Ted,
Very interesting comment you made about seeing case colors removed underneath a chipped off piece of lacquer. Having read Dr. Gaddy's articles many times I thought I had an understanding that the colors we see are actually caused by the irregular microscopic surface structures in the steel itself, causing something similar to a prismatic effect, thus yielding the colors.
I learned years ago that, in absence of lacquer coating, a light coat of any oil will enhance the brilliance of the colors ......... kinda making them "pop". I have never applied a coat of clear lacquer to a color case hardened part, so I cannot answer what I am about to ask. Maybe you, or someone else here can address it. The question is, does the application of lacquer cause the colors to "pop", as does oil? And, if so, could it's removal, as in a chip coming off, reverse that "pop" so that it looked like the colors came off with the chip?
With what I thought I understood about case colors it is hard for me to understand how a flake of old lacquer coming off could change the surface structure enough to "remove" the color(s). Not saying it didn't lessen the appearance of the colors where the chip came off, just questioning how and why?
Thanks, SRH
