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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
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
(Ted is available for instant or longterm help)

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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