Ferrick nitrocarburizing?

[BravoTango]

This finish goes by several other names: Melonite, Black Nitride, Salt Bath, QPQ. Widely used in modern firearms. Penetrates steel without changing it's dimensions, works on stainless steels, and non.

I feel like it would be great on knives, it's very attractive and strong. Rich black finish, usually appears somewhere between gloss and matte. I know that DLC is utilized primarily for light discipline, and this wouldn't quite replace that, but alas I think it would look amazing on some spydie's.

I'm sure this has been thought of before so I beg your pardon if there are other posts about it.

[Evil D]

What's the cost vs DLC? I'd say that's your answer.

[BravoTango]

What's the cost vs DLC? I'd say that's your answer.

Good question, I have no idea.

[ZrowsN1s]

Sounds interesting.

[demoncase]

This finish goes by several other names: Melonite, Black Nitride, Salt Bath, QPQ. Widely used in modern firearms. Penetrates steel without changing it's dimensions, works on stainless steels, and non.

I feel like it would be great on knives, it's very attractive and strong. Rich black finish, usually appears somewhere between gloss and matte. I know that DLC is utilized primarily for light discipline, and this wouldn't quite replace that, but alas I think it would look amazing on some spydie's.

I'm sure this has been thought of before so I beg your pardon if there are other posts about it.

While it does work on stainless and carbon steels: As it's a conversion coating, this relies on the chemistry of the substrate material to give a consistent colouration- I would expect to see some steels to be paler grey and others darker toward black....(If you've ever used those Birchwood Casey 'home gun blue' kits to refinish an old gun, you'll have experienced the same issue: your barrel might go mid-grey but your receiver will go charcoal blue)

DLC and TiNi are deposition coatings (so self-colouring) and so more consistent substrate to substrate- no experimentation to get a proper black every time.

The Nitrocarb coatings that people like CZ and Glock use in this family rely on a post treatment to give that lovely consistent black finish: either a black oxide finish in the plasma furnace or Parkerization- both of which can and do wear off....that explains why some of these finishes are shiny and others are satin to matte- and indeed why well used early Glocks display that dark grey 'buffed' finish on many components

Also- and it's a biggie in this day and age- the basic salt bath method is super-environmentally-UNfriendly (Who doesn't want fuming hot baths of molten cyanide salts in their backyard?) and few EPA type folks are minded to grant new licenses for it in the EU or the US.

[Stuart Ackerman]

I am in the process fo making a bunch of 1/2 inch nitrided rods for sharpening knives in the field.
I can get 66C Rockwell hardness at this present time, but I am trying for a fraction more.

66C is plenty hard enough for knives, but I love the experimentation. :)

[attila]

I am in the process fo making a bunch of 1/2 inch nitrided rods for sharpening knives in the field.
I can get 66C Rockwell hardness at this present time, but I am trying for a fraction more.

66C is plenty hard enough for knives, but I love the experimentation. :)

What kind of steel are you using?

[Stuart Ackerman]

I am keeping the info to myself for the time being...

[Stuart Ackerman]

I will send some off to Sal for him to play with...