I am putting galvanized steel on my entryway ceiling. Make sure that you pour enough oil so that your part(s) can be completely submerged You might also use steel wool or a scotch brite if you need a little more abrasion. It is metal… but not exactly what I was looking for. Its actually called "oil blueing" and is a way of protecting the steel from rust and corrosion, I have most often seen it used in the manufacture of firearms. But I feel like it should be mentioned that you MUST wipe off any oil and reheat the metal after you have repeatedly quenched it, or it will become brittle. Reply The water should be between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. on Introduction. 7 years ago Both black steel pipe and galvanized pipe are made of steel, however, galvanized pipe has a zinc coating while black pipe does not. Adding patinas to Galvanized Steel is Easy! Products known as black oxide or steel-blackening kits allow you to change the color of galvanized pipe at home. 2 years ago The purpose of galvanizing is to stop steel from rusting; so you should use plain ungalvanized steel if you want rust. Plastic bucket (if not supplied with the kit), Stainless steel tongs not coated with rubber. This would probably … Did you make this project? Acetone is a pretty nasty solvent. If the kit does not include a swab cloth, they are available at hardware stores. I have annotated them for clarification. I'm making a Tsuba and a couple of seppa for katana I've been making. No clue why. I had my first exposure to metal-finishing when I was 14 yrs. White vinegar is both effective and non-toxic, so it is much safer to use than your average industrial solvent. well galvanized metal is nothing more than zinc coated steel. I think used oil should work but perhaps not as well since it may have less carbon to burn onto the metal. Tried this out this weekend using Canola oil, since it's a branding iron that will touch food and I didn't want to mess with motor oil. If you don't have any or choose not to wear gloves, be sure to thoroughly wash hands after this process. We wanted it to look aged. (1968) My Chemistry teacher showed me how to silver-plate a copper penny without heat or electricity. Some kits include tongs while others do not. How to Clean Galvanized Metal of Peeling Old Paint. it may light on fire but should also quickly burn out. This would probably have been a good time to be wearing gloves. Let me know if it works! Rub the surface of the pipe with steel wool to give it a metallic, shinier finish. February 2, 2012. The most common method of zinc coating is the hot-dip process. It is due to the zinc coating on the galvanized pipes and the manufacturing process. Galvanized fittings also cost more than the fittings used on black steel … do not be alarmed unless flames grow Stainless steel. I don't know if it's possible to get a nice mottled look on galvanized steel quickly, but you could test ferric chloride or patina made for zinc => Regards, Ted Mooney, P.E. Will used oil work? Comparing costs of black steel pipes and galvanized steel pipes In general, black steel pipes are cheaper than galvanized pipes. Alkyd and oil-based paints may seem to stick at first, but the oily layer eventually "sheds" the paint. We have had this bucket for years at our cottage and I think at one point it was used as a trash can. Share it with us! dropping the part and retrieving with pliers may seem unnecessary, but if you hold onto the part the whole time with the pliers, you will end up not blackening the bit clamped between the pliers. 2. wear safety gear and bring fire extinguisher outside with you...just in case Galvanized metal is difficult to paint because it's coated with a layer of oil to prevent white rust. on Step 2. This has been a method of protecting Ferrous metals for years. Black steel pipes, galvanized steel pipes and welded steel pipe are all widely used steel pipes. Black steel is even less expensive than galvanized steel because it isn't coated or alloyed. Thanks for the recommendation (which you gave me at TechShop... should have told me you were the author of the Instructable! Instead, it becomes covered in iron oxide (rust) during the manufacturing process. My name is Bill Worden. old. Mix enough solution to where the galvanized pipe can be completely submerged. As a result galvanized pipe is more durable. Hot black oxide for stainless steel is a mixture of caustic, oxidizing, and sulfur salts. Steel that has been galvanized in the past can be sent to a galvanizing facility, removed of the old coating, and be re-coated all in-house. Let the pipe sit in the solution until it reaches the desired color of black. For transportation, black steel pipe tend to erode more easily than galvanized pipe and therefore it is more suitable for transporting gas and galvanized pipe is fit for carrying water instead of gas. Using acetone and a clean rag, wipe off excess oil, rust, etc off of your metal parts. 6. hold part over flame, moving slowly as to evenly burn off the oil. Each kit is different, so read the manufacturer's instructions carefully. The pipe must be thoroughly cleaned before using the kit. Galvanized metal is usually zink or iron with a coating of steal sealed over it to prevent it from rusting. In your intro, you mention doing this work outside in a safe area, and that "asphalt or concrete are ideal--a tarp probably won't cut it" I would caution against diong this over asphalt.....asphalt is a petroleum based mixture and can be damaged by the heat of the burning oil that my drip on it. Immerse the steel in water. I have been looking for a simple blackening process for nickel and will try this when I have a torch handy. 