I got a chance to try my Caswell black oxide kit today. The covers for the carriage ballscrews were originally a black oxide finish. On some of the covers it was completely worn away, others not much. I ran them all through the process which consists of a dip in the black oxide solution (at room temperature, and actually an aqua blue color), then a rinse, followed by the fixing solution. The kit came with two cans of fixing solutions. I also ran several of the bearing blocks through. I want most everything to have paint or black oxide to cut down on corrosion. In the pictures below are the buckets of solutions and the finished parts that are still drying.
Speaking of paint, I did some more of that as well. I really can't say enough about the airbrush for these parts. It has been putting down a very nice coat of paint. I spent way to much time looking for loose parts. I should have been much more meticulous when I was taking things apart, like bagging and labeling everything. Just going through all the screws is going to take time. I did start bagging a little more than half way through.
I found 5 more parts that need paint, covers plate, end plates etc. I need to get them cleaned up and prepped. The cross slide bellows are pretty gunked up as well. I started them soaking today. Maybe by tomorrow I can get them cleaned up.
Vince