Black Oxide Finish on Cold Rolled Steel = H O T !

A GREAT look for finished Steel Furniture and Interior Elements 
that's been around for Nuts & Bolts,
Guns and other tools forever, is one that I recently explored for 
The Fine Custom Furniture,Interior Elements and Lighting that I Design and Fabricate.
Black Oxide- Cold Dipped- by Expert Metal Finishing, River Forest,IL.

The finish almost looks like an Oxidized Bronze !

Adding a "grain" or texture w/ a Heavy Duty ScotchBrite made all the difference!

Rich warm yummy dark brown/black color- enhanced by graining w/ a ScotchBright

The Company that I resourced is in an area of the Western Suburbs of Chicago- just off of North Avenue- between 1st Ave. and 15th Ave.
The Industrial Park area is "technically" River Forest- but has about as much in common w/ River Forest as Cicero does w/Chicago.
Expert Metal Finishing is run by Gus Garza and his Partner from Poland-Jerzy Kozik.
They do have a "lot" charge- which is more than I'd like it to be- but- comparing the time and labor and chemical requirements to do the job in-house, it certainly is a worthwhile Finishing Option for Steel.
The only downside is that they "automatically" want to oil the part you bring- after being oxidized- so it won't rust. I had wanted to either clear coat w/ a Matt Clear PowderCoat-
or use a Hot Wax hand rubbed finish- which must be maintained over time. Getting them- to "understand" this- and to execute- was 50/50.

One of the challenges I face in interfacing w/ Industrial Materials and Processes is that often- They will want to do something a certain way- because - "thats-the-way-we-allways-do-it"
which I find- not always what I want.
And- since I'm paying for the work to be done- shouldn't I be able to get my metal left WITHOUT OIL?
I think so.........
Anyway- if you are looking to get a  warm rich finish on Steel- try:

Expert Metal Finishing

2120 N. West Street

River Grove, IL 60171

708.583.2550

Need Steel? Osorio's Iron and Metal,Chicago,IL.= Service with a Smile!

Square Steel Tubing @ 1.5" Square @ OSORIO'S IRON WORKS,CHICAGO,IL.

Shopping for Steel can sometimes be a Pain-In-The-Ass.
Why?
It's certainly a "Commodity" item. 
Not that Brand "A" is any better or worse than Brand "B".
Steel is Steel.
Yet- if a small fabricator or individual's looking to buy- one length of this, and another length of that- cut in half please (to fit in my Van) - the "rolled eyes" look is certain to appear from the often crabby Steel Man.
Au Contraire- Mon Fraire
......certainly NOT the case @ Osorio's Iron and Metal in Chicago.
When you walk in the door - you are greeted w/a friendly "Hola" by either Jazmina, Angelica,
or Oscar. If they don't have what you are looking for- they will gladly help to source if for you.
For example- Cold Rolled Steel- also called 1018- isn't an off-the-shelf item.
No Problemo.
Jazmina will make a call to her supplier- and be able to provide the material for you w/in a day or so. Same thing for Stainless Steel.

They primarily support the Ornamental Fence Industry- all the small shops in town that make gates,railings and other "wrought iron" that you commonly see- but never pay attention to.
BUT- they are also "used to" Artists, Furniture Designers, and others who aren't pulling up in a PickUp Truck ready to load a 20 foot long piece of Steel.

Osorio's is a recommended Vendor-  as well as someone I "like" to do business with (&you will 2 !)

Bandsaw they use to cut 20 foot lengths to fit in your Vehicle @ OSORIO's 

Osorio Iron & Metal
4515 W. Thomas
Chicago,IL. 60651

773.772.4060

Hard to "find"- Easy to work with!