2 years ago Despite the difficulty of predicting corrosion, hot-dip galvanizing steel is one of the best methods of corrosion protection for submersed applications because of its complete, uniform coverage. The paint and the zinc in the steel are not harmonious. I started last night about 6pm. Zinc melts at 787.1 F and steel melts at roughly 1200 F depending on the quality of the steel. 4. light torch and adjust flame to something manageable Enter the green, metal bucket. Over time, the paint starts to peel and chip away. I just wanted to mention that this may seem like a hardening process that would lead to the piece becoming brittle but it wont.Two reasons for this....1. The weather is not because n our side this year but thought I would give your process a shot rain or shine. I used old but unused motor oil. Buff the galvanized steel with an abrasive pad or fine sandpaper to remove the galvanized coating, and draw the design onto the metal. Some kits contain everything you need while others contain just the black-oxide solution. Here is the process: The oil coating your part will ignite but will burn out soon. It blackens 300 and 400 series and the precipitation-hardened 17-4 PH stainless steel alloys. There are two ways to blacken galvanized pipe: Remove or chemically alter the layer of zinc. Plating Sales: Black Oxide, Zinc, Phosphate and Steel Blackening Kit. NEVER use water or a water based for extinguisher. Mixing these two things together causes toxic chlorine gas so definitely avoid that method, even if you’re working outside. There are two ways to blacken galvanized pipe: Remove or chemically alter the layer of zinc. The fact that oil is used as the quench means that the process of cooling is slowed significantly, again making the quench more akin to tempering.The knife you are making will need to first be hardened requiring a cherry red or even towards a straw yellow color prior to quenching depending on the mill spec. Since the green pail was still usable, but not the galvanized metal I wanted, I decided to paint it to look like it was. Galvanized metal is a form of steel that has been thinly coated in zinc oxide. lay out rags to place your parts. How to Age Galvanized Metal: I’m always looking for great patina formulas, and am thrilled with the results of this experiment! 5. submerse a part completely in the oil and retrieve with pliers Free Technical Support and Product Advice at (323) 262-8108 or Toll Free Outside CA (800) 282-3533 Blackening galvanized pipe is the process of changing the pipe's color. Scraping old paint from galvanized steel is quick and easy with a plastic or wooden scraper. Actually ended up working really well using a plain propane torch (didn't even get the steel red hot). This is not only not a great method, it is actually potentially dangerous. To remove the shiny, new look from galvanized metal, submerge the metal item in a plastic tub or bucket full of white vinegar. The pipe must be thoroughly cleaned before using the kit. 6 years ago Galvanized pipe is coated in a layer of zinc. For one thing, the source "ehow" article (which links to another site) is to say the least questionable ("Jane Smith" - seriously?!?!) Pipes are utilized in deliver gas and water, so no matter houses or construction needs pipes equally. on Introduction. 2. heavy leather gloves, jacket (welding attire works great), and safety glasses, metal or glass bowl (preferably one you don't care about). Once contaminated with the black oxide, the tongs are not safe to use with food. Black Patina for Zinc. When manufactures produce galvanized steel, they either spray the zinc coating on the metal, or they dip the metal in a zinc bath. Hopefully you can get an idea of the setup from the photos in this step. If you have a kitchen, then you probably already have this handy solution. As a result, black steel pipes are more commonly used to transport substances like oil and gas rather than water. This is pretty slick. Some kits include rubber gloves and others do not. A. Hi, Brett. 11. wipe off with clean dry rag Did you use fresh motor oil? check out this great ehow article--which is where I learned a lot of this process! 9. repeat process 2 or three times per part to achieve desired finish If you're making a knife blade like I am, that's something to consider. This is the basic technique for hardening steel, so be careful if you need your piece to not be brittle. It really depends on your bowl and your part. Do not rub the surface with steel wool to give it a flat, muted finish. I would filter the used oil first to get rid of any larger particles. I know this is an old post, and I hesitated to comment. Cooling the metal stops the galvanization reaction, which continues as long as the steel is the same temperature it was while immersed in the zinc bath. More importantly, dousing a part in oil and then hitting it with a flame is not a great idea, let alone a good controllable process. To make a piece of galvanized metal look old and rusty and … This will allow the steel to keep a good edge and the blade won't snap at the first impact.Since the OP is likely using sheet steel for this, my guess would be A36 or equivalent there is simply not enough carbon to form very much of the boundary martensite that causes brittleness.As far as the added carbon that makes up the bluing and prevents rust adding enough additional carbon to allow for embrittlement, the temp is too low, the time exposed to the oil is too short.I am of course making some assumptions here about materials but other than that the science is clear. How to Distinguish Galvanized Steel Pipe from Black Steel Pipe The time of issue:2014-1-22 9:55:22 Author: You can distinguish the galvanized steel pipe