I hope one of ya’ll can help me. I’m visiting from the Cooks Board.
I recently came into possession of some absolutely beautifully made, hand-forged iron shelf brackets. They are gorgeous, about 8 inches high, very heavy and pretty, and I am really excited about getting them cleaned up and using them.
Well – I’m a fairly handy person, and I’ve de-rusted them with a combination of rust-remover and some elbow grease but now I’m at a loss of how to “finish” them. If they were a cast iron skillet I’d rub them with oil and bake them in the oven for many hours on low heat. But – they aren’t a skillet (lol) and I’m not sure if that would work with them. I want to give them protection from any future rust and allow them to develop that great patina. Does anyone know what materials I need and what I need to do? I know that most iron work has a layer of some sort of lubricant all over it to protect it, but I don’t know what that lubricant is or how it’s applied. These brackets are going to hold some thick oak shelves in our office.
Any and all ideas/help would be appreciated!
Replies
Boiled linseed oil would work. Thin it down with pure turpentine a bit and apply. Wipe off excess let sit for a few days and apply another light coat wiping it off.
warming up the metal slightly before applying would help absorb it deeper into the metal. Warm to the touch not hot enough to burn skin.
BTW let the rags dry over a saw horse of something for a week before you throw them away. BLO contains metallic dryers and along with the oil it can produce heat enough to spontaineously combust if the conditions were right.
Given that we're talking to a cook, maybe a clarification of "boiled linseed oil" is prudent. The oil is boiled before you buy it, LOL! Not something you want to try at home, as they say. Good luck, Biscuit!!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
WmP, thank you! - I will get myself a small container of the BLO, and I will work out in the garage and dispose of the cloth properly. Thanks for the detailed advice! I'm very fond of good ironwork and I want to do right by these - someone did a beautiful job making them. They even have this great little squared-off dip in them, where you can attach a small strip of wood to the underside of the shelf to fit into the dip and secure the board to the brackets rather than screwing the board into the bracket themselves. They are really quite wonderful pieces.
And Forestgirl - thanks for the definition! (lol) When I read "boiled linseed oil" - well, I know what linseed oil is, but having used it only once, I was thinking "OMG! I have to boil the stuff? Oh, yuk! Or is that just what it's called and I actually BUY "boiled linseed oil"?" (LOL) I would have asked, of course, before I went any further, but I would have felt a little stupid doing it - thanks for preserving my dignity! (G)
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Biscuit, I just figured as a cook you'd have an itchy pilot flame!!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Biscuit, I just figured as a cook you'd have an itchy pilot flame!!
No, but I do have a torch, and I'm not afraid to use it! (on creme brulee, baked alaska...) (LOL) I've gotten some strange looks from guest when I get out a torch to "finish" desserts with!
Everyone - thank you so much for your help. Lots of great takes on the problem. I think I may try the stove polish first - I would love to get them to turn nice and black. It had occurred to me to get black wax and see how that worked, but I wasn't sure if it would work on iron. The tip you all mentioned about heating the iron first is great - I wouldn't have thought of that on my own, although - that's exactly why you heat a cast-iron skillet before rubbing oil on it to season it. Opens the "pores" in the metal and allows the lubricant to get into all the nooks and crannys, sealing them off, and creating a beautiful non-stick surface. I guess that bit of science holds true for all iron.
Thanks again - you guys are so helpful! And since I'm over here, I might as well post another question I have...better do it in finishing, though.
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Edited 7/17/2003 10:21:54 PM ET by Biscuit
Another good indoor finish is just plain ole Johnsons paste wax, or equivalent. Warm up the iron to about 250 degrees and apply with a rag. It will melt and run, so put down a drop cloth or paper. Once cool, buff with a cotton rag and apply a second coat at room temp, rebuff when dry. Works fine for indoor iron. I don't recommend it for outdoor work.
Your mileage may vary...!
Biscuit, I remember polishing my godmother's parlor stove in the 1940's
Stove polish is still available so check wood stove retailers.
The main ingredient in stove polish, is carbon black with some kind of oil binder (B O L?)
It'll give you patina to die for.
After heating the iron object, apply the stove polish and rub it in good.
Might want to give it another shot.
Before each heating, rub (Buff) off any remaining loose film, then repeat as in step one. Stein.
You know your onions Bisc, (About frying pans).
I used the same 'Tempering'you used on griddles to 'Japan' old hinges and screws.
With high enough heat, I duplicated that rainbow blue cast onto bright steel. Another suggestion is to use Gun blueing. ???
Biscuit,
Another way to protect them is to to use Casey liquid gun blue. Availble at your favorite Big 5 sporting goods or Walmart. It will turn then black. I put a paste wax on them just for good measure. (Measure, oh my a cooking pun. lol)
Len
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