Thread: black screws

Classic Fasteners

Not sure what kind of hardware stores you're going to, but my local has a full range and so does bunnings Search - Our range | Bunnings Warehouse

If you stick the screws into polystyrene sheet, all the way in, and then spray paint the heads with a rattle can you can have any size, type or colour that you want.

I could get pretty much whatever I was looking for here when living in SA.

Sassafras Angencies | The Tradies' Secret

Originally Posted by Bohdan

If you stick the screws into polystyrene sheet, all the way in, and then spray paint the heads with a rattle can you can have any size, type or colour that you want.

till it chips off when trying to screw them in.

I wish the bunnings ones just came in a few different sizes. I've been using them for some of the black pipe shelfs that are all the trend at the moment.

Originally Posted by havabeer69

I wish the bunnings ones just came in a few different sizes.

I see 16, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50mm, how many more sizes do you want?

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I have placed several orders over the past couple of years and have been very impressed with the speed of shipping, price, and quality of fastener - this across several different types in their range.

Very helpful on the phone too - when you have a question about the product.

Very happy to recommend them, they have many different types of screws, in several colours.

Originally Posted by Tonyz

you go to hardware stores wanting screws, does not matter weather for solid timber, MDF, ply etc and all I can find are silver( for want of a technical term) where can I buy black phillips head or allen head screws, for the above timbers but also different lengths etc.

I stopped buying screws from BigChain Hardware stores a long time ago as I have no need for screws with detachable heads. Now go to a specialist fastenning firm - better selection, far better quality, staff know their products, usually better prices and I do not have to buy their minimum packaging size. Do not know if there's a specialist near you.

As far as blackenning silver metal, you can always DIY. BobL has posted a couple of very helpful threads recently.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

I stopped buying screws from BigChain Hardware stores a long time ago as I have no need for screws with detachable heads. Now go to a specialist fastenning firm - better selection, far better quality, staff know their products, usually better prices and I do not have to buy their minimum packaging size. Do not know if there's a specialist near you.

As far as blackenning silver metal, you can always DIY. BobL has posted a couple of very helpful threads recently.

Bunnies had 25 & 50mm in stock, drrr
will be in Adelaide shortly will chase up some agencies then thanks, had no idea they were so readily available

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

. . . . . .As far as blackenning silver metal, you can always DIY. BobL has posted a couple of very helpful threads recently.

I assume Graeme is referring to metal bluing?
This cannot be done on galvanized or nickel plated steel unless these are removed.
A couple minutes in concentrated hydrochloric acid will remove the Zn - and will dissolved the steel as well if its left too much longer
Nickel dissolves very slowly in conc Hal but will dissolved slowly in dilute HCl and is best dissolved in dilute nitric acid = it will still take a while.

Then to blacken or blue the raw steel there are several methods I am familiar with - all of them involve getting the steel to rust and then converting the rust to something black.

The safest simplest method is to repeatedly dip them in a salt/H2O2 solution which instantly creates a layer of rust on the steel. Then boil the rusted object in distilled water for 10 mintes
This converts the red oxide to black oxide.
Then brush off or removed any loose black oxide with a soft wire brush or steel wool.
Repeat as many times as you can stand - at least 4 times for rust protection.

A more complicated method involves using a fuming chamber containing conc HCl and Nitric Acids - one not for the faint hearted

Another method on is to convert the red oxide to the tannate using tannic acid. Once you have the tannic acid this is probably the easiest/ It produces a matt finish that is not as physically robust as the other two methods mentioned above.

Either of the red-black oxide conversions produce a thick (microns) reasonably tough coating - better than any paint etc as it very thin will not chip.
It takes some setting up and is painstakingly slow but I think its work it for special things.
Here's one of the batches from last year.
Finished2.jpg

holy shoit batman, the only thing I remember about science in school was burning the teachers Mr Wade (Paddle for short) ass with my bunsen burner as he leant over to 'help' my mate in front of me.

Thanks Bob but I will buy them black, good gawd I need a drink, the wife wont let me near the oven, iron or dishwasher, afraid, I will damage something.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

I see 16, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50mm, how many more sizes do you want?

honestly, last time i went to our smaller bunnings we didn't have half those, it was like 3 sizes, in 2 gauages with 2 types of heads.

it seems to have expanded since then after i went there today

Provided the screws you have are steel, just get the heads red hot, dip into old engine oil, wipe & hey presto, nicely 'blacked' screws.
This is my go-to method for all kinds of instrument screws, of course if you want nicely 'blued' screws you need to prepare various molten salts depending on the temperature required.
Mark

Originally Posted by Old-Biker-UK

. . . . . of course if you want nicely 'blued' screws you need to prepare various molten salts depending on the temperature required.
Mark

Thats a quick commercial way of doing it but there are a lot of easy/quick ways to blue screws using a paint or dip "bluing solutions" eg from Caswells.

This one ($80) will blacken Zn plated screws directly - you then get a black look over a Zn protection.
Zinc Blackener 16 fl oz or 473mL | Caswell Australia

This one is a double dip process provides a more traditional blueing prices on bare steel (5L kit costs $125)
eg Black Oxide or Parkerizing | Caswell Australia

Even though it takes a lot longer than using the above solutions I prefer to use cold fume bluing mainly because
- I'm familiar with using these relatively dangerous acids
- have a proper fume hood and setup for handling acids
- I got the acids as a waste product from where I used to work
- I like doing some things in a traditional wy
- Cold fume bluing produces a very thin ( ~2 microns) tough layer and is one of the most robust types of bluing.

I have 50L fume tank the can hold quite a bit of stuff - here's another bACTH I DID A COUPLE YEARS BACK.
Latestbatch.jpg