[TheForge] 2 Questions

[Rick Korinek]

Hello all.  I have two questions that relate to jobs coming up.

First, what kind of finish do you use for fireplace doors?  What do you use
vs. paint that will stand up to the high temps encountered--especially when
using mild steel?  In the case at hand, the client is interested in screen
doors out of bronze with bronze screen.  I would like to patina down from
shinny then protect/coat to fix or slow further darkening.  

The second question has to do with material handling.  There are numerous
situations where one needs 10 to 16 feet of stock textured and/or worked--a
handrail for straight stairs, for example.  I am at a loss for how to heat,
work in the power hammer and then straighten a long piece except to work
with smaller pieces and weld them together.  I have worked pieces up to 7-8
feet long.  This seems like the limit without a better system to support
work around the hammer and forge.

Very interested in your thoughts,
-Rick