To refine steel and protect it from corrosion, coating is performed in various ways. This can be the creation of an oxide film, sputtering, etc. Most of these methods are too technologically advanced to be repeated at home. Let's look at options for coating steel that you can do yourself.
Applying brass coating
The steel workpiece needs to be polished. Final processing is performed with at least P180 sandpaper.
The workpiece is degreased.
After which it is heated in places with a gas burner until it turns straw-colored, and is cleaned with a brass brush for metal.
As a result, the treated surface will look like brass.
Regular dark blackening with linseed oil
The workpiece is polished and degreased. Next, it needs to be heated with a burner until the color is tarnished between straw and blue, maximum gray.
After this, the hot surface is wiped with linseed oil or dipped in it if it is heated evenly.
Then the remaining oil is burned and washed off.
Blue tint
The workpiece prepared in a similar way is heated until it turns blue. Immediately after this, WD-40 is sprayed on it. As a result, the steel will turn blue.
Gray bluing with sunflower oil
If you heat the workpiece to a maximum of gray tarnish and dip it in sunflower oil, the blackening will turn out gray. It doesn't look bad and is the easiest to do.
You can wipe the part with acetone, heat it again and dip it in oil, then it will become darker. The result will be similar to blackening with oil burning on the surface.
Cold bluing
You can also find special compounds for cold bluing on sale.
Their advantage is that the surface is more uniform in color. Such compositions are applied according to the instructions. Usually they are rubbed on the metal, and after 30 seconds they are washed off.
If bluing or application of a brass layer is performed for decorative purposes, for example, on steel parts furniture and interior items, it is advisable to open them later with varnish. This way the coating will last for decades.
