Aluminum Blackener and Gunblue : Best sources?

[Strelok]

Hey guys. Got a few guns i'd like to touch up, and i'm having a bit of trouble sourcing some good places to purchase Aluminum Blackener and Cold blueing finish. Cabelas.ca has it, but its 'always' on backorder. Hoping to get something I can paypal for and get relatively quickly.

Thanks!

[ILLusion]

Look up "anodization."

You'll need to handle some pretty caustic substances if you're looking to do it on your own, so be prepared. Also, MAKE SURE your product is a *quality* aluminum alloy if you're going to anodize it. If you have any doubts about how it is manufactured (CNC machined from solid billets, or forged make up the majority of "acceptable" materials), DON'T try anodizing it, or you'll end up melting the piece to the point where you'll pull up nothing from the bath. MOST airsoft products are made from die-cast zinc-aluminum alloys, where zinc makes up the primary component, and WILL melt to nothing in an acid bath.

Secondly, gun bluing only works on steel. You can't "blue" aluminum the same way you'd do steel.

Beyond that, non-acidic aluminum "blackeners" can provide varying qualities and may give you a finish that's quite different from what you have now. If it helps any, most airsoft products coming out of asia have a powder coated finish.

Unfortunately, I don't know the products you're referring to specifically, so they may colour the product via a different method.

[Strelok]

Thanks ILLusion.

I'm aware of Anodization, but that kind of finish is a bit too flat for what i'm after. I'm refinishing an AGM MP40 to give it a rather rough, old worn look to it. Putting a controlled, yet uneven finish on it is my goal. The gun is made out of aluminum and steel.

The current coloring on the weapon is just a really arse-thick black spraypaint that comes off at the rub of a fingernail. Not too impressed. I plan on giving the parts a bathe in a paint stripper for a night and clean it up nice for the time I get the chemicals I need to refinish it. Being out for the count this year I don't really have much of a rush on this thing.

Thanks again!