Black Oxide: The Simple and Powerful Way to Transform Your Hardware
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the host demonstrates how to restore rusty bolts using a black oxide coating process. This method provides a durable, chip-resistant finish without painting. The process involves cleaning the bolts by sandblasting or using a wire wheel, then treating them with a black oxide solution. After soaking in the solution, the bolts are coated with penetrating oil to prevent rust. The technique works for steel bolts but not for stainless steel or aluminum. It's a cost-effective way to refurbish bolts, perfect for restoration projects.
Takeaways
- 🔧 The video demonstrates how to restore rusty bolts using a black oxide coating process.
- 🧪 Black oxide coating is a chemical process, not paint, and won't chip off like paint would.
- 🧴 The process involves using a Caswell black oxide treatment concentrate mixed with distilled water in a 1:9 ratio.
- 🔨 The bolts need to be cleaned first, removing rust and grime via sandblasting or a wire wheel.
- 🧼 After cleaning, the bolts are soaked in acetone to remove oils and other contaminants.
- 🕑 The black oxide treatment works after soaking the bolts for 5-10 minutes, though longer times may also work.
- 🧲 A magnet can be used to retrieve the bolts from the solution without breaking glass jars.
- 💡 This method does not work on stainless steel or aluminum bolts, only regular steel.
- 🛡️ After treatment, the bolts are coated with Caswell penetrating oil to prevent future rusting.
- 🔩 The process can be applied to various small parts like springs and washers, giving them a clean, factory-new appearance.
Q & A
What is black oxide coating and how does it differ from painting?
-Black oxide coating is a chemical process used to coat metal parts like bolts. Unlike paint, it won’t chip off and is more durable. It chemically bonds with the metal surface, whereas paint sits on top.
What materials are required to perform the black oxide coating process at home?
-You need Caswell black oxide treatment concentrate, distilled water, a container to mix the solution, acetone, a sandblast cabinet (or a wire wheel for cleaning), a magnet, and penetrating oil.
How do you mix the black oxide treatment solution?
-The black oxide treatment is mixed at a ratio of one part black oxide concentrate to nine parts distilled water.
What is the purpose of sandblasting the bolts before applying the black oxide treatment?
-Sandblasting removes rust, grime, and paint from the bolts to ensure they are clean, which is essential for the black oxide coating to bond properly to the metal surface.
Why should acetone be used after sandblasting the bolts?
-Acetone is used to remove any oil or residue left on the bolts after sandblasting, ensuring the surface is clean for the black oxide treatment.
Does black oxide coating work on all types of metal?
-No, black oxide coating does not work on stainless steel or zinc-coated bolts, and it likely doesn’t work on aluminum either. It's designed specifically for regular steel.
How long should bolts be left in the black oxide solution?
-The bolts should be left in the black oxide solution for about five to ten minutes, although longer durations (up to an hour) won’t cause harm but also won’t significantly improve the results.
Why do the bolts sometimes have light spots after the black oxide treatment?
-Light spots can appear if some areas were not fully cleaned or if any zinc or leftover paint remained on the bolt, which prevents the black oxide from adhering.
What is the purpose of applying penetrating oil after the black oxide process?
-The penetrating oil protects the bolts from rusting by sealing the surface after the black oxide coating. Over time, it soaks into the surface, creating a semi-gloss or satin finish.
Is the black oxide process expensive to start, and how long do the materials last?
-The initial setup cost can be somewhat expensive, but the black oxide treatment and penetrating oil last for a long time. Hundreds of bolts can be treated without using up much of the supplies.
Outlines
🔧 Restoring Rusty Bolts with Black Oxide Coating
In this section, the presenter introduces the process of transforming rusty bolts into new-looking ones using black oxide coating. Unlike painting, this chemical process ensures the coating won't chip off. The presenter uses a Caswell black oxide treatment mixed with distilled water, demonstrating how to clean bolts first, either by sandblasting or using a wire wheel. After cleaning, the bolts are soaked in acetone to remove oil. The process is simple and efficient for restoring steel bolts but doesn't work for stainless steel or aluminum.
