How to Black the welded area of a parkerized receiver

[1903Collector]

Is there a method to Black the welded area of a parkerized receiver? Cold blueing has no effect on this surface. It stays in the white.

[MAC702]

I've always reparkerized the entire receiver after welding.

[1903Collector]

OK, but, that was not my question, sir!

If the weld used Stainless Steel, then it will not parkerize as it is likely a low carbon steel. I do not know what was used, but it will not blue, and most welds do. Small welds can be cold blued with decent cosmetic results that almost blend in with the old parkerizing surface. I do not re-parkerize unless the whole work piece is in the white. I prefer original finish, even if worn so to stay as authentic as possible. Yes, I know, even a small repair weld reduces authenticity a bit.

---------- Post added at 05:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:18 AM ----------

There is a product (used in the jewelry industry and may be arsenic based (I think), but I was hoping some one could advise me on that before I spend the $50-75 without knowing it woud work since I do not now that specific weld material...I think it is SST.

[browningautorifle]

If it's stainless, the only way I know is using oxinate 84 Brownells hot blue. Cold won't stay put anyway.

[MAC702]

OK, but, that was not my question, sir!

Reparkerizing the entire receiver is one legitimate method, which directly addresses the question. Just not the want you want. So now we can move on.

And the discussion has led you to add helpful information. I had assumed you did the welding and knew what was used.

Some stainless parts can be blackened by heating red hot and dipping in oil. I do not know the durability of this, nor the feasibility of your part, as I hesitate to make any more assumptions about what part of your receiver has an unknown weld on it.

Stainless welds are often made with 308, 309, or 316 alloys.

[Chuckindenver]

drill rifle... they used a stainless wire to weld. eastwoods car restoration supply company makes a bolt blackener for stainless steel screws.. other then that, paint

[1903Collector]

As much as Id like, hot blueing is not an option for me.
Bluing Stainless Steel: What You Can and Can’t Do
According to this link SST can be cold blued, which would be fine for my needs as the weld spot is not in a wear area.
However the surface has so far resisted Birchwood Casey Super Blue applications. I think I have seen this in the past, but never determined the cause.

BTW, I have used Super Blue extensively, but never for pieces I cold hot blue, and I have had very good results. It is not, as you say, that the cold blue will it last, but that it provides only color change, and CAN wear much faster than the hot bath caustic "Hot Blue" process. Such a process has chemistry thst works on carbon steel. It will not work as well with some low carbon SST grades.

Birchwood and Caswell both offer a SST cold Black solution and I have found Ni Black (there are others), but I was hoping for insights from others who blackened low carbon SST before I spend cash without knowing I have found the correct product.

[ssgross]

drill rifle... they used a stainless wire to weld.

Norrell's molycoat can make stainless look very close to parkerizing, and you won't need to strip the entire piece down to bare metal either. I use brownell's 909 to degrease.

It goes on very thin with an airbrush. You can tweak the color to get the shade you like - use the colt gray for something that looks close to a zinc phosphate, mix this 50/50 or so with the flat black to get close to a manganese phosphate, and more black to get darker. If all you're after is the ground off weld at the magazine cutoff, It would not be hard to hit that one area and make it pass the 5 foot stare test.

[gordong]

Flexbar Machine Corporation sells a small pen used for etching metals for $18.00
I believe it contains an acid solution. I've used it with good effect to "touch up" parkerizing on conventional steel firearms. Also- they claim it will blacken SST as well.