ausfire Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I guess you experienced blacksmiths have been asked this a thousand times. I would like to know, when you are doing items at a show, how you finish the pieces so that people can take them away?They look a bit raw straight off the forge. I prefer to take mine home, buff them on the wire wheel and then add a spray metal sealer followed by a light coat of wax. That's not practical on site where people want to take an item home. Straight beeswax appears to be gluggy. I do mainly small items like hooks, handles, keyrings, reo snakes, roses and so on. Is there a quick and easy method to make a forged item presentable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I've done a lot of shows where I sell what I make on sight. The easiest and most durable finish is to apply a black finish with oil on towel material after the piece is forged and is still hot. At the right temperature the oil burns on in layers kind of like seasoning cast iron cookware but a lot faster. If the piece is too hot you will burn your rag excessively. If it is not hot enough, your just wiping on hot oil. Bunch your rag up so you don't burn yourself and don't touch the black metal with your bare hands. To clean any dirty oil just wipe with another rag with clean oil and then wipe off with a clean rag. I prefer to use vegetable oils instead of petroleum distillates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I use paraffin wax, food safe, cheap, easy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio Rusty Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I brush the piece briskly with a wire brush to remove any scale or soot on the piece, then I rub the piece while warm with either a piece of dark beeswax or black shoe polish and wipe off the excess with a rag. That is the best you can do on site without going home to do any extra finish work. Ohio Rusty ><> Purveyor and Blacksmith The Ohio Frontier Forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Clean up with a wire brush and while warm (not hot) brush or use a cloth to apply some (Future) Floor Wax. It dries quite quickly. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I kinda like using a spray can of no stick cooking spray...no muss no fuss, and food safe......Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 Thank you all for those suggestions. I will try them all. I did have some success using a commercial leather dressing which I think was mainly beeswax with a bit of linseed or neatsfoot oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnie Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I prefer using an equal mix of beeswax, linseed oil and white spirit.It will harden when it cools so keep in in a metal container near the forge so its molten and ready to use.Brush on and buff off when the piece can be handled but not cold as it takes a lot more elbow grease to buffoff!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnie Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Sorry, brush on at black hot to get the best protection!The light smoke will tell you if the piece is hot enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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