In this episode of Seen and Solved, host Tim Pennington welcomes Bill Blanchet and Tyler Thomas from Seacole and Connor Callais from Hubbard-Hall to address the technical challenges of achieving consistent black oxide finishes in the firearms and tooling industries.The discussion highlights how reject rates as high as 40% can be reduced to near zero by properly engineering black oxide lines, pairing the right chemistry with the right equipment, and ensuring operators are trained to maintain process control.Key topics include the impact of tank sizing, burner capacity, automatic water feed systems, and temperature stability on process consistency; the role of surface preparation and pretreatment in producing uniform coatings; and how Hubbard-Hall’s Super Seep Free hot oil eliminates salt creepage from blind holes and recessed geometries.The episode also explores how moving blackening operations in-house provides manufacturers with tighter quality control, shorter lead times, and reduced costs. With decades of combined experience in surface finishing, equipment design, and chemical process optimization, the guests share proven methods for solving black oxide challenges while adapting to industry changes such as PFAS regulatory pressures.This conversation is essential listening for metal finishing engineers, production managers, and quality professionals who need repeatable, cost-effective black oxide results. Whether you’re running a metal finishing shop, managing an in-house firearms blackening line, or looking for surface finishing best practices, this episode delivers actionable takeaways on reducing rejects, improving consistency, and achieving better results with less chemistry.

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