Starlight Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I've got a customer that would like me to make some bracket plates for the edge of his brew pubs bar. He wants "forged black iron" to go with his western stagecoach theme. The two things that these brackets will encounter in their lifetimes are spilled beer, and customer bellies. Anybody out there want to weigh-in on finishes for this? The customer would really like something that looks like a traditional finish (like linseed oil and beeswax for example). I am concerned about finish durability (rust). I think that powder coating is out since I think that it would fill in desirable scale marks/details. Perhaps doing the work in stainless and then sending it out for blackening? Maybe forging it in bronze then doing a liver of sulfur patina and a clear coat if the customer is OK with bronze highlights showing up over time? Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Black paint is very traditional. One of the reason a lot of old decorative forging is overexaggerated...to make up for features being filled in. Especially since stagecoach era is all of 130 yrs or so back.(unless we're talking English mail coach type...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 burnt on linseed oil finish; traditional; tough and will wear to a "natural" patina over time. Skip the other ingredients! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I'm wondering about a wipe on polyurethane finish. If need be you could add some black to the finish to darken it some. Easy to touch up if need be and pretty durable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 To be honest, being rubed against will acualy keep it polished and relitivly rust free. The wax or oil finish (hot dipped) will only wear away wear the bear bellys rub (or wrangler butts). Stainless is an option, but not nessisary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Spray coats of automobile clear coat is quite durable over the black coal forge color you get from wire brushing. It has worked for me on frequently handled items, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 This has reminded me of the statue of St Peter in the Vatican and his foot which has been worn down from visitors kissing it over the years. Unless it's going outside just use something basic like beeswax and let the bellies burnish your work with their kiss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Western Stagecoaches were as stated by Nobody Special about 130-150 yrs ago. Most iron work on them were black and beat up most of the time. As Charles says they are going to be polished by Belles or Butt, plus depending on the height of the drinkers scratched by belt buckles, sippers and what ever is hanging on belts. Most of these coaches were made by Abbot and Downing in Concord NH about 100 miles from me. I had two grandfather who drove them in VT. These pics were taken in Woodstock VT sometime in the 1880-1895 era. First one is the Norwich coach which ran everyother day 30 miles to across the CT River from Dartmouth College, NH. Second one is the daily mail run to the outlying post offices around Woodstock and is in a museum today in Plymouth VT. at the Pres. Calvin Coolidge Homestead . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Photos from the Woodstock Historic Center collection.Tried to edit this in above and it wouldn't let me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 if you take stainless to a yellow heat the throw into the slack tub you get a black oxide that is very hard to grind offwe do alot of SS art pieces & many times I have to tig weld pieces together that oxide coat doesn't weld good @ all so must grind area to well then reheat piece if I want that black oxide look on the hole piece try a test piece !Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Trewax "carnuba paste wax" on 200+f pieces is durable enough for most belly rubbing and is EASY to touch up. It has a very low viscosity when melted so will fill very small voids via capillarity and is hard enough to chip when cool. Wipe it on and wipe off the excess. I have pieces hanging outside that show zero rust and they're been there going on 16 years.Then again I'm sure most of you guys are getting tired of me and Trewax but it works a treat. Oh and touching it up is as simple as wiping it with the applicator in the can and wiping off the excess.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlight Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 Thanks everyone! Sure appreciate the help. Nice to see y'all rushing to the aid of a smith that has beer belly problems! I will try out several methods and will definitely try out the stainless slack tub method mentioned by IronWolf for the fun of it too. Even if i don't use it on this job, I can see it being handy another time. Frosty's Trewax will definitely get a try too, due to it's simplicity. Touch up is very important, I don't want to have to go in and pull all the work at a later date.Love the photos notownkid! I've got a picture of a restored Concord stagecoach that I have been staring at.All in all, you folks have put my mind at ease. I have never dealt with beer on my iron work before. Of course, I have had beer on my anvil, but its always in some kind of container! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) HAY Frosty I never got tired of you're posts ! or others !! theirs many ways to skin a cat so you make it worksI have done things that good welds say can't be done LOL I always ask myself why ? then I make a fix !when I was working for a weekly pay ck the UPPER Bose"s didn't like me much we played heavy !!! Darn never got fired though I tried to !! cause I do things right . or NOT @ all back then they scraped 90 % of that we made Gov job MY scrap was 10 % or less Hmm I think @ this point the metal sup / type changed & They didn't understand that they had engineers RIGHT ?? for what LOL that blew out everything down the line to scrap !!on the line / warp = fit up to jig & so on !! myself & another welder didn't go by the welding book & made it work NOPE !!!! can't do that do it the way the book says -- proved that wrong in front of the Big boys LOL can't think outa the box !!! WE did !! yep Nope LOL ** PS for thoughts that read this there is never a Box or something you can't do more or less !!!that is why you have come here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11LOL plant closed for a week I moved 1000 mile up the coast & never look back they called better money & what ever LOL It is a SHAME !! when LG CO didn't listen to the guy that's doing the job & making there money @ that point they can save $$$ alot buy thinking outa the box ???????/this is one of the reasons I am here I don't have a box Edited October 25, 2015 by IronWolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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