How to Tarnish Steel Black

Tarnishing steel black involves using lots of heat.

Tarnishing steel so that it turns black is a process that, while being relatively easy, must be done carefully to avoid encountering a dangerous situation. You will have to heat the steel and then quench it in oil. The extreme heat of the metal will almost certainly cause the oil to flame up, so you will have to cover the quench bucket immediately to prevent the oil from burning up.

Things You'll Need

• Metal bucket with lid
• Used motor oil
• Propane torch
• Pliers

Instructions

1. Fill the metal bucket with used motor oil, and then place the lid for the bucket nearby.

2. Hold the steel in the jaws of the pliers, and then heat it with the propane torch. Once the steel has reached a deep red-orange color, turn off the propane torch.

3. Plunge the steel into the used motor oil, making certain that the metal is completely immersed.

4. Cover the bucket with its lid to prevent the oil from flaring up, and then allow it to cool before attempting to retrieve the steel.

5. Retrieve the steel from the oil bath with the pliers, and then wipe off the oil with a rag. This will darken the formerly shiny steel to a deep, nearly black color. To deepen the color further, heat it and quench it again in the same motor oil.

Tips & Warnings

• Oil quenching steel almost always results in a flare-up of the oil. For this reason, keep the lid of the bucket nearby so that you can cap it off quickly. In addition, it's a good idea to quench the steel outside of your workshop to help prevent any incidents.

References

• "Home and Garden Metalcrafts"; Jana Ewy; 2003
• "Metalwork for Craftsmen"; Emil Kronquist; 1972
• "Complete Metalsmith: Professional Edition"; Tim McCreight; 2004