Wax finish for forging

[Sea Farmer]

I've been making a lot of wall hooks at the forge lately. They are utility hooks for hanging tools on the shop walls, and don't need to be prettily finished.

Frankly, one of my main motivations for making them is to heat the shop quicker than the wood stove alone can do it. Its been cold here And I don't need anywhere as many as I'm making, but its fun, and they're nice gifts.

In the past I've finished them by running through the tumbler to remove scale, then cold gun blue and a swipe with an oily rag. Pretty, but they do rust after a year or so if I don't renew the oil. Which I don't--they hold extension cords and grinders, not clothes. Or sometimes I just spray paint them with rustoleum, which is ok too.

But I've been wondering about wax finishes over the bluing. There are all sorts of formulas around--paraffin, beeswax, butchers' wax--sometimes mixed with either raw or boiled linseed oil, sometimes not.

Anyone have any experience with the relative merits of these finishes for items used indoors, but in an unheated structure?

 

[adama]

I have had realy good luck with wax over a old engine oil hot black. By no means never rusting, but just fine for indoor applications over a few years+ Wax is just the std furniture grade stuff.

Seams to be a case the hot oil blueing makes a layer the wax can get a hold of and that stop the rusting. I always degrease between the oil bluing and waxing too.

 

[Gazz]

A traditional blacksmiths finish is to apply linseed oil with a rag while the part is still hot. Not so hot that the oil just vaporizes but hot enough that it soaks into the scale and polymerizes. No need to tumble or sand blast and in fact, better to have the scale. It's a rust resistant, very durable finish as well as attractive. Also looks right on a hand wrought iron part.

 

[Spyderedge]

After your done with the forged part let it get to a light dark red glow and dip it in melted paraffin wax heated over the wood stove. Doing it while the part is hot lets the wax seep into the pores of the metal almost soaking it in.

 

[bhigdog]

My usual finish for forged pieces that are used indoors is to give them a light wire brushing if needed for loose scale and then reheat enough to readily melt paraffin wax and rub a chunk of wax all over and wipe while still hot. Sometimes I'll use a stub from a scented candle. I have stuff in the house for years now and no rust. Plus it retains that nice hand forged finish most people look for...........Bob

 

[Ries]

I know a shop that does a lot of wax finishing.
they use beeswax, in an electric frying pan or a crock pot.
They heat the part first, if its big, they use a propane weed burner, then paint on the hot wax. Buff with a clean cloth.
Works fine for an indoor finish, needs periodic rewaxing.

 

[jlevie]

Of the primitive methods, the linseed oil treatment will be the most durable. The polymerization of the oil can be speeded up with a bit of Japan dryer. The most durable coating would be galvanizing or powder coat, but either spoils the look.

 

[John Madarasz]

I've used a riff on Francis Whitaker/ Samuel Yellins recipe for many years with good results...sometimes a little spot rust will show after a year or two...but a quick scuff sand with some fine emory cloth or crocus cloth and a retouch with wax works great. It will add that brown character to steel that you will see on the old wrought iron, that almost looks like bronze after 75 years or so. I don't use much japan drier if at all, but a little bit is nice sometimes and makes it hard.

My eyeball recipe below: (every batch is a little different but the results are pretty much the same). I put it in an old coffee can with lid...that way you can reheat gently in the can if you want to soften it up...a clean quart paint can with lid would probably be even better. I like to use the paste on a rag right out of the can, or sometimes work the wax into the warm metal with my hands

60-70% beeswax welted in a pot
20-30% boiled linseed oil
10% turpentine or less with a splash of Japan drier

I agree the key is to get the steel or iron hot, a couple hundred degrees F, and put the paste wax on hot for the initial coat...let it set up then buff off. If you want to follow up with another coat that's even better...just apply at room temp. I also like to finish almost all my handforged ironwork with medium or heavy black emory cloth right out of the forge...it's a beautiful finish that I can't get from any other method. I am very judicious with any grinding wheels...there's NO substitute for a true hand rubbed finish imo

here's some old recipes.... Old School Finishes

 

[Sea Farmer]

Thanks all. What I've ended up doing was the most expedient for me, given the materials on hand.

I'll keep my eye on them for durability, and modify accordingly if they rust quick-quick. And experiment with some of the other suggestions (thanks for the link John) with a few that I haven't treated yet.

But the basic treatment has been forge then tumble until smooth, heat on top of wood stove until just too hot to handle, then paint with cold gun bluing. Back onto wood stove for reheating, then rub with block of paraffin, which melts nicely. I move the hooks from the stove to a bench vise for bluing and waxing.

Buff with soft rag.

They look pretty nice. The wax darkens the bluing a bit.

I bought sample bottles of each type of cold blue offered by Brownells. The dicropan T-4 and Oxpho blue are the colors I prefer, with the T-4 being blacker. Birchwood casey seems the patchiest, not satisfactory for me.

Material is a mix of HR and CR 3/16" and 1/4" rounds, and some 1/4" 8620 which was on sale at enco for so cheap I couldn't resist. The 8620 doesn't take the bluing quite as well, but forges and forms very nicely.