Could galvanising be the ultimate tough finish?

T

Te Anau

New member
Think about it.I've seen chain link fence posts,any amount of exposed pipe and countless other galvanized steel objects left outside for any number of years in all types of climates and come away unscathed.Could the ultimate rust proof,tough finish be right under our noses and available locally and inexpensively?
:confused:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanized_steel
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"Hot dip galvanizing is the process of applying a zinc coating to fabricated iron or steel material by immersing the material in a bath consisting primarily of molten zinc.

Galvanizing forms a metallurgical bond between the coating and the underlying material, creating a barrier that is actually an extension of the metal itself.

Galvanizing requires little, if any, maintenance in comparison to the maintenance demands of paint systems. Zinc's corrosion rate is only a small fraction of that of steel.

Zinc applied to steel can add 40 years to the life of a component or facility. No other coating can match the barrier and cathodic protection that zinc provides."
 
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Have to figure there is a good reason for not using it. I just cannot image that if it were possible or practical, that some firearm maker would not have used it by now. I have to assume that the zinc makes the metal unsuitable for use in a gun, since glavanizing is not a coating, but an alteration of the base metal of the product.

Come to think of it, is galvanized used in any machined steel product - I cannot think of any.
 
Galvanization has very poor corrosion resistance in salt water as well as poor resistance to acid corrosion. I sure wouldn't use it as a firearm finish.
 
Galvanization has very poor corrosion resistance in salt water as well as poor resistance to acid corrosion. I sure wouldn't use it as a firearm finish.
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I don't plan on storing any guns of mine in vats of acid or salt water.:cool:

"Benefits of
Hot-Dip Galvanizing
Ideal For Hawaii’s
Demanding Environment
Hawaii’s diverse, yet highly corrosive
environment of ocean-salt exposure, high
humidity, rain and trade winds creates a
high demand for corrosion protection.
For over 160 years, Hot-Dip Galvanizing
has been recognized worldwide as the
most effective, cost-efficient method of
corrosion protection for steel products."
http://www.macsteelusa.com/pdf/Hot-Dip Galvanizing Plant.pdf

I don't live in Hawaii by the way.
 
I don't plan on storing any guns of mine in vats of acid or salt water.
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Every time you handle them you leave sodium chloride behind on them.

Unless the hot dip is thick (and ugly as sin up close) it is not very effective.

Electroplated zinc is shiny and smooth but provides very limited protection (like almost none).
 
My honored Father was a plumber.

Therefore, I've seen lots of galvanized metal pipes in my life.

Galvanizing chips and flakes. It tends to wear quickly where surfaces rub together. And it's simply nasty, mud fence ugly. Parkerizing is rather drab and lifeless, but has a competent and businesslike look to it. Galvanizing looks cheap and tawdry. And it's ugly. Not ugly with character like the late Richard Boone, but ugly like Joseph Stalin's soul.
 
I am a plumber and galvanized steel is worthless. The biggest problem for using it as a gun finish I can see is the build up would ruin the tolerances and lead to malfunctions, not to mention it will rust and corrode just as fast as regular untreated steel in a moist environment.
 
Zinc has a melting point of 787 F. At dipping temperatures, which will be above 787F, any heat treatment of the dipped component will be affected. Other elements are frequently added to the zinc bath to obtain a brighter, duller. or colour shift to the result. Some of these additions have a melting point higher than that of zinc, which will have a greater adverse affect on heat treatment. Also galvanizing is less abrasion resistant than other coatings used on guns. IMHO, galvanizing would be a poor choice for coating a gun.
 
It needs to go on pretty thick to be really effective for corrosion. Looks like it would play heck with slide fit tolerances. Interesting thought, bad idea.
 
galvanized steel is worthless.
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Depends on how thick the galvanized is. I work fo the phone company and it is all we use. Look over your head sometime, the steel strand supporting the phone cable is galvanized, the down guy is galvanized, the anchor is galvanized, the clamps that attatch to the pole, the nuts and bolts, all galvanized. I work in cable every day that is in excess of 30 years old that is still rust free. The same holds true for underground plant, it stays submerged for decades and remains solid. On the other hand it is butt ugly.
 
Galvanizing IS a coating. Zinc is very soft and does not wear well. Galvanizing is used on parts that are not subject to wear. It would be terrible on a gun. Want a zinc gun? Buy a Hi Point.
 
Breathing zinc vapors from welding or grinding galvanized metals can make you very sick. I expect high temperatures and abrasion from shooting would be enough to irritate some people.

There are other types of zinc coating that produce a better finish than the fence post you are thinking of.
 
I hate galvanised steel, been welding it for the past 4 weeks at work. Makes a nasty chunk of bloody crud in my throat every morning. Its ugly, it makes your hands smell funny when you handle it and it looks cheap. No way I would ever have it on a gun.
 
I don't plan on storing any guns of mine in vats of acid or salt water.
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I do, it's called my hands.
You wouldn't believe how badly I can cause stuff to rust.

If I remember later I'll take a photo of the galvanized pipe in my house that now bears my fingerprints from when I was inspecting the plumbing. :eek:
 
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