So i submerged some Friul tracks in Blacken it, and in some places it turned it brown, other places were left bare, and in some places, i got this funky white crusty stuff. What happened here? Are the tracks salvageable?
Sure. The problem is caused by the mold release agent on the tracks. They have to be washed in either dish soap or soaked in vinegar (my preferred cleaner) before you use a chemical stain like BlackenIt.
Go ahead and clean them (are they assembled yet?) and then re-apply the BlackenIt. Should work for you.
they are assembled. I will give it a go. Thanks 
If they’re assembled, a worn out toothbrush can be used to scrub them (lightly) as well. Remember to soak them in something after they come out of the BlackenIt also. I think baking soda and water works, been a while for me, I paint them instead of using the BlackenIt.
I’d REALLY recommend trying my acid method on a spare link, because the results were astonishing to me.
If you feel inclined to check it out, heres the link:
/forums/t/124769.aspx?PageIndex=3
I like the result, but straight muriatic acid is touchy to work with, so say the least. I do happen to have a half-gallon or so (for the pool) so I think I may give it a whirl, but I will dilute it first, see what happens.
I’ve washed tracks in vinegar overnight before treating with Blacken-It and still ended up with bare spots. A wash in the appropriate umber color should blend things in.
Don
Don,
The several times that I’ve used Blacken-It on Fruils that I thought were preped, had voids in the finish. What I had realized is that sometimes you will get air pockets on the track. I never figured out a good solution to the problem. Perhaps, Blacken-It in an ultrasonic cleaner?
Cheers
Dave
When you clean with vinegar and you are still get the bare spots, that is usual from bubbles getting caught in the recesses. I always do my tracks assembled for ease of handling. Break then down into lengths that will fit into a long plastic meat tray. Lay the tracks, cover with Blacken-It and get it into the cracks and crevices with a toothbrush.
I just picked up some muriatic acid to try that.
Dunno about Blacken -It in an ultrasonic but might be worth a try. Certainly a good idea for the vinegar.
Hey, not a bad idea. Maybe I’ll try it next armor build. Let you know if it works.
Don
My over-all conclusion is that its just so much easier to paint them lol. But i do appreciate all the help and will try this!
Any recommendations on what to dilute this stuff with? Blacken-It has been less than satisfactory of late and I’m not close to any hobby shops that carry it (despite being in a metro area-what happened to local HSs?!).
Also-anyone else try the muriatic acid on completed tracks to share results? I have a few sets assembled that I want to finish. Thanks!