Finishings for steel

[urban colour]

Hi

I want to use an old steel stillage and add recalimed timber as a garden table. what is the best way to rub back and refinish?

I was thinking going at it with a wire brush and matt black paint

But I would also like to know If I can strip back to bare steel and finish maybe in wax or similar (like you see the stripped filing cabinets)

Any help will be good

Thanks

[Hitch]

For outside.... thats a difficult one.

Inside, just a hot wax finish works well. Easy to do, and cheap.

To be honest, outside, you need to be looking towards paint. For a used look, a nice coat or two of primer, then a top coat and rub back through.

Perhaps a lacquer, not sure, never used a lacquer only finish outside.

For stripping back, to totally clean bare steel, see about getting it blasted. If not, a twist knot wire cup brush mounted in a grinder is fairly aggresive. Make sure you use relevant PPE, they can be nasty if they snag.

http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/drapertools ... comparison

[urban colour]

For outside.... thats a difficult one.

Inside, just a hot wax finish works well. Easy to do, and cheap.

To be honest, outside, you need to be looking towards paint. For a used look, a nice coat or two of primer, then a top coat and rub back through.

Perhaps a lacquer, not sure, never used a lacquer only finish outside.

For stripping back, to totally clean bare steel, see about getting it blasted. If not, a twist knot wire cup brush mounted in a grinder is fairly aggresive. Make sure you use relevant PPE, they can be nasty if they snag.

http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/drapertools ... comparison

Thanks for that... Whats hot wax (I know its burny hot lol) but di I heat up wax, what kind?

[Hitch]

I use it as a cheap and cherfull finish where a bare steel look is required.

Just warm up the metal, a decent darkish colour can be achieved if you get it nice and hot and brush on some wax.
But if not, just warming so the wax melts into the gaps/corners helps a lot. Once cooled, give it a good buffing....
Ill find a picture of something i've done....

Okay, this one, steel, given a good brushing with a cup brush as described, then put in the oven to warm, then waxed, left to cool, then buffed.
Wax was cheapo screwfix wood wax. Bought a big tin cheap years ago
Works a treat though, used on handrails in a very fancy period cottage a while back, customer loved the finish, curtain rails, allsorts.

[urban colour]

Just what Im looking for

Thanks

[mikew1972]

As hitch has said this may not be an effective way to protect metalwork kept outside.

[urban colour]

I agree, I will use this on inside work only with paint on outside work

Thanks again