Hefty Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Hi everyone, One project I'd like to try, to build my forge welding experience in a less performance-critical component, is a damascus belt buckle. I'd make a small billet to get a pattern and then either rivet or TIG weld the loop and keeper pin (not sure if that's the right terminology) onto the back of it. I may be trying to tick too many boxes at once, but what surface finish/treatment could I use to: -prevent rust -still let damascus contrast show -and not mark clothing? The first thing that comes to mind is just to clear coat it, but it's not my preferred finish aesthetically. I'll go with it if there aren't other options, but I thought I'd ask advice here first. If I were to wipe it down with a mineral oil and wipe off as much as possible to prevent marking clothes, will that defeat the purpose of putting it on or will there still be some benefit? Any advice greatly appreciated! Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I’d probably go with a carnauba based paste wax. Even a car wax that’s carnauba based should hold up really well in that application. Keep it fun, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 I've heard carnauba wax gets pretty hard. Partly out of curiosity and partly for the "marking clothes" issue, do you know does it "set", or "dry", or "cure", or just sit there on the surface? Cheers, Jono. Edit: I did a bit of research myself. Auto-detailing places talk about cure time after polishing a car and suggest this is the time allowed for the wax to dry and bond to the polished surface, in their case, the clearcoat of the car's paint job. They don't state if this curing is specific to clearcoat or if the wax does this with all appropriate substrates, but I'm willing to give it a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I will depend on the composition the paste. I made a paste wax with carnauba, beeswax, walnut oil and naphtha. The naphtha dried out very quickly, but the walnut oil took a long time to harden. I thought most car waxes used an emulsion of wax and water, so that should harden pretty quickly in the sun. Keep it fun, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Car waxes have gotten very high tech so they have special application cure, etc. properties and requirements. I finish iron work with Trewax, a carnuba paste wax that is pretty much pure carnuba with something to soften it. I apply it to work about fresh cup of coffee temp, it liquifies with a very low viscosity and penetrates very well as it cools I wipe it off with an old cotton sock. If you allow any runs, drips, beads, etc. they can chip off it's so hard. Carnuba is what they wax bowling alleys with, the stuff they have to sand off to remove. There have been hangers on the barn and upper decks for some 23 or so years that aren't rusting except where a chain or similar things was hung from them. I've never noticed it staining either. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted June 5 Author Share Posted June 5 That sounds good. I was initially thinking that having to heat the work to apply it would risk discolouring the damascus, but if it's only "hot cup of coffee" warm then it shouldn't be an issue. cheers, Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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