Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Permanent black marker for aluminum? Information on Alumablack
Q. Hi.
I have an aluminum lamp base that I would like to have deep black finish. Is there a way to do that with a patina? Would the piece need to be polished first so that it has a a very solid smooth look?
- Akron Ohio
December 5, 2021
A. Hi Dennis. The standard way to make aluminum a metallic black is to anodize and dye it. But it is possible to simply blacken it with products like Alumablack.
You won't get shine without polishing though.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 2021
Q. So If I understand you correctly, in order to arrive at a finish with a shine I would need to polish the aluminum first?
Even if it is powder coated?
Thanks
Dennis
Artist hobbyist - Akron Ohio
December 7, 2021
A. Hi again. Sorry, I thought you were talking about dyes and patinas, which have no measurable thickness, and therefore no ability to materially affect a surface finish profile. Powder coatings are flowed, molten plastics 0.002" thick and more which can therefore level out a surface . Surfaces should be properly cleaned and phosphated before powder coating, but they don't need to be reflective in order to get a shiny powder coating.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 2021
⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩
Q. I am looking for information on a product called Alumablack. It can be used to touch up black anodizing on aluminum. It is a clear liquid. What can you tell me?
Chuck Pohlhammer1998
A. I don't know about Alumablack, but people have been "touching up" black anodize with a felt tip marker for years, the same way you "touch up" zinc plating with a can of silver spray paint. Neither one is the real thing, and both indicate a broader quality control problem.
Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania
1997
A. Metal Finishing Guidebook says that is a product of Birchwood Laboratories in Eden Prarie MN.
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
1998
A. James Watts is indeed correct. The product that you named is a room temperature blackening solution for aluminum. I have personally not used it. However, I have used the products that company makes for room temperature blackening of steel, and found them to be excellent.
Ed Budman [dec]
- Pennsylvania
With deep sadness we advise that our good friend Ed passed away Nov. 24, 2018
1997
A. I had some many years ago that was significantly out of date. By using it for a short application time, it did a great job of touching up OD chromate. Yes, I know , that was not the proper application, but some times strange things work.
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
1998
A. Room temperature blackening solution can be used to touch up black anodize like brown shoe polish can be used to touch up chocolate frosting on a cake. Just hope that the end user doesn't call on that area of the coating to perform to expectations.
Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania
1997
On second thought, I think I'll skip dessert, waitress.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Information on Aluminium Blackening
I am looking for a aluminium blackening product and its distributor. It is used to blacken a die casting aluminium casing. What can you tell me?
Ken Lee- Malaysia
1998
A. The product you are looking for is Alumablack. It is manufactured by Birchwood Casey and is available wherever guns or gun accessories are sold. It is used to darken worn or scraped aluminum gun parts. I have used a similar product made by the Birchwood Casey folks called Perma Blue and Super Perma Blue for steel gun parts and have had mixed results. I have a feeling I am not applying it properly.
Al Fernandes- Suwanee, Georgia
2004
Electrochemical Marking of Aluminum
Q. I am looking to make electrolyte to do black permanent marking on aluminum.
I know you can buy bottles of the stuff, but here I have not access to it
Anybody have some info about this?
Thanks,
Peeya
- Iran
March 5, 2014
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