Sealing plain steel?

[Panzercat]

I have a blued barrel I would like to give a faux stainless look. While there are several ways to remove the bluing, I worry about the long term consequences of doing so; namely rust. Of course, there's the obvious of keeping it clean,bluing is a form of controlled oxidation, etc, but is there anything that would work well as a sealant? ...besides stuff that requires repeated application, like oils.

I was thinking of an epoxy coating of sorts, but it's not nominally heat resistant. Anything else the experts here can think of as a long term sealant? Maybe something you've stumbled across over the years?

[edit] I knew I forgot something, criteria-wise. Preferably processes that don't require a small, expensive industrial base to pull off. Something Joe at home can do.

Thanks

 

[VA27]

Industrial hard chrome.

 

[Panzercat]

Dup post.

 

[mjsdwash]

cant be done, never been done... you could try a bonding process, but that would be a plate, and would look it. They've been using paint for a reason, but if you have already removed the bluing, some automotive undercoating may work for a while, not permanently.

 

[AlexanderA]

First of all, it's a misconception that bluing prevents rust. You still need to protect the surface with oil, etc.

Up through the Civil War, U.S. military weapons were generally left "in the white" ("National Armory bright"). While in the hands of troops, rust was prevented by constant polishing, oiling, and inspection. Collectors today can prevent rust on bright weapons by applying paste wax or RIG.

The general rule is that you have to put some sort of barrier on the bare metal.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I sanded and polished a black oxide Baby Eagle to a mirror finish. During particularly humid periods, I wipe it with oil, but otherwise, I do nothing special and it hasn't rusted. When you bring regular carbon steel to such a smooth finish, it doesn't rust near as easily at it would if it were just scuffed with 400 grit or somesuch.

 

[tryshoot]

Have never tried it, but maybe auto clear coat?

 

[Deus Machina]

Does Duracoat make a clearcoat?
I believe they have a 'brushed stainless' paint, but I haven't seen it in person to say whether it looks like actual metal or like any other metallic paint.

 

[makarovnik]

VHT High temperature satin clear coat. This stuff works great but is not super durable:

http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=Sz1sT5O7FtTSiAL597WSBQ&ved=0CE8Q8wIwAA

Then there's this stuff which I believe is actually a graphite coating that stains the metal:

http://www.eastwood.com/stainless-steel-gray-hi-temp-coating.html

 

[303tom]

Powder Coats............

http://www.eastwood.com/hotcoat-powder-single-stage-reflective-chrome.html

 

[johnjon]

I have a revolver that i completely stripped all the blue off of and polished it with mothers mag and wheel polish, may not be to "high tech" but it looks great and is holding up really well.

 

[NCsmitty]

You'll not find a more protective surface for clean bare steel than parkerizing and then coating with one of the epoxy paints in a stainless.

Here's my Mauser that I parkerized after sand blast, and coated with Duracoat using an airbrush.


NCsmitty

 

[doubleh]

As stated before bluing rusts. Wax works well to prevent rust and it neutralises fingerprints on blued or bare metal. You do have to re-appy it ocassionally but not as often as oil.

I don't have a link but google Eastwood speciality coatings. I ran aross this on another site and it is supposed to be good. They manufactuer several clear coatings specifically for metal. They have painted surface specific coating also.