Subject: Re: Clear Coat

From: TOMBGUARD <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 21:19:39 CST

I have been faithfully lurking on this subject learning as much as I
possibly can, but I have a problem.  I do a bit of 18th Cen.
Re-enacting and the site where I work is very strict as far as
authenticity goes.  I would not be acceptable, therefore, to pull out
a can of handy-dandy "fill in the blank" clear coat and spray down
something I make.  With that in mind, does anyone know the traditional
method for taking care of this problem, preferably a documentable 18th
Century method?  I know I don't ask for much, but I figured that while
we were on the subject... :)

I am also interested in what to do for pieces that I am using in the
fireplace.  Or should I worry about that?

Thanks

