Blackening stainless plate armor

[Lord Dane]

I'm looking for best suggestions to blacken some of my mild 16g steel plate for my new kit. Should I just paint or other thoughts?

[Ian]

Paint would probably be the easiest way.  Bluing compounds don't really work on stainless steel.  I think the only 'easy' way to blue stainless is with heat.  Paint won't be that durable, but it would be a simple alternative to heat bluing.  Or you could durakote or cerakote your armor!

edit:  Is it stainless or mild?  Your subject line says stainless, but the thread text says mild.  Mild steel should be easy to use any good gun bluing compound like Birchwood Casey Permablue.

[Sir Wolf]

if its mild i used boiled linseed oil and and old grill. BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!! linseed oil is high flammable. it can even self com-bust in the rag if it is not soaked in water and disposed of properly. read the can to dispose of. but that being said it doesn't work on stainless, just mild. and it made it really nice and shiny too, redish hue to it.

[Lord Dane]

if its mild i used boiled linseed oil and and old grill. BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!! linseed oil is high flammable. it can even self com-bust in the rag if it is not soaked in water and disposed of properly. read the can to dispose of. but that being said it doesn't work on stainless, just mild. and it made it really nice and shiny too, redish hue to it.

Interesting. Have any pics to show of your final product so I can contrast, Sir Wolf?? Trying not to blue the armor.   

[Lord Dane]

Paint would probably be the easiest way.  Bluing compounds don't really work on stainless steel.  I think the only 'easy' way to blue stainless is with heat.  Paint won't be that durable, but it would be a simple alternative to heat bluing.  Or you could durakote or cerakote your armor!

edit:  Is it stainless or mild?  Your subject line says stainless, but the thread text says mild.  Mild steel should be easy to use any good gun bluing compound like Birchwood Casey Permablue.

Thanks for the suggestions Ian. The mild 16g steel armor I am trying to blacken is my splinted arms (elbow cops) and legs (greaves & knee cops) which I also have to do some rivoting on before I paint or otherwise. The stainless steel is a set of upper thigh plate that I may use with my harness depending on how it comes out without bluing it so it matches my black harness.

[Sir Wolf]

the metals will not blacken the same.  i dont know if the stainless will blacken at all to be honest. i'll look for pics for u

[Sir Wolf]

[Sir James A]

Strap a little too tight?

Lord Dane, blackening is a tedious process, and blackened armor can still rust. Paint is the easiest to do, and easiest to maintain. You *might* be able to try using some non-textured spray on bed liner; I did the inside of some of my armor with it, and it seems to work much better than paint, albeit slightly heavier.

[Sir Wolf]

i think, think it was a beard hair in the buckle

[Lord Dane]

Paint it shall be then. Thanks for the input. I use a zinc oxide coating to lessen then the rusting effect over time with my steel plate. It works fine seeing I keep my kits on display at home exposed to room stored environment.

[Allan Senefelder]

If you should change your mind and think about heat blackening, two words of warning

I use a zinc oxide coating to lessen then the rusting effect over time with my steel plate.

Clean ALL this off, zing, whether glavinized steel or other will cook off when heated and is heavier than air, it will settle in your lungs and off to the hospital with you ( it can take a number of days to get over it ), and 2) don't forget to remove all the leather strapping, it simply burn off whilst heating otherwise.

[Lord Dane]

If you should change your mind and think about heat blackening, two words of warning

I use a zinc oxide coating to lessen then the rusting effect over time with my steel plate.

Clean ALL this off, zing, whether glavinized steel or other will cook off when heated and is heavier than air, it will settle in your lungs and off to the hospital with you ( it can take a number of days to get over it ), and 2) don't forget to remove all the leather strapping, it simply burn off whilst heating otherwise.

Thanks Allan. I'm just going to paint them & keep it simple.

[Sir James A]

I suggested paint instead of sending it to Allan to blacken due to the mix of mild and stainless; I'm not sure how well, or if stainless will even blacken, but I'd wager it turns out different than mild.