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How to Blacken Zulu/Nato Hardware  Rate Topic 
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 Posted: Thu Feb 24th, 2011 08:40 am
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bigrustypig
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I was at the Seiko AD recently and happened to find a nice all black watch that I thought would work well with a Zulu. But I wasn't too sure if I had a Zulu in 20mm with black hardware. The store manager quickly told me that she's heard of some WIS that coat/cover their stainless steel Zulu or Nato hardware with black nail polish...which our wives or girlfriends have lots of. Naturally it would help if the wife would do this "very complicated" trick for us. We cavemen would just mess up the entire thing with our paws.

She said a nice good coat would stay on the rings/harness for quite some time and just needed a touch up every once in a while. Of course, some masking tape to mask the nylon areas closest to the rings/harness would be a prudent thing to do while executing this clever maneuver.

I think she was right. I remembered that I once put a small drop of clear nail polish on the tiny screws of my Kampy's lug bars and it has been 2 years and those screws haven't moved a fraction of a millimeter at all.

Hope this 2 bits of info can help some on 3T. Dissenting opinions on the blackening are welcome.

catdance.gif

Last edited on Thu Feb 24th, 2011 08:43 am by bigrustypig

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 Posted: Fri Feb 25th, 2011 07:46 am
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Paxman
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Or you could just buy another strap with the desired hardware.subtlelaugh.gif

Don't know about your wife, but mine's no goth chick so black nail polish isn't readily on hand. And if memory serves me correctly wouldn't the nail polish leave a glossy finish?

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 Posted: Fri Feb 25th, 2011 09:11 am
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elemental
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i get my pvd nato and zulu on ebay...usually can find free shipping, and the straps are OK

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 Posted: Fri Feb 25th, 2011 09:29 am
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bigrustypig
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Paxman wrote:
Or you could just buy another strap with the desired hardware.subtlelaugh.gif

Don't know about your wife, but mine's no goth chick so black nail polish isn't readily on hand. And if memory serves me correctly wouldn't the nail polish leave a glossy finish?


I was in a hurry to slip on a 20mm Zulu with black hardware but I wasn't sure I had any of that size at home since my lugs are mostly 22mm....so that nail polish thing was a good idea. I'll try it one day. The glossy finish would be great because the case of the Seiko was a glossy black coat. It's my 14 year old daughter who digs black nail polishsubtlelaugh.gif

Well eventually, I got a few Zulus and Natos with PVD harness so I guess my OCD has been cured.

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 Posted: Fri Feb 25th, 2011 02:33 pm
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mcwright
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Paxman wrote:
Or you could just buy another strap with the desired hardware.subtlelaugh.gif

Don't know about your wife, but mine's no goth chick so black nail polish isn't readily on hand. And if memory serves me correctly wouldn't the nail polish leave a glossy finish?


Pax,

That "guy" in your avatar wears black nail polish. It's not just for goth anymore!
subtlelaugh.gif

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 Posted: Sat Feb 26th, 2011 11:38 am
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Paxman
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mcwright wrote: Paxman wrote:
Or you could just buy another strap with the desired hardware.subtlelaugh.gif

Don't know about your wife, but mine's no goth chick so black nail polish isn't readily on hand. And if memory serves me correctly wouldn't the nail polish leave a glossy finish?


Pax,

That "guy" in your avatar wears black nail polish. It's not just for goth anymore!
subtlelaugh.gif

Mike, Keef is the Goth God. He is all things...

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 Posted: Sat Feb 26th, 2011 12:24 pm
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Hammerfjord
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Well, the nail polish will just crack and get off...Specialy on a well polished surface where it can't "hook"...
I have that for you: Not for your straps but maybe for a watch-case experiment...?
http://www.ehow.com/how_5810102_blacken-steel-prevent-rust.html

Or this(shamelessly stolen on the net)
subtlelaugh.gif

To blacken steel, with oil there are a lot of things that are on the net that are old BS passed down from the days the smith was next to a tar pit.

First: is DO NOT USE USED MOTOR OIL! In the last 25 years or so the material in the engines that the oil is used in are a lot of exotic stuff. Cadmium and all the other heavy type metals that wear away and are collected in the oil.

When you heat up and burn the oil the heavy metals can become airborne and you inhale them.