⚙️ Applying the Black Oxide Treatment
Here, the process continues with the presenter submerging the cleaned bolts in the black oxide solution for five minutes. After this, the bolts are removed, wiped down, and then submerged again for an additional five to ten minutes, though longer soaking times (up to an hour) don't show much difference. Once finished, the bolts are wiped clean, revealing a durable black coating. Any imperfections could be due to leftover paint or zinc. The presenter stresses that zinc won't blacken, and highlights how well the coating adheres when done correctly.
🛠️ Protecting and Finishing the Coated Bolts
After the black oxide treatment, the bolts are coated with Caswell penetrating oil to prevent rust. The presenter notes that while other oils like WD-40 may work, the specialized oil offers longer-lasting protection. Despite this, exposure to moisture could still cause rusting over time, even with the oil. The presenter advises letting the bolts sit for a few minutes after applying the oil before allowing them to dry overnight, giving the coating a semi-gloss or satin finish once the oil sets.
🔩 Versatility of the Black Oxide Process for Other Parts
The presenter showcases bolts treated days earlier, which now have a smooth, blackened finish. Besides bolts, other small parts such as Jeep latches, springs, and washers can also benefit from this restoration method. The process is cost-effective, especially for restoring parts in a Resto mod project where factory authenticity isn’t required. The black oxide and penetrating oil last through multiple uses, making it a durable and affordable solution for many automotive restoration needs.
💡 Cost-Efficient Restoration Tips
In the final part, the presenter emphasizes the value of this restoration technique for saving money. Rather than buying new bolts, one can restore old parts with black oxide coating for a fraction of the cost. The presenter invites viewers to subscribe to the channel for more money-saving project tips and insights. The closing highlights the durability and effectiveness of this process in giving bolts and small parts a brand-new look without breaking the bank.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Black Oxide Coating
💡Caswell Black Oxide Treatment
💡Sandblasting
💡Penetrating Oil
💡Rust Prevention
💡Distilled Water
💡Acetone
💡Wire Wheel
💡Stainless Steel
💡Zinc Coating
Highlights
The process involves rejuvenating old, rusty bolts using a black oxide coating method instead of painting.
Black oxide coating provides a durable finish that doesn't chip off like paint.
The method requires a black oxide treatment concentrate mixed with distilled water (1 part concentrate to 9 parts water).
Sandblasting or using a wire wheel is essential to clean the bolts and remove rust, grime, and paint.
The acetone bath step is critical to removing any oils from the bolts before applying the coating.
The process is not suitable for stainless steel or aluminum bolts, as the black oxide treatment doesn’t adhere to these metals.
The bolts are submerged in the black oxide solution for 5-10 minutes, after which they begin to turn black.
After the initial 5 minutes, the bolts may have a film that should be wiped off before returning them to the solution.
Leaving bolts in the solution for extended periods, like an hour, enhances the black oxide coating.
Wiping off any remaining residue after soaking is necessary to achieve an even finish.
Penetrating oil, like Caswell penetrating oil, is applied after the black oxide treatment to prevent rust and maintain the finish.
The bolts should sit for a few minutes to allow the oil to soak in, creating a protective layer.
The oil will dry over time, leaving a semi-gloss or satin finish on the bolts.
This method can also be applied to other metal parts, such as latches, springs, and washers.
The black oxide and oil treatments are cost-effective solutions for restoring parts without needing to buy new ones.
