Adis

I bought a set of forged wheels with black center spokes. the factory bolts are stainless steel and I'd like to find someone who can put a black oxide finish on them. does anybody know of a company that will do a small batch (about 200 bolts, maybe 5-7 lbs.)? thanks for any inbo

DUB

Look at EASTWOOD...I think they offer the system for reapplying the back oxide finish on bolts, nuts etc.

"DUB"

markids77

Get a Virginia phone book and look for a gunsmith who offers a gun finish called "Parkerizing". Parkerizing can very closely approximate the black oxide finish found on good hardware, and firearms are made up of a lot of small parts so small batch refinishing is no big deal. Just ask if the finish is available in black, since some Parkerizing has a greenish tint, or gray depending on the actual chemicals used.

Adis

Thanks for the replies guys. I did some web searches and noticed that most of the results were from gun owners who wanted to refinish vintage firearms (their forums are just as interesting and informative as this one, without all the silly banter!) i found one company, Caswell, out of NY that offers a home cold system - but the reviews were mediocre on the results. and i guess the hot method is not really safe, so best left to the professionals. the wheel manufacturer wants $530 for a new set of black oxide bolts, so I'll take your advice and keep searching.

markids77

If you are willing to try this at home and own either an airbrush or compressor and touch up spray gun, Lauer Custom Weaponry sells a durable spray applied coating called DuraCoat. It is pretty tough, and sells in kit form for about $40... plenty to do all your hardware. Check out their website.

Paul Wood

I hope not to sound like a "know it all" but.................. black oxide is a horrible process for corrosion resistance. Unless the finish has a constant supply of OIL on the surface you will not be happy and you will have a big mess. Oxide is RUST! There are other processes that are far superior and are suited for the environment these bolts will see. Google these processes and you will find a comparison chart for ASTM Salt Spray results and it will amaze you how poor black oxide is. You will be much happier with other processes and they will not be much different in price. IMHO

Adis

Thanks for the reply, Paul. Wish I had seen it earlier as I already got the bolts done. I found a company in Cincinnati that would do a small batch. Oh well, live and learn. I guess I'll just have to keep the wheels clean and avoid water, which shouldn't be hard to do as these wheels are for track/fun.

BTW what are some of the other processes that you're referring to?

OctaneHi

You stated that the bolts are stainless, the black on stainless should hold up fine.