[frogvalley]

Not for outdoor use is wrong. Any of the above finishes that I have talked about can be used outdoors. Our modern thinking is coat it and forget it. The older finishes needed to be reapplied once a year or perhaps every two years but they certainly are fine for preventing rust. I treat and touch up stuff all the time. It isn't that hard to do, a little steel wool and reapply the linseed oil or what have you and bingo.

However, I do use other finishes for clients that want it and for some of my gallery customers Ifinish work with a Clear Rustoleum or for a little more a couple of coats of Polyurethane Clear. I happen to like the look of these finishes myself as you can see through to the black and silver colors of the metal. Clear enamel or poly is my finish of choice for sculptural indoor or outdoor items that I don't want to "patina" to red(rust). Next in line is pure boiled linseed oil, not heated.

I don't put the spray finishes on traditional hooks or tripods or hangers or the like. Not usually anyway. And I don't powder coat at all. Even a powder coat will eventually wear and rust so all of these finishes are transitory. Why worry about it rusting outside anyway? Unless the stains will be troublesome, mostly I tell people to let it rust. It takes 75 years to rust through a half inch of iron, maybe longer so I ain't all that worried.