Transcripts
[Music]
today on Perpetual projects we're going
to show you how we take old
Rusty looking bolts like that and make
them look brand new like that
so this is a chemical process it's not
painting it this is not painted so this
coating won't chip off it actually it's
called black oxide coating and if you
get new bolts sometimes they are black
oxide coated when you buy them and you
can do this process at home with just a
couple of things the first thing you're
going to need is this Caswell black
oxide treatment
or concentrate and you mix one part of
this to nine Parts distilled water I've
got one that I've mixed up in an old uh
spaghetti or Alfredo jar here and I've
been using this for quite a while and it
still works great so I'm just going to
continue using this one and what's what
we're going to use today so the first
thing that you need to do is clean your
bolts you need to get all the rust and
grime and paint off of them the way
we're going to do that is we're going to
use our sandblast cabinet and you could
use a wire wheel I've done it before and
it works just as well it's just a little
more time consuming okay now that we've
got our bolts all sandblasted we're
gonna go ahead and just drop them in
this jar here it just has acetone in it
to help get any oil or anything
on there
switch them around careful if you're
using glass jars you don't want to break
your jar
uh I've been I've been through I don't
know 100 of these bolts and some pretty
good sized ones and so far I haven't
broken one
um I'll probably break that one now that
I said that
then just use a magnet to get them out
so just for record
um this won't work for stainless bolts
or aluminum well I don't know if it'll
work for aluminum it definitely doesn't
work for stainless I can tell you that
for sure
um I imagine it probably doesn't work
for aluminum either because it's
designed for like steel regular steel
once you have them clean you're gonna go
ahead and drop them in your solution of
the black oxide treatment
and I just put them in here
put the lid on
switch it around a little bit
after five minutes I like to take my
bolts out
and you'll see where they've started to
get
partially blackened but they have this
film building up on them so I take them
out
and I just wipe them off real good
once you have them all wiped off
just put them back in
for another five sometimes ten minutes
um I've left them overnight and I didn't
notice the huge difference
so we'll let these sit five minutes and
see how they look we may or may not have
decided to have dinner and let this soak
for closer to an hour
um we did we had dinner we let it sit
for an hour let's see how our bolts are
turning out
so I mean as you can see there that's
got a little light spot right there on
the edge
but they're nice and black
and you can't wipe it off anymore
so we'll go ahead and get all these out
that
little part right there that could
possibly be some paint that was left on
there
um some of these bolts were gray so it
was kind of hard to see or it could be a
little bit of zinc if you have if you
leave any zinc on there the zinc also
won't turn black
all right so once they're all wiped off
you can see they're nice and black oxide
coated you just take your penetrating
oil and this is this is actual Caswell
penetrating oil that's made for doing
this I don't know how it would work if
you just used you know like wd-40s is a
pretty good protectant or PV Blaster is
a penetrating I don't know how that
would work I also know that these will
eventually rust again if they if they
have uh if they're exposed to moisture
they'll rust just like a regular black
oxide coat boat will
if it was left sandblasted they can
handle a little bit of moisture
especially with the oil coating so we'll
let these sit for about three or four
minutes and then pull them out and just
let them dry off now they're all done
we'll just let them sit here and let
that oil soak I don't wipe them off
after I've done the oil
and
after uh I don't know overnight usually
they'll kind of dry to uh I don't know
semi-gloss or a satin finish
and that oil will be nice and
embedded in there
so let me show you
we'll get an up close look at what these
look like
these are bolts that I did a couple days
ago and you can see after that oil dries
that gloss goes away and they just are
nice black brand new looking bolts and
you didn't have to go buy all new ones
you can also do other small parts like
these are the latches for our Jeep
tailgate it works on Springs
uh that's a washer this is a little
spring that goes behind that latch it
works on that stuff too this is my
favorite
way to bring back old Parts especially
if you're doing like uh a Resto mod
where you don't need Factory appearing
bolts
I I think it's awesome and it's a simple
process it's not super expensive it is a
little bit expensive to get started but
that that black oxide coating is going
to last or treatment is going to last a
long time and this penetrating oil I
mean it goes down obviously some of it
stays on every bolt but it's gonna last
I've done hundreds of bolts and as you
can see I've barely broke into my my
black oxide coating and I think this
penetrating oil might have been just a
little bit higher when I first poured it
in this glass jar
I hope you guys have enjoyed if you like
tips like this subscribe because we try
to we try to share some insight on some
of the little things that we do to try
to save money so that
we don't have to buy all new bolts when
we put our projects back together we can
have brand new looking bolts for a lot
less money
see you soon
[Music]
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