The last batch of steak-turners did something weird that I've never had happen to me before. It turned almost like a black glossy paint. Can't hardly dent any bubbles that formed with your fingernail. Copper scrub pad hardly scratches it. Has anyone else had this happen?

It was hot rolled 1/4" metal soaked in vinegar and baked @ 550F in the oven until warm and the oil rubbed on and then put back in to blacken up for an hour or so. Started out patchy so I kept adding a bit more oil to make it more even. Looks fine other than the unevenness of the paint and bubbles from drips.

Sure. Applying oil or wax to hot steel is a pretty commmon blacksmith's finish. But it sounds like you knew that. What's the issue? The fact that it turned black? It's supposed to do that.

It has carbonized, like a cast iron frying pan.

Like the computer geeks say "That's not a bug, that's a feature".

Yep. It's reasonably durable.

It's the way it came out. I've never seen it go glossy and thick like paint before and was wondering if others had had it happen. It usually winds up black and a matte type finish that you can't really "see" like a coat of paint

It just depends how thick you put it on. If possible I like to heat the piece with a gas forge or propane torch, take it out of the forge and, while holding it, "spritz" it lightly with oil. It seems to help me get an even coat without runs and dribbles.

well oil and vinagar don't mix. :oJust kidding:D a Pic would be nice to see what it is doing.

Hope it shows the glossiness


Coating after working at it with a copper scrub brush

Actually I don't really see anything wrong except that it is a little extra shiney.
You did a nice job of forging and didn't over heat the metal. The twists are good and appropriate. I think that maybe you are just doing a better job and didn't realize it, :)

the photo's don't show it well.
my girlfriend described it as a plastic-y coating. In all my years I haven't seen it on anything done with heat and wax or oil. Just paint. I'll try and get different pics in different light and see if that helps.

Did you use a different oil than you normally do?

what I see is white marks from soapstone. I would reheat to working temp. to burn it all off the oil and soapstone wire bruch then cool and try again. Myself I would use stright bees wax. only my $.02 nice work we have boy scouts make steak turners for there metal working merritbadge here

Edited August 14, 200916 yr by Francis Cole

Well as I tell my students when something goes odd but is still quite usable: "Charge extra for it!"

Those are the scratches made by the scrub pad, no soapstone was used. The thing that gets me is that it looks like a really poor, bubbled and uneven paint job so people might get worried I was lying about it being oil.

If it bothers you that much, why not just burn it off and give it another whirl?

Going to wire brush it and try again. Was just curious if anyone else had it happen.

Hey EC,

I do a lot of finishing with vegetable oil to make my hammered vessels and utensils food safe.

What you're describing happens fairly often - the oil has "flash cooked" to a hard shiny finish which rests more on the surface of the metal instead of "soaking in" and building up in layers.

I've never been able to pin down the exact reason. One piece will turn out fine, the next will be as you described - I've changed oil batches, applied at a bunch of different heats, wiped on, sprayed, dipped and used just about every other kind o' application technique and it still occurs on occasion.

While it seems tough, it's very brittle with a tendency to break up and flake off down to bare metal with any flexing or abrupt physical shock to the piece.

Reheating, burning it off and starting over really is the best thing for it.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

Thanks for the info. Now, how to get it off other than a forge since I would have to wait a few weeks to get back to the farm.... wire brush on a drill - nope, soaking in hot water with soap - nope, vinegar - nothing yet.....

Try running through the dishwasher. That takes the seasoning off cast iron pans. I finish my pans with shortening in the oven as I find oil to be sticky when done. A few coats of shortening is glossy like that, but will have no bubbles whether you rub it in hot, or cold then heat.

You could also build a campfire.

Phil