[TheForge] oil/wax finish, blackened steel

[Jerry Frost]

I'm sure I'll be corrected by someone who knows more but I THINK Yellin 
prefered to paint his iron regularly, if the customer wasn't willing to do 
it him/erself would contract it done.

Carbon in steel isn't what causes rust. The silica inclusions offer some 
protection but not a lot. I have an old anchor I pulled out of Anton Larson 
Bay on the north side of Kodiak Isle. some decades ago that shows the 
classic wrought iron rust pattern.

I do agree with not wanting to slather a thick layer of goop over fine 
detail work and would prefer if everybody who bought my work would keep it 
indoors. My favorite, to date, paint finish is clear 2pt epoxy thinned with 
xylene so it makes for a really thin coat. It's tough as nails and doesn't 
hide details. I rub raw wool on my doffers for the lanolin finish and it's 
surprisingly durable though they're indoor items. Deb's a spinner which 
makes us a steelwool couple.

Jer
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mike shpeley" <willowforge at yahoo.ca>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 9:35 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] oil/wax finish, blackened steel


> >From what I understand Jerry, is that back in the good old days of real 
> >wrought
> iron there was not the carbon in the iron so rust was not a real problem.
> Apparently
>
> Sam Yellin provided a contract to apply a clear finish to his work every 
> year.
> For my personal outside hardware, I have just been wire brushing the 
> scale off
> every summer and reapplying my Tung oil finish. Works.  It really pains me 
> to
> cover up some detail work that I am proud of with 3 coats of paint. 
> Cheapens it
> somehow.
>
> Mike