Rust proofing permanently outside items

[SlowJam]

Hi everyone. I'm still quite new and slowly getting into blacksmithing. I’ve made a few things that didn’t require more than beeswax or veg oil as a coating. I’m making some house numbers that will be mounted outside permanently in all the elements. I’d like to keep the look of the original finish if possible. I also don’t want the numbers to rust easily. 

Any coatings you can recommend to keep the rust at bay while out in the elements 24/7 (we get everything from hot sun to snow here). 

Thanks for your help. 

[The Jeff]

This may help.

[SlowJam]

Thank you very much that thread had a ton of great info in it. Much appreciated! 

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

Powder Coat. or Galvanize and Paint. Electroplate is an option.

Neil

[gewoon ik]

i have used rustoleum clear coat satin on my doorhandle outside. 

You see something is on it and feel it (or at least we do, almost nobody else see and/or feels it).

it is only outside for 3 months now, but it still looks good.

 

I wirebrushed it (by hand). i degreased it, till the cloth stays clean. Several lights coatings are applied.

 

[whitewill1412]

How long would beeswax hold up outside?

[Frosty]

Depends on a lot of things. Weather is one and includes sunlight, temperature, rain, snow, ice, etc. Air pollution maybe? blown dust and sand for sure. Beeswax stays soft and tacky for I don't know how long and don't know how it stands up to the elements.

On a handrail, beeswax would rub off pretty quickly but would be easy to rewax. 

Better than 20 years ago while we were still pretty new here I forged a number of hangers for whatever Deb wanted to hang. I finished them in a wax recipe from Alex Bealers, "Art Of Blacksmithing," that reads IIRC, "melt wax together with lamp black and turpentine." He didn't specify what kind of wax so I used parafin canning wax. Later I added Neatsfoot oil to soften it but when I finished the plant hangers I had to melt and stir it.

I applied it to smoking hot brushed steel and none of the hangers shows signs of rust, even the ones with steel things hanging and swinging in the wind.

I make no promises though, I don't even remember everything I put in it. I use a carnuba paste wax name of "Tre Wax" and it's pretty bullet proof. I apply it to metal about fresh cup of coffee / tea hot. It liquifies and penetrates very well and as it cools I wipe off the excess. Bowling Alley Wax is another carnuba paste wax. As the name implies carnuba wax is used to wax bowling alley lanes and they have to sand it off to strip it. 

Tre Wax carnuba is my go to finish.

Frosty The Lucky.

[SlowJam]

Thanks! This is directly in line with the info you provided years ago in the thread linked up above. Glad to hear it’s still working out for you. Getting some Tre Wax in a couple of days. 

Edited July 3, 2024 by Mod30
Remove excessive quote.

[Humphreys Hammer]

I read on the net somewhere that a paint additive, Penetrol, is glossy, transparent and provides very reliable rust protection. It is some sort of plastic compound so using is like encasing your piece in plastic.  For small items, I have immersed the piece in Penetrol and let it dry for several days after which it is odorless and very unlikely to rust.  I have just finished making some botanical pieces that I want to display outdoors next to our front door.  They are too big to immerse.  I have read on net that Penetrol can be mixed with Acetone for use for a compressor-driven paint sprayer. But, of course, there was no information about the proportions of Penetrol and Acetone to use so that it can be sprayed.  Anybody have experience with this?  Thanks

 

[Nobody Special]

As far as I know, it's mineral spirits and linseed oil, not a plastic. It's what I had heard, and the MSDS shows it has having linseed oil and "hydrocarbons".  It hardens because - well, linseed oil. It can be rubbed on, sprayed on in from an aerosol bottle, or they make it in a spray can, which might be easier unless what you're using it on is pretty big, although it's something like 15 bucks a can. You'll also want to make sure the piece is clean using acetone first. Make sure it's somewhere where it can have awhile to dry to without picking up little bits of crud, penetrol dries slow.

I'm not sure how well it would last if mixed with acetone - penetrol is normally good outdoors for maybe a year and you'd be adding a thinner to something that already contains a thinner - the mineral spirits. That said, I might be missing something; I'm not a huge fan and haven't played with it in awhile. If I want the same finish and color, I use clearcoat. I also like the classics, paint, blacksmith's goop (beeswax, BLO and acetone or mineral spirits), or even just oil or wax and oil for some applications.

[Frosty]

Bolding all the text is essentially SHOUTING and only has the effect of irritating the readers.

In response to what you're asking. No finish lasts indefinitely, even 24k gold plating only needs the smallest nick to start the process under the plating and cause it to flake off. 

Oil, wax and other finishes that "dry," don't they polymerize, forming complex 3D hydro carbon chains. Hardened BLO IS a plastic, good old Krylon enamel is a plastic. If you want something other than a plastic electro plating, powder coating or fusion enameling are as far as I know your choices but get your wallet out.

About, "reading somewhere on the net." Unless you already know about a subject relying on the internet is pretty good way to spend time following cyber- myth tracks without learning anything useful. 

Instead try reading real sources, there are laboratories with no other purpose than testing paint and various preservative methods for metal, wood, concrete, etc. 

Probably one of the best ways to preserve iron and steel is hot dip galvanizing covered in an epoxy paint, automotive or big rig truck paints are very tough and weather resistant. It'll still need to be taken care of and "refreshed" periodically.

Final note on that point. Ask experts and get away from the babble of spontaneous ignorant opinions on the web. Ignorance isn't an insult it's just not knowing a thing. We are ALL ignorant, only God isn't. When I render an opinion without knowing I say so up front and why. 

Sorry it that comes across like a rant, it's not intended to be but I'm only on my second cup of coffee. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[gewoon ik]

On 7/2/2024 at 9:32 AM, gewoon ik said:

i have used rustoleum clear coat satin on my doorhandle outside. 

You see something is on it and feel it (or at least we do, almost nobody else see and/or feels it).

it is only outside for 3 months now, but it still looks good.

 

I wirebrushed it (by hand). i degreased it, till the cloth stays clean. Several lights coatings are applied.

 

Update. Doorhandle is still good.

An hook (with sharp corners) not so, on the corners, the paint was too thin.

[ZebraPaste]

When we have rails or other steel products going outside we use cold galvanizing paint as the primer coat. We have to warranty our stuff so we opt for the zrc brand 98% zinc. It’s certified for repair on hot dipped industrial products. Doesn’t have the same abrasion resistance as hot dipped but it’s as protective as it gets and takes top coat really well. Best brand of paint we’ve used is majic farm implement paint. Not sure if those are available where anyone else is but I’d put those layers up against sand blasted and powder coated products any day.