[TheForge] Flat black finish

[CGRAF]

Okay, I just have to ask.

Other than odor, I would think cat urine, horse urine, dog urine and 
people urine would be pretty much similar allowing for difference in diet.

I am thinking.The process of digestion and elimination is mostly the 
same on all major points.

I am not the guy to do in depth research on this, but perhaps someone has.

  I have heard all of the species above and more listed as sources for 
this type of patination.

Anyone have some hard chemistry to contribute? Or is this just alchemy?

Mike Graf


On 5/1/2016 4:40 PM, Dave Smucker wrote:
> Andy,  Will you cat pee work on 300 series stainless such as 304 or 316 ?  Higher chrome than 400 series.  (As you know it is austenictic while 400 series is not and is much higher antic-corrision.)
>
> Dave Smucker
> Brasstown, NC
>
> ________________________________________
> From: TheForge <theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Andrew Vida <osan at netlabs.net>
> Sent: Sunday, May 1, 2016 7:29 AM
> To: mspencer at tallships.ca; Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Flat black finish
>
> Day short and a dollar late again.  Story of my life.
>
>
> For future reference: cat pee will turn even stainless steel jet black.
> As for matt, flat, gloss, or high shine, that would depend on the
> surface treatment prior to applying the pee.
>
>
> As to getting the pee... fill litter box with sawdust and let kitty so
> his thing.  You can then moisten the dust further and pack the work
> lightly into it, in a retort of some sort.  This is a common technique
> for achieving certain patinations.
>
> Long ago when I was doing the monstet switchblade project, one of my
> cats zotzed a chunk of surface-ground 440 and everywhere the pee made
> contact, the blacked oxide layer I'd ever seen, formed.
>
>
> On 3/11/16, 11:33 PM, Mike Spencer wrote:
>>> 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
>>
>
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