from black steel pipe through their differences. Finally, most paints react poorly with galvanized metal. The secret to painting galvanized steel is white vinegar. (pun definitely intended) Good work. Mixing these together creates peracetic acid which, again, you don’t want to do. Galvanized steel is a carbon steel that has been coated with zinc. The finish is a beautiful semi-glossy black and no signs of rust yet. I laid out two so that I could separate finished from unfinished. For example, one method suggested mixing vinegar and bleach together. Step 1: Prepare Metal Using acetone and a clean rag, wipe off excess oil, rust, etc off of your metal parts. Question 1. set up workspace. Then it will need tempering as well which adds a quality known as toughness or notch toughness to the blade. (I know, I'm a professional knifemaker and also make a lot of my own tooling - and put extremely hot (1,600°F) steel objects in oil regularly - and can still count to 10 on my hands, and see with both eyes.) Another method suggested mixing vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. I've needed to do blackened steel to protect these parts but the vinegar and bleach mixture I've been trying to do just isn't working in the seppa. on Introduction. You might also use steel wool or a scotch brite if you need a little more abrasion. ), 7 years ago This zinc oxide coating serves as a critical barrier that helps to protect the underlying steel from corrosion, oxidation and other damage from the elements. Reply Per the instructions of heating it to a reddish color, the temperature reached at a dull red is low enough that this is more of a tempering process than anything else. Put on rubber gloves to protect your skin from making contact with the black oxide. Thank you. Simple, neat, very nice. Secondly I would suggest using isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) over acetone if you only need degreasing properties. Remove the pipe from the solution with stainless-steel tongs not coated with rubber and dry it with a soft cloth. I used lemon steel wool scrubs as my store didn’t have plain. This is where the process needs to move outside for sure. 7. when oil has burned off and your part is a reddish color, drop it in the bowl of oil, or "quench" it in oil. Especially when there is a much simpler, safer, and reliable method: use an oven. Dry the pipe overnight. All you have to do is simply apply the vinegar to a clean rag and then wipe down the galvanized surface. If you want an even finish, you should drop and retrieve each time I recently did work for a doctor where his mother's house had to have sections of galvanized removed from the gas line and replaced with black iron. Products known as black oxide or steel-blackening kits allow you to change the color of galvanized pipe at home. 4 years ago. Cooling can be done in one of several ways: Immerse the steel in a passivation solution such as potassium hydroxide. Re: Mixing galvanized steel and black steel pipe? Rob Kemmett began writing professionally in 2010 and specializes in writing about food and hospitality. Recycling steel … A less common environment for galvanized steel is submerged in or exposed to water. The solution can be used on cast iron and mild low-carbon steel. So sorry, and trying to be polite, but this is actually a pretty terrible method for oil-blackening/coating steel. Moisture is highly corrosive to most metals including steel and zinc. It’s exciting to get to share this with you today – I did a comparison test for us, so you can determine which method you prefer. Author: Dunbar (KY) I see this mixing of materials all the time in gas lines in my area. The hot-dip process consists of submerging the carbon steel into a molten zinc bath (approximately 680 degrees Fahrenheit). Add one part black-oxide concentrate to nine parts distilled water in a large plastic bucket. Galvanized metal is widely used in the building outdoor structures. shouldn't hurt to try it at least on a bit of scrap! on Step 2. It will feel oily for a few days, but it will be safe to handle after 24 hours. Early this morning it … Add the section of galvanized pipe to the bucket. To paint galvanized steel, start by applying a latex-based primer evenly across the surface to stop the paint from soaking into it. Probably won't ignite, but will leave divots and depressions in the 'burnt' areas. Some kits contain everything you need while others contain just the black-oxide solution. 10. place finished parts on rag and let cool References: I am the founder & owner of STEEL F/X® Patinas, which began officially in the fall of 2006. I do not think the amount of carbon present will be the issue, it is more likely that the used oil has more impurities in it which could result in a lesser appealing surface finish. BILL WORDEN. Kemmett has worked in various fine-dining restaurants throughout his career and holds an Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Do not submerge the pipe in the solution for more than three minutes. 8. retrieve the part once again with the pliers. 3. pour motor oil into bowl, about 2 cups were more than enough for me. Expert welders suggest that hot-dipped galvanized metal produces more fumes and is more difficult to weld than sprayed-on galvanized metal. note that during this part you will drip oil on/around the torch. Opt for inexpensive bulk white vinegar since it may take quite a … So yes you can melt a galvanized nail. Dip a swab cloth into the penetrating sealant and liberally rub it on the surface of the pipe. Let the primer dry completely, which should take anywhere from 2-6 hours, so your paint will stick properly. 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