Finishing cast iron. Stove black and then what to seal?

[Bm101]

I've rather daftly taken on a impromptu restoration job that has been sitting in my garden for a good couple of years. I have far more productive things to be doing and the Mrs is proper muttering. :shock:
Regular readers might guess what it is and I will definitely post pics in a dedicated thread when it's done.
It's an old bit of kit, I don't want it too shiny.
I'm not after spending days on this rubbing and filling and painting 6 coats of machine paint. I want it it working and clean but not too fancy.
I love the look of Wallace's wadkin refurbs like everyone but I also love the look of Andy T's minimal sympathetic finishes on his lathe and so on and I feel this is right for what I'm cleaning up at the moment...
Basically I'm time and money short and I'm happy I'm not half a*sing the job but doing it suitably which it deserves.

Story so far.
I've spent a good few hours masked up 'tae F**k' on a flapper disc I've stripped most of the old paint. Grim work but curiously satisfying.
I've been soaking screws and bits in citric acid. I still get a little buzz when some component come out the hotpot like new. =D> I love that side of this stuff. *oldguyshuffledance*
I phoned a local shot blast firm this avo because there's 2 bits I can't clean with the angle grinder. Pop round tomorrow if work allows.
I looked at proper paint removal but industrial gear is crazy money and this is a budget project all day. We'll see what they say. Hope they are good guys and interested. You never know.

So, finally.
If I am after using a zebrite equivalent stove black. I know I can buff it and so on I've had a few stoves.
Can I seal it? know I can paint BLO on. But I don't really want it all going brown either. What's the best thing to seal the stove black?
I have a plumbers torch if that helps.

Teaser!

Cheers fellas!
Chris.

 

[AndyT]

Hmm, interesting...
Assuming it's not going back into the garden, then if you are using stove polish, I don't think you need to seal it with anything.
I posted some pictures once, years ago of an old Union transitional plane that I used Zebrite on. I probably referred back to it once or twice. That's an indoor tool, obviously. I don't claim to use it often, but when I do, I don't need to wash my hands afterwards. I just rubbed the stuff on with an old toothbrush and buffed it off with some rag. You could use a mop in a hand drill for something big.

Alternatively, you could try just the blo, thinned down a bit with some turps/turps sub/white spirit, missing out the Zebrite. The old paint in your teaser looks just right for it.
I've not noticed anything going brown, though I haven't taken colour-corrected photos every six months...
It was a suggestion of Jacob's btw. I've also used it on some other tools, like my hand-driven pillar drill and my treadle powered Trump fretsaw.

 

[Bm101]

Brilliant. Cheers Andy.
It will be kept indooors. Zebrite equivalent it is!
All I need to hear,
Chris

 

[Cheshirechappie]

The 'pragmatic' treatment we used to use in heritage railway circles for things that were not 'posh' like locos or passenger stock, was one coat of red lead primer, then a coat of whatever colour was appropriate.

I think way back in the 19th century, linseed oil was the base for most paints, sometimes with added white lead and colour pigments, sometimes just on it's own. I'm fairly sure that such things as machine tools were just 'finished' with a couple of coats of linseed, back in the days before the 'exhibition' type coach-painted finishes that became commoner in the 20th century.

 

[Bm101]

Thanks CC. I have a few old second hand tools still covered in solid brown gunk as rust protection. I've always assumed it was linseed oil, boiled or not, and that age and workshop grime had turned it brown over time. Possibly I was wrong about this of course. I s'pose it it could have been all sorts of gear daubed on as long it worked. Creosote, whatever...

I didn't get to the shot blasters today so it will be next week now for 'reasons' before I get a price. I could do with finishing off some DIY anyway if I want to make it through the Bank Holiday Jacobsia Intacta to use High Latin....
I might order some zebrite equivalent anyway. I want to tone down the cast iron a little after the flap wheels.
If the blast guys want too much cash I have enough decent craftmaster paint somewhere left over from the Meddings drill to just about do the sections I can't get the grinder too with some inventive work with the old edging tape. I can't for the life of me find it though! The Mrs put it somewhere 'safe'.
Gahhhhh!

Time will reveal all. For better or worse. :|

Cheers
Chris

 

[AndyT]

Chris, here's the old thread with some before and after pictures of Zebrite in use.

union-jack-plane-identification-and-dating-t61022.html

 

[Jacob]

I've been using black Alback Linseed oil paint on a cast iron gate and other bits of metal work. Just needs chipping off loose stuff, a wire brush down and slap it on, rust and all.
It is very black, matt and non reflective and sticks like **** to a blanket, 3 years on so far.
I know I sound obsessive but it really does seem to work very well! Lasting better then Hammerite at the moment.
Looks just like Zebrite.

 

[Bm101]

Brilliant!
Thanks Andy, that's the exact finish I was after and an interesting read to top it off! That adjuster style is completely new to me and goes in the memory bank..
(And fair play for the edits to replace the photos.)
I'm sure you have guessed what I'm working on, as you posted links to the original thread by Douglas, in another refurb thread of a similar machine by Ryolith recently, which was exactly the thread that kicked me into gear to finish 'my' one after all this time.
Albeit mine is a very belt and braces one man and his dog dust off compared to the many hours Ry has put in on a major refurb and repair.

Link to some pics. To 'display' the before and afters and the problem areas.
I'll post a proper thread at some point as well when it's all finished and working.
https://imgur.com/a/0vJPG5b

And btw. For the long standing members who remember the original discussion, it was the original colour. I did find some grey blue traces but anyway looked liked undercoat or on just the main handwheel. Bit odd. Its always partly guesswork I suppose. Even the parts of the machine that had not seen daylight for 100 years odd under bolts and tool beds were the same. I think it was quite a bright red at one from a few of these flecks Red paint has a reputation for fading even with modern car paints. Like to think it was a Ferrari red at one point! Boom!
Bit like when I found out that all the austere Cathedrals and Churches were actually painted really bright and vivid colours at one stage. How good's that!?! Then you have the Reformers in the 1500s. Ever since. Churches have been unpainted. Think on that for a second.
Bit of colour in your life does you the world of good sometimes.
Having said that, this one is staying shady.

Edited: because 'show the pics line' was being treated as bad language by the website for some obscure reason. :shock:
Edit 3. S h o w ! (wow! that's a new one!)

 

[Bm101]

I've been using black Alback Linseed oil paint on a cast iron gate and other bits of metal work. Just needs chipping off loose stuff, a wire brush down and slap it on, rust and all.
It is very black, matt and non reflective and sticks like **** to a blanket, 3 years on so far.
I know I sound obsessive but it really does seem to work very well! Lasting better then Hammerite at the moment.
Looks just like Zebrite.

Thanks Jacob. I will look into it and price. Much appreciated, always good to have options.

 

[AndyT]

Ooh that's a monster!
I'm sure it will end up looking like a much loved thing rather than a sadly neglected thing.

You will be able to keep the whole forum supplied with square holes!

 

[Jacob]

I've been using black Alback Linseed oil paint on a cast iron gate and other bits of metal work. Just needs chipping off loose stuff, a wire brush down and slap it on, rust and all.
It is very black, matt and non reflective and sticks like **** to a blanket, 3 years on so far.
I know I sound obsessive but it really does seem to work very well! Lasting better then Hammerite at the moment.
Looks just like Zebrite.

Thanks Jacob. I will look into it and price. Much appreciated, always good to have options.

It's pricy per tin but goes a very long way and actually very economical in the end, if you've got enough old iron to use it on!
They do a nice iron oxide red which could be just the job for an old machine.
Nice machine! Never used one but it looks as though it'd do the job pretty well.