[TheForge] Flat black finish

[Larry Brown]

Thanks, may your hinges RIP
(Rust in peace)
Larry B

-----Original Message-----
From: TheForge [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike
Spencer
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2016 11:34 PM
To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [TheForge] Re: Flat black finish


> Any recommendations for getting a flat black finish on iron or steel.  
> Customer wants something so it looks like it was in a barn for the 
> last 50 years.

Bert Shaw, the guy that got me interested in this stuff 50 years ago, had a
neighbor who boasted of being able reliably to date any piece of ironwork.
Kinda got up Bert's nose.

So Bert borrowed Sonn from the local library, forged up a nice mid-18th c.
door latch, applied 150 years of wear with files and left it out under the
roof gutter drain for a season.  The self-proclaimed expert firmly
authenticated it as early to mid-18th c.

I appreciate that you want faster results than "a season" but nothing looks
more like "old" than rust.  Do whatever to create some deeply pitted rust --
electrolysis, water twice a day with brine or whatever.
Then a smoke and oil finish with no pre-cleanup.  Linseed oil applied when
the workpiece is just too hot to touch and wiped down won't remain tacky
very long.  And over some decent rust it sure won't look shiny.

Of course, it won't last forever, either.  My woodshed door hinges --
13 years old -- looked old and black with linseed/smoke finish for a few
years but are now just rusty.


FWIW, YMMV etc.,
- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^

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