Coatings

[BLR]

Please don't derail the thread with talk about the Gadget.

As for the finish, Bill, when do you think you'd be ready to move into beta?

I'd take carbon steel 1911s beginning of the year. Will be able to do Al, Ti, SS mid next year. Those require some effort to depassivate and prevent from repassivating and thus compromising adhesion.

The 1911 stipulation is because I don't want to learn how to assemble/disassemble anything else.

[Sparks2112]

I'd take carbon steel 1911s beginning of the year. Will be able to do Al, Ti, SS mid next year. Those require some effort to depassivate and prevent from repassivating and thus compromising adhesion.

The 1911 stipulation is because I don't want to learn how to assemble/disassemble anything else.

If I drive the 40 minutes north to dayton and disassemble my own crap, would you be willing to budge off that 1911 stipulation? Just for me though, since I'm a beautiful unique snow flake and all.

[Dave Berryhill]

The frame you see is that abomination of a 1911 that SA made in Brazil.....

I'm holding that abomination in my hands as we speak. Bill put it though some salt spray corrosion testing before he sent it to me to look at. There is only one area of rust on the entire frame (the bottom of the recoil spring dust cover) and I'm guessing that it's because the salt water pooled there. I'm impressed and need to get one of my own pistols plated by him for further testing.

I'm thinking that his nickel plating over stainless steel will be a very corrosion resistant pistol.

[JAD]

True, it can take a coating from 50ish on the Rockwell C scale to over 70 for a high phos EN. However, it also causes the coating to shrink, resulting in micro-cracks. We threw in the tungsten to up the hardness w/o having to resort to a high temp stage.
.

That micro cracking can be brought from canyon-to-substrate to surface-ripple levels with diligence (both chemically and process). The surface ripples make it abrasive but a top coat -- precious metal in an electrical contact, say -- takes care of that. I'm not sure what PTFE would do -- it might cluster up in the valleys where you want it to ride the peaks.

[BLR]

That micro cracking can be brought from canyon-to-substrate to surface-ripple levels with diligence (both chemically and process). The surface ripples make it abrasive but a top coat -- precious metal in an electrical contact, say -- takes care of that. I'm not sure what PTFE would do -- it might cluster up in the valleys where you want it to ride the peaks.

Can you say that again? I'm not following.

I'm saying heat treating (at say 300F or so) will allow the P to diffuse in the coating to create a "precipitation" hardened coating with a hardness similar to that of hard chrome. That diffusion and clustering causes a densification of the coating, which leads to microcracking.

[BLR]

If I drive the 40 minutes north to dayton and disassemble my own crap, would you be willing to budge off that 1911 stipulation? Just for me though, since I'm a beautiful unique snow flake and all.

HA! I have a farm in Wilmington. Stop by there, we are putting up a new barn. If it's carbon steel, I'll do it. Stainless, titanium and aluminum will be added in the spring.

[Sparks2112]

HA! I have a farm in Wilmington. Stop by there, we are putting up a new barn. If it's carbon steel, I'll do it. Stainless, titanium and aluminum will be added in the spring.

Hey if you need some help with the barn let me know, I'm absolutely worthless except for carrying heavy crap but I'm more than willing.

I think I had read somewhere that stainless steel when melonited loses its stainless properties. Any truth to that?

[BLR]

Hey if you need some help with the barn let me know, I'm absolutely worthless except for carrying heavy crap but I'm more than willing.

I think I had read somewhere that stainless steel when melonited loses its stainless properties. Any truth to that?

Not from a practical perspective. Melonited stainless is fairly corrosion resistant.

From a chemical perspective, it's a different animal after it's Melonited.

[Sparks2112]

Not from a practical perspective. Melonited stainless is fairly corrosion resistant.

From a chemical perspective, it's a different animal after it's Melonited.

I'll see what I have laying around that would work out. I think my dad has a full rail non trp operator that might fit the bill.

[BLR]

The slides and BCG seen above will be shipped to their respective owners this week.

Anyone interested in a "beta test" is welcome now. Email me at bill(dot)riehl(at)blackfireeng(dot)com for shipping instructions (I do have a FFL). I prefer BCGs or all steel 1911s. I will coat a fully detail stripped BCG for $50 and a fully detail stripped all steel pistol (not the barrel) for $125 for those active on this forum or active duty/reserve/LEO. If you have something else you'd like done and it's carbon steel, I'll try. If not, I can send a 4140 steel coupon to you for $20 shipped to see if you like it. Again, this is a bit different than the traditional firearms EN. It does have a decent amount of PTFE in it, but also tungsten for hardness and color. The finish will carry a lifetime warranty against peeling/chipping/blistering/etc.

I also have a non-PTFE EN-Tungsten system w/ a pretreatment for Cerakote. Extremely corrosion resistant.

Aluminum and stainless will be options Feb 15 (waiting on the salt spray results).

Sparks - email me and I'll give you directions to the farm/hunting ground! You'll love it. Might even work in a 'yote hunt!