MSYT
Retro Guru
I was going to suggest that too - although I've only done one seatpost - the original for an Orange P7
Stems however - done a few of them and they fit beautifully still.
Refinishing black seatposts
- Thread starter Tsundere
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I was going to suggest that too - although I've only done one seatpost - the original for an Orange P7
Stems however - done a few of them and they fit beautifully still.
After cleaning wit isopropyl I brushed on a generous coating, it started blueing immediately.
A few seconds later...
It's not perfect but it is a lot better. I'm going to rinse it off, clean again and repeat the process. I don't know if the blackening will deepen much, I have a feeling that once the metal has reacted with the solution that's it, but I'll give it a go.
A few seconds later...
It's not perfect but it is a lot better. I'm going to rinse it off, clean again and repeat the process. I don't know if the blackening will deepen much, I have a feeling that once the metal has reacted with the solution that's it, but I'll give it a go.
novocaine
Old School Grand Master
remains porous until you add oil to fill the holes.
will darken with a second coat.
27motorhead
Senior Retro Guru
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That's a good result. Off to Google what Birch Wood Casey Gun Blue is!
vincenth
Retro Guru
Does it look as good from close up as in the picture? This definitely motivates me too get a bottle of this gun blue as well. Looks like a good method to refinish posts, stems, bars and maybe even frames.
Pretty much, you can see the areas that were previously bare as the bluing contrasts slightly against the original finish, but you have to hold it up to the light and rotate it to really see it.
It might be worth sanding back the entire affected area so that the finish is perfectly uniform, but in my case that wasn't really necessary. The results far exceeded my expectations. It looks almost new when viewed from a couple of feet away.
The post in the pic had been polished lightly with a bit of oil, to seal the porous surface, and currently it's soaking in an oil bath, as recommended by various guides. I think it will look even better after 24 hours.
Edit - It only works on steel (not stainless), and not aluminium etc.
Last edited:
MSYT
Retro Guru
And this is after:
I cleaned the post down first with some brake cleaner and fine wire wool before applying a coat, literally seeing it work in front of my eyes and then polishing it with a microfiber cloth. I saw it had missed spots or still looked mottled so tried another two cycles.
What I will say is I do think it has improved the look. The mottling is darker.. slightly, but it has been really effective on the area that had no coating on at all. It’s not quite as black as the original coating but it is a hell of a lot shinier.
I think if you were to strip all the original al coating and then use the gun blue it could look half decent. That said - I’ve dug out some old bars so I’m going to practice on them. Sanding off all the old paint, polishing them and using the gun blue to see how it could look if done ‘right’.
In direct sunlight it does highlight the mottling a fair bit more. But sitting on my desk inside now… it looks great. So I guess it’s semi successful.
I cleaned the post down first with some brake cleaner and fine wire wool before applying a coat, literally seeing it work in front of my eyes and then polishing it with a microfiber cloth. I saw it had missed spots or still looked mottled so tried another two cycles.
What I will say is I do think it has improved the look. The mottling is darker.. slightly, but it has been really effective on the area that had no coating on at all. It’s not quite as black as the original coating but it is a hell of a lot shinier.
I think if you were to strip all the original al coating and then use the gun blue it could look half decent. That said - I’ve dug out some old bars so I’m going to practice on them. Sanding off all the old paint, polishing them and using the gun blue to see how it could look if done ‘right’.
In direct sunlight it does highlight the mottling a fair bit more. But sitting on my desk inside now… it looks great. So I guess it’s semi successful.