Second: there is no advantage to using used oil with the high carbon in it. You will not transfer more carbon to the surface skin of the metal. The heated oil layers a very thin coating of carbon on the surface.

Third: Don't use old oil as it might be a synthetic blended oil with the natural oils. The higher priced oils that are sold as specialty oils will say so the regular oils use it as an extender, to make the natural oil go longer therefore make a cheaper product.

Plus with all the additives that are in the oils, for this and that you have no idea what will be in the smoke and fumes you could be inhaling.

Fourth: This is simply a heat patina with an oil finish. And if that's the case, I would use Linseed oil over motor oil any day. After 500 degrees steel turns blue/black anyway. Dipping orange hot steel in oil will make it fairly brittle as well. I've used the linseed oil, or even other vegetable oils to get a blacken finish on forge work, with or without paraffin or bees wax. Depending on what kind of black you're looking for. The colors or depths of darkness can vary from brown through black.

In this English Art college text book. Here what was said about the linseed oil.

* It is less likely to burst into strong flame, like the other oils.
* Higher flash point or ignition point along with smoke point.
* If it does it can be put out easily .
* And yes at the orange heat or above the black heat range the idea, was I think from what I have read was to get carbon into the surface of the steel. But then you may have a problem with scale. It was liked by the wrought iron workers in England because it gave a good outdoor finish.

To coat it you have a number of options, be warned that this is an outside the shop exercise. Smoke, smell and more smoke!

Over a sand tray with the piece in the center using a torch. Then brush the linseed oil on with a natural bristle brush(hog bristle) rather than a synthetic one which would disappear! The same can be said if you wipe it on with rags and gloves over a sand tray. make sure the rags aren't synthetic as some of the material has a low melting point. Don't use the oven to heat the piece or reheat to give it a second coat. This can be very detrimental to your wallet. New stove oven and to your health and happiness!

Fifth: food use utensils the food grade oils with the peanut and canola oils having the highest smoke point temps. Than say a vegetable oil.

Whether it is for kitchen accessories, tools or anything in the house if you have little ones running around that put everything in their mouths do you want them sucking on heavy metals. Which are on the fireplace set?

You can think of it like seasoning a iron pan, you don't need to get it forging hot. You need to heat it up to open the pores if you will to accepts the oil carbon layer.

I have used the rag and wipe on method this works the best with straight simple items.

The natural bristles hog brushes work best for something with a lot of scroll and curlicues.

If it is a large involved item a weed burner and an oil type sprayer will work.

It is a false economy to think you are saving money by using the old motor oil, besides you can all was sneak some out of the kitchen or save the used fryer oil or some of it. But be aware using fryer oil does have it drawback the lingering smell attached to what you coat.

And finally if the item is given as a gift or sold at some point it will have to be reapplied or tell them to paste wax it every 6 months to a year. the heavier the use the more often. As in the old style ranch farm dinner triangle or gong.

Last edited on Sat Feb 26th, 2011 12:28 pm by Hammerfjord

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 Posted: Sun Feb 27th, 2011 07:14 am
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bigrustypig
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Thanks for the info and the referral, Will. I went to the site and it IS complicated. Easier to "blue" a firearm than to use the techniques. I learned something though....using acetone to prepare the metal....


subtlelaugh.gif

I'll still try the black nail polish on one of the rings and see and how it stays. I'll let you know for sure.Thumbsup3.gif

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 Posted: Mon Mar 14th, 2011 04:58 pm
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joecb
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Just saw this....a real easy solution ( other than buying one) is "Testers Model paint" they sell it at any hardware store, or hobby shop, or anywhere you can buy plastic model kits. they have it in multitude of colors and black in gloss and matt.

I use it to touch up my subdued uniform insignias and rank bars.

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 Posted: Tue Mar 15th, 2011 06:50 am
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bigrustypig
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joecb wrote:
Just saw this....a real easy solution ( other than buying one) is "Testers Model paint" they sell it at any hardware store, or hobby shop, or anywhere you can buy plastic model kits. they have it in multitude of colors and black in gloss and matt.

I use it to touch up my subdued uniform insignias and rank bars.


Thanks, Joe. That's a very helpful tip and I will surely keep it in mind. bravo.gif

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