I'm building a 1/3 scale hit miss engine. The flywheel rims will be bare
cast iron. What is the best sealant to put on them so a few drops of rain will not cause rusting. Someone suggested floor wax, is there anything better?
How about 140 weight gear oil? (heavy thick oil)
i
Coat in canola oil (or your veg oil of choice) and bake in a moderate (300 degree) oven for a few hours. Nice finish and protection from a few drops of rain.
Ken.
Some cast iron I've seen holding up well to the test ot time seemed to have a clear varnish or shellac coat (which may yellow over time depending on the varnish or shellac).
dennis in nca
Ernie recommends Rustoleum Clear Enamel based on field tests at South Seattle Community College. It outperformed many others on steel. FWIW he also wrote once, "For Brass and Copper I prefer Parks brand Brass and Copper Clearcoat. It is a lacquer and bonds well."
If it were me, I'd probably just spray it with clear lacquer, or brush on some shellac. I like the look of shellac on iron.
GWE
Flash copper, then nickel. Zinc would work too, but nickel is much prettier.
=============== You might want to take a look at the thread on this NG about gun finishing. Brownells had some finishes that looked like cast iron. Clear urethane might also work. That's what they used on golf clubs.
Unka' George (George McDuffee) .............................. Only in Britain could it be thought a defect to be "too clever by half." The probability is that too many people are too stupid by three-quarters.
John Major (b. 1943), British Conservative politician, prime minister. Quoted in: Observer (London, 7 July 1991).
Warm up the wheels and slather on boiled linseed oil. It will dry and give a nice weather resistant coating. Tom
I wonder if that would keep my muzzleloader barrel in the white for a while. I think I will give it a try.
Wes S
For a part that needed to be cleaned up and finished later, I'd use LPS-3 or something similar. Dried linseed oil can be a bitch to remove. Tom
Why not use what the Cast Iron Cookware people use: Paraffin Wax.
Dissolve in alcohol and spray on to get a very thin film.
Comes off easily with low heat.
What is the point of this process? I've never had cast iron cookware rust, even if unused.
You must live in a low-humidity area.
Once "seasoned" - ie. oiled and heated - the oil has invaded the pores and sealed everything up.
NEW Cast Iron hasn't been "sealed" yet and will rust - as it will if the "seasoning" is removed. After all, that's the primary reason for the initial "seasoning".
I've refurbed quite a number of rusty skillets, pots, kettles, Dutch Ovens, etc., so that they could be used for cooking.
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