oil blackening LE parts

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crusoe

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Any advice on how to oil-blacken metal parts?

I do a lot of my own gunsmithing and restoring but this is something I've never tried. I have some old scuffed Lee Enfield metal parts I'm using for a made-up rifle and want to see if I can return them to their original black condition.

Thanks!
 
The original black colour on later rifles was a paint called Suncorite. However, oil blackening is done literally by baking the steel in oil. My Machinery's Handbook(there's a whole section on colouring metal) says to use a 300 to 350F oven with 'heavy' cylinder oil for 5 to 8 minutes. Dip the parts in the oil and bake. Serves: 1.
Machinery's Handbook is a great book to have. Not cheap though. Over $100 the last time I looked, but it has a wealth of info.
 
For screws only, you can do it by holding them with a pair of longnosed pliers and heating the screwhead dark cherry red and dipping it in a small container of engine oil.
Repeat applications until the screw has reached the proper darkening.
Hint: don't do this in a place equipped with smoke detectors...
Good luck.
PP.
 
My experience with oil blackening goes back to my RCEME days in 1949. The Armourers , as they were called in those days, would heat the part to be blackened with a torch and then rub it with a piece of an old grey wool army blanket soaked in # 30 motor oil. Some times took a couple of goes to get it right. After cooling you buffed it with a piece of the blanket not soaked in oil.I spent 10 years in the army and done a lot of service competition shooting with the # 4 Lee. Beautiful weapon!!!!.Duker
 
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My friend got a chemical blackening kit for restoring a 73 trans am - this may give a similar look to what you want but is much simpler and only takes about 5 seconds with no heat. I'll ask him to find out where he got it from.
 
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