Heat Coloring Questions

ddavelarsen

ddavelarsen

Joined
Dec 7, 2000
Messages
5,179
I'm getting ready to heat color some O1 handle fittings and naturally have a couple of questions:

1. How should I prepare the steel before heating? Lacquer thinner? Acetone? Dish soap?

2. Recommended temps for deep blue and light straw colors?

And anything else you know I need to know but am too inexperienced to ask...

Thanks!
 
Your oven may vary. Develop your own color chart from your oven for repeatable results. Steel should be finished and clean...Take Care...Ed
 
Dave this is a rough guide for 5160.
Home ovens are likely to be inacurate so some experiment may help to see what the control knob on your oven says and what you end up with.

I buff the metall to a mirror shine and just wipe the buffing soap of with a snot tissue. No snot on it naturally. That is just to make sure no lumps of soap or fingerprints.

If you don't want to risk a domestic dispute with the cook you can use a colour guide to heat treat by another heat sourse, oxy etc. As you heat the metal its surface colour will change as follows:
200 No colour change
Temperature 300 Pale yellow
Degrees f 350 bright yellow
400 straw yellow
425 dark straw yellow
450 brown
475 purple
500 violet
525 dark blue
550 bright blue
575 blue grey

I assume satin finish would work but never tried it. Dave you can do all the work and you will be the guru.
Stay happy
Reg
 
Hey Reg, How are things down in Oz, mate? Are those Celsius or Farenheit temps? :)
 
Those are fahrenheit degrees Higgy, but down there the F is upside down !!
 
Sorry Mate

Degrees F Higgy but I stand on my head so they look the right way up.

It is raining today but I still managed to get a billet and 2 leter openers between showers this morning.

Dave some of those colours change as you twist in the light. I normally leave them bare or a wipe of thin oil. I have never tested them for wear and tear.
 
Great! Thanks everybody. Reg that's just what I'm looking for. I'm going to use my digital oven so the temps should be pretty close. I was as worried about cleaning the parts as the temps, so I'm glad that's not as critical as I thought. I'll try not to get any snot on them, and wear latex gloves to handle after they're cleaned to prevent fingerprints.

Naturally I'll let you guys see how it turned out...in a week or so.
 
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