Hello All,

I recently completed a door knocker as a gift for friends that live on the coast of Maine Other pieces that I have sent to the coast have developed rust on their sharp edges after a short period in the elements. I used the standard bees wax and linseed oil. I need a better coating soulution but I want to maintain the look of the forged Iron as opposed to the flat black spray paint solution. One looses considerable detail in a piece when we go with the paint. Thoughts?

Rgds,
Peter

Forge it out of a good grade of stainless and passivate the surface before mounting.

For a clear wet look finish on forged iron work exposed to salt air / bad weather - I Highly recommend POR -15 's GLISTEN PC its awesome stuff. Kind of a pain because it takes a few days to cure but it wont get milky or yellow and it'll last and last and last and last ...

Check it out here : Glisten PC


Hope this helps


Jens

Jens,

In regard the 2 part coating, glisten PC, great idea. What do they like for surface prep; white metal or can this product go over an existing finish such as the wax oil combo ?

Thanks,
Peter

I sandblast and "blue" the piece in commercial cold bluing solution (basically yielding a dark phosphate color) then clear coat with satin urethane. The sandblast is necessary or little pieces of scale pop off with temperature changes and start the rusting process.

Nothing lasts forever on mild steel in the elements but this combination will last for some years.

Good subject,,Thanks .

Hey there, I know I'm new but this is something I know Little about. There is an automotive product called Osfo. You just wipe it on with a soft cloth, cotton works well. It bonds with the metal forming a layer between the steel and the air. Then using a clear mat polyurethane, several coats, it lasts for years. I have used this on copper, brass and steel as a painter for architectural elements on buildings. It works very well.

ON RUSTED METAL -OSPHO is a rust-inhibiting coating - NOT A PAINT You do not have to remove tight rust. Merely remove loose paint and rust scale, dirt, oil, grease and other accumulations with a wire brush - apply a coat of OSPHO as it comes in the container - let dry overnight, then apply whatever paint system you desire. When applied to rusted surfaces, OSPHO causes iron oxide (rust) to chemically change to iron phosphate - an inert, hard substance that turns the metal black. Where rust is exceedingly heavy, two coats of OSPHO may be necessary to thoroughly penetrate and blacken the surface to be painted. A dry, powdery, grayish-white surface usually develops; this is normal - brush off any loose powder before paint application.


NEW METALS - For new ferrous or aluminum metals: remove dirt, grease, or oil; apply OSPHO, let dry overnight, then paint.

My brother-in-law used to be a spraypainter in a car factory, and he said one thing to remember is that you have got organic salts on your hands, and if you touch the work after cleaning you leave that behind. Eventually the metal will start rusting there in a few years time.

The most important aspects of painting is surface preparation and film thickness, and the film will eventually wear through.

Jacques, who has messed up enough painting jobs.

Hi Have you tried automotive clear 3 coats, i use it alot and i'm near the coast in OZ. It works for me
Onya John:)

For outdoor stuff that I don't want to rust, I wire brush when hot, cold blue, then use clear automotive engine enamel. The automotive and military marine paints are probably the best around for protecting against the elements.

Another idea, for items that will fit in your oven, is a bake on black finish sold by Brownells. Lots of knifemakers use it. Wes

You will have to make sure you have metal clean to use these products, but they will work very well in the weather. It is very thin coat that lays very close to the metal. like coating that you get from brownells above mentioned this is even better. There are sevral name, but it seems to be the same stuff. Dura coat, it is avable from Dura coat, and there is the coating that you get from ten ring in Texas. Both of these are good finishs, and if you can keep a duck hunter's gun from rusting you can keep can keep a door knocker nice and black.