Just how is the best way to get a good dark finish on metal fresh from the forge with out painting.
Right now I brush my work down first by hand then on a wire wheel then maybe use a hand grinder with an medium to fine abrasive disk then apply a wax. Most of the time it's Renaissance wax or a premium grade of Chrome & Metal wax by trutle wax. Now this is mainly for indoor type of items not outdoor as I may have a deal to make a type of hat holder for a man in town who makes custom hats. I'm doing up several proto types and want to have several finishes to go along with each for him to chouse from. So any ideas will help
Thanks
billp

The easiest way is to get the metal a little hotter than you would for waxing and rub a cotton rag on it so the rag chars and then apply lots of wax so that some of it burns and blackens the piece under the wax coat.

The easiest way is to get the metal a little hotter than you would for waxing and rub a cotton rag on it so the rag chars and then apply lots of wax so that some of it burns and blackens the piece under the wax coat.

That would ruin the heat treat if you are not very careful. Use gun blue.

You can oil finish using your choice of oil and applying at black heat. This works with shortening, vegetable oil, lard, and furniture oils like Linseed. Use only food safe products on food service pieces. The oil will burn in like seasoning a pan, but can give uneven results. Linseed oil with chemical driers (often sold as "boiled") can give subtle funky colors to the finish, but should not be used on pieces contacting food.

Phil

That would ruin the heat treat if you are not very careful. Use gun blue.

Is the piece heat treated to begin with? Gun bluing does look good on a lot of pieces not requiring heat treat too. Verify its safety with food service pieces before use in that application, all the ones I am familiar with are toxic.

Phil

Ah yes. This was in the bladesmithing forum. Just read the question and not the forum title. It would be hard on the temper.

Is the piece heat treated to begin with? Gun bluing does look good on a lot of pieces not requiring heat treat too. Verify its safety with food service pieces before use in that application, all the ones I am familiar with are toxic.

Phil

The solutions are toxic but the finish is typically no more than .0001 thick and the reaction is normally killed so there is no after-rust. I've used cold blue on food grade items for many years and have never seen any side effects other than this third eye in my forehead...:lol:

I like the idea about the oils as I have not tried that yet. I have used gun bluing or I should say browning before when I first started. It was left over from when I treated a black power rifle barrel as I was looking for a more time realistic finish on my rifle. Used it on an old hammer (an engineers cross peen) I got at a flee market after I buffed all the rust off it. The hammer came out with a copper like finish and really looks good now, and not a bad hammer to work with. I'll have to get some bluing and try it.

But for now what I'm making will only hold hats no food so I don't have to worry about toxins. Has anyone ever tried old motor oil? Seems like I heard of someone using that before but not sure and could be wrong.

Thank guys for your help
BillP

But for now what I'm making will only hold hats no food so I don't have to worry about toxins. Has anyone ever tried old motor oil? Seems like I heard of someone using that before but not sure and could be wrong.

Thank guys for your help
BillP

Old motor oil will work, it does contain a lot of engine/fuel contaminents that can be quite potentially dangerous, and can also leave deposits like scale on the surface you are trying to finish.

Try new motor oil, it will be soon be "used" but without the fuel contamination.

Beware of flaming, with oils, I usually have a metal container that has a lid I can quickly place over it to starve any flames and extinguish them, careful when you remove it in case the oil reignites.

Will on what you have told me John B, I think I'll leave the motor oil alone at least for now. I have enough linseed and tung oil I think I'll try first along with the gun bluing. But thanks for your advice never thought of the extra trash in the used motor oil but I understand what you're saying.
Thank again
BillP

I use this recipe and it works real well.

1 part beeswax
1 part turpentine
1/2 part boiled linseed oil


Got the recipe here...
Recipe video

Got it Thanks I'll give it a try
Bill P

You can oil finish using your choice of oil and applying at black heat. This works with shortening, vegetable oil, lard, and furniture oils like Linseed. Use only food safe products on food service pieces. The oil will burn in like seasoning a pan, but can give uneven results. Linseed oil with chemical driers (often sold as "boiled") can give subtle funky colors to the finish, but should not be used on pieces contacting food.

Phil

Thank you ! this is exactly what Ive been looking for. Tried it on a few scrap pieces yesterday, I love it. Been looking for a non painted black finish for bolster, hilt on a knife I'm working on slowly. this fits perfectly.

For a very dark black finish I like to use Briwax ebony color available from Woodwokers Supply. Works well cold or hot.

I use this recipe and it works real well.

1 part beeswax
1 part turpentine
1/2 part boiled linseed oil


Got the recipe here...
Recipe video

I use a slightly different recipe that was given to me a while back from someone on here. It's a 30/60/10 mixture of beeswax, boiled linseed oil and pure gum turpentine. It's what I used on this bench: http://www.iforgeiro..._1#entry176592. and on the first two crosses here: http://www.iforgeiro...__1#entry189491 (the highlights were made after applying the coating - just used a 120 grit flap disk to hit the high spots).

Basically to make it you put all the ingredients in a double boiler, melt it all together, pour it into whatever you want to keep it in and then let it sit. It solidifies into a nice paste that you can rub on to your hot piece with a rag. You have to experiment with the temperature of the piece to get the black color you want.

Has anyone tried black boot polish?

We tried boot polish but it tended to catch fire very quikly making the aplication tricky, so we have reverted to quenching in used oil from diesel veichles wich I think imparts a 'natural' look?
Ian

What I have used alot, IF you're using a coal forge, get the piece just hot enough so it's not touchable. Figure around 120- 140 degrees and work the hot piece through the coal dust/ slury on the far edge away from your fire. Pull it out, wire brush and then wipe with some beewax, then wire brush again. If you're doing a blade, this step is done right before the hardening and annealing, which would have to be done LAST, other than a final sharpening.Would work best on a primative/ early type/ fur trade or earlier style that has an as forged finish. For durability I did this with alot of hoof picks and some hoof knives I made years ago and the metal is still dark except for where sharpened the grill tools (Meat forks and spatulas) I used this method on are also still holding up even with handwashing- although I do occasionally wipe them down with a beeswaxed rag while still warm from the hot wash/ rinse water.

Hey Bill,

Hadn't seen it mentioned yet, so thought I would chime in.

You can finish a piece just like you finish a cast iron pan. Just apply some vegetable oil and bake in the oven just like you would the cast iron pan. It will give the same even finish that you get on a pan. If it won't fit in an oven then I just do like has been mentioned, get it to a high black heat and rub vegetable oil on it.

Caleb Ramsby

I get good results with P-nut oil. I get the metal to a dull red heat and quench. Be careful, it will flare up. I have also used clear spray on polyurethane The hotter the metal, the darker the finish. Please post some pics. We would like to see how things work out.


Mitch