple way to do it by using a fine brush and a water resistant paint of some kind?

Thanks a lot,
Ofer

Ofer Libo
Student - Tel Aviv, Israel

A. Hi Ofer.

Black-T is a proprietary teflon-like, thin, dry-lube polymer coating from W.E. Birdsong, most commonly used on firearms. It is discussed on letter 668.

There are many different ways of blackening stainless steel: from black oxiding, to plating with black nickel or chrome, to anodizing, to e-coating. If you just want to dye them for identification, an indelible marker should work and sounds easiest.Organic coatings sound more likely to chip than metallic coatings when applying a tool to tighten or loosen the screws.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
(Ted can offer longterm or instant help)
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 5, 2012

Hi Ted, thanks for your quick response.
Q. Is there any specific method you could recommend, for use in a marine environment?
My fear is that the blackening would harm the SS corrosion resistance.

Thanks again,
Ofer

Ofer Libo
- Tel Aviv, Israel
September 9, 2012

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