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Color coding brass fittings

We're making thousands of brass stove burner orifice fittings, with small orifice holes through them. Our customer requires that they be color coded; there are 7 colors. Our first attempt was zinc plating with chromate dyed the various colors. That worked fine for the coloring, but, the electroplating process "spiked" at the sharp exit corner of the orifice hole and caused an unacceptable zinc buildup. We now want to eliminate the zinc plating and hope to find a dip process for the color coding that is usable on brass.

Michael C. Boyer
machine shop - Ontario, California
2003

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Hi, Michael. There are many beautiful artistic patinas that can be applied to brass with nothing more than immersion or brushing, and skill. See the banner at the top right of this page.

But perhaps those same solutions can be used in a simpler fashion where simple color coding rather than art is desired. Good luck, and let us know if it works out.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 13, 2009