Blackening stainless steel help

[dalcazar]

I need to blacken some stainless steel parts and was told that heating them up to around 600 degrees C would do the trick, but half a canister of mapp gas later I'm convinced that's a load of crap.

I found some chemical coating kits for sale on the internet but I'm very sure that I could get the components locally for much cheaper and faster than I could on the net. What would be a good combination of chemicals that would allow me to do this?

I've found a few mixes on the yahoo answers forums, but before I go spending money on things and find out that they don't work, I'd rather ask the experts here and get a surefire recipe the first time out.

thanks guys

 

[unclesyd]

I wouldn't try to mix my own materials for your blackening job. I would checkout Birchwood Casey to see if they have a blackening package for SS. Heatbath has one but it requires equipment to run, so you may check with them if anyone in your area uses their material.
If you can get by with a coating you might want to checkout Dampney or Hi Temp Coatings.
Personally I've only seen truly black SS once or twice in my time and that came from a nitriding process that went wrong. You have to remember that Stainless is Stainless and there is essentially no oxide to work with.

http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/metal/index.html

http://www.heatbath.com/heatbath/products/black_oxide_finishing/black_oxide_for_ferrous_metals

http://www.dampney.com/

http://www.hitempcoatings.com/