Blackening Stainless steel

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rogerthebodger

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Having made my dip sticks for my Diesel tanks from stainless rod, which don't show the level very well and found that chalk on the dip stick shows up very well but I think if I could blacken the stainless steel dip stick it may show even better.

Can any one point me to a method I could do at home using heat if necessary from a LPG gas torch.
 
Blueing in old engine oil? We did that in metalwork at school (or "Design & Technology: Resistant Materials Technology" as the official verbiage had it at the time). Heat the steel to red heat, then plunge into a container of old oil - the older the better apparently.

Caveats are 1) don't know if your torch will go hot enough 2) don't know what this will do to the stainlessness (though the bluing should protect against rust anyway).

Pete
 
Could you not make grooves in the rod at the gallons /litres ,or quarter,half ,three-quarter and full marks.
Starting with an empty tank would be easiest for the proportional measures;or adding 5 litres at a time and marking off on the reverse side of the rod, a good swiss file would do the job.

ianat182
 
ianat182 said:
Could you not make grooves in the rod at the gallons /litres ,or quarter,half ,three-quarter and full marks.
Click to expand...

I fear that one of us is missing the point. I think he's saying that it's hard to see the fuel on the dip-stick, but that it would show up better on a black background (which it would).

To original poster: perhaps the dip stick is in steel because it needs some flexibility? If not, why not use something else? Mine's a 10mm softwood dowel painted black. Works a treat.
 
Thanks so far guys.

ianat182

I have already got a marked stick for calibration but the fuel oil does not show up at all when I dip the stainless rod into the tank. I did the calibration with a hard wood stick as recommended on the fora so once I can find a way to see the level on the stainless I can transfer the marking as you recommend.

macd

A possible way if anyone in RSA does black chroming.

Your second comment is spot on and I do need to leave the dip sticks in the tanks so wood dip sticks would tend to soak up the fuel and dive a miss reading. Flexing of the dipstick also is help full due to the positioning for the tanks. BTW I have 3 tanks 2 being approx 650 lit each and one in the keel being 250-300 lit so I and also concerned about mixing up the dip sticks.

prv

That's the kind of process I was looking for. Is my LPG setup will not get it to red heat I do have access to oxi-acetylene which will get it to the correct heat. Problem to find some old engine oil.

Any more ideas would be welcome.
 
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A series of shallow saw cuts in the srface at close regular intervals would hold the fuel whilst you examined the dipstick, Then add extra calibration marks.
 
Temper colours on stainless steels here Looks like about 450C might be the best. Easy enough to just heat it, a blowlamp should be enough, about 25 mm up from the bit you want coloured. You will see the colours change as the heat runs along the rod. Quench when it gets to where you want it.
 
Rogershaw said:
Having made my dip sticks for my Diesel tanks from stainless rod, which don't show the level very well and found that chalk on the dip stick shows up very well but I think if I could blacken the stainless steel dip stick it may show even better.

Can any one point me to a method I could do at home using heat if necessary from a LPG gas torch.
Click to expand...

Not steel but wood. I use a piece of marked hardwood because it shows the wet diesel particularly well, wipe with a cloth, it dries ready for next time.

Seemples!
 
As previously posted, heat it and dip it in oil, doesn't have to be old. I've done this on my gearbox dipstick and it gave a very nice matt black finish that shows the clear ATF very clearly. Thinking about it, it may be that I dipped it in oil then heated it over the gas ring. One or the other will work.
 
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