Cold bluing or paint for aluminium?

nun_hunter

Well-Known Member
I have an aluminium trigger guard for a BSA CF2 that is aluminium (actual floor plate is steel) which has been painted a horrid silver colour which I am getting removed. Can anyone recommend a spray paint or some other method of colouring both the trigger guard and floor plate to (as closely as possible) match the nice deep bluing on the barrel and action?

I'm guessing cold bluing won't work on aluminium so a paint is best but any suggestions on what type or brand and colour?
 
Cannot cold/hot blue on ali - hot blue will eat it!. Cerakote socom blue about best choice. Pi55ing in the wind even with 'normal' paint and an etch prime.
 
Ed from Edinburgh Rifles can probably paint it well for you. Always telling me how to paint gun parts properly! LOL!
 
Have look around for a company that does anodising for the trigger guard and another to get the floor plate blued?

If you've a mind to play with a battery charger and some sulphuric acid you could anodise it yourself. Look on youtube.

Hammerite do a "special metals primer" which I bought for a project (from Halfords) but have never used so cannot comment as to whether it actually does what it says on the tin.

Not the end of the world if whatever finish you end up with does not outlast the rifle. The original obviously didn't.

Alan
 
The problem with aluminium is that it oxidises very quickly. So to get a good chemical finish with the equivalent of a cold black for steel it needs to be polished bare and then done quickly. I had real problems with aluminium bayonet scabbards and even Suncorite struggled to stay put and not detach.

Eventually motorbike cylinder head paint was used and an oven to bake it on but it wasn't that satisfactory either.

I have re-done aluminium P-Hale 'scope rings with the Aluminium Black by Birchwood Casey and it worked extremely well. I stripped the metal back using just wire wool then immediately blacked it dabbing the solution on with cotton wool. The other solution of course is to either powder coat or to anodise. But if the "prep" is done well than this Aluminium Black works very very well.
 
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Hard anodising dyed black with dichromate sealing would look good. Get a quote from an electroplating company - it might not be all that expensive.

Hard Anodising Metal Finishings Ltd

See picture of an aluminium part that I've just had hard anodised and dichromate sealed.
 

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Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like anodising is probably the best way to go and achieve the closest match the barrel (which is still in really good condition). I'm dropping it off to be blasted tomorrow and been quotes a few quid so hopefully will have a bit more to spend on the anodising.

Will both parts (aluminium and steel) be able to be anodised?
 
anodise the bottom metal
either DIY or send it somewhere

or alternatively give it to a friendly powder coating shop to through in with some wheels

you will struggle to match anodising to bluing perfectly but luckily they are on opposite sides of the gun!!

can't anodise steel easily
 
Powder coating covers up any fine engraving or stamped markings. I had a batch of Colt M16 magazines done, powder coated, about six or seven years ago and the impressed in Colt trade mark and codes on the bottom floorplate were after virtually illegible.
 
Powder coating covers up any fine engraving or stamped markings. I had a batch of Colt M16 magazines done, powder coated, about six or seven years ago and the impressed in Colt trade mark and codes on the bottom floorplate were after virtually illegible.

That's not a bad thing as there isn't any detailing other than some tool marks that if they were covered would be nicer.
 
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