Finishes for your work.

[Dave Shepard]

What does everybody do to finish their work? I know some people use beeswax, or beeswax and linseed oil. Any favourite recipes? Thanks.


Dave

[Archie Zietman]

I use vegetable oil, just get a very hot black heat and stick it in, then I wipe it vigerously with an oily old towel.

[Joseff]

Beeswax and olive oil. Melt the beeswax, pour in an equal amount of olive oil, let cool. Becomes a paste, just rub on and apply heat.
Joseff

[gerald]

I most often use paste wax (Johnson's or Tre Wax). I also have a stash of MinWax wood worker's finishing wax that I use for special stuff. It seems to give a "deeper" finish and buffs up to a higher shine than the floor wax. I use vegatable oil on anything that could potentially touch food. A word of caution about oiling food items: Don't use Peanut Oil. Many people are highly allergic to peanuts. You don't know who will be eating the food prepared with your item so you could be contributing to somebody becoming very ill. Just get a jug of the cheapest, generic vegatable oil and keep it handy for food implements.

[ThomasPowers]

Ahhh it totally depends what your work will be used for and *where*; something I didn't notice in your original post.

Out here in the desert stuff above ground will last nearly indefinitely with no finish but the sun is a killer for most finishes. Along the seashore the same piece would disappear into rust in a couple of years.

The living room is a very different environment than the bathroom; an un-heated garage from a dry basement, etc.

I generally use wax for indoor items but we often have *single* digit humidity out here. For items that must be exposed to moisture and chlorides I suggest starting with stainless steel and making sure that it is heat treated and passivated for corrosion control after forging.

For food prep items I often use paraffin wax as it is food safe or "season" them just like you would a cast iron skillet.

For items in low sun, low humidity and low abrasion I will sometimes use a clear spray finish rated for use on metal.

For hard use items I usually let the surface turn brown in use and then oil/wax to prevent active rust from starting.

(out here the ground is high in chlorides and you can have a thick piece of steel that's almost untouched above ground and rusted to tinfoil thickness below ground.)

[Bjorn]

I usually use spray lacquer over a wire brushed surface. the finish is quite shiny, depending on how well it has been descaled first. I'm not sure how food save it is, so I tend to stick to oil or wax on utensils and such.

-Bjorn

[Dave Hammer]

Butcher's Bowling Alley wax is a great finish for indoors. It has similiar content to the witches brew that some blacksmiths stir up.

If you want to use a clear finish for outdoors, Permalac (brand) lacquer seems to have the best (longest lasting) reputation I could find. It's pricy, but lacquer goes a long way. It can be brushed or sprayed.

Otherwise, the rumor is that it is probably best to paint outside work and expect to re-finish it every few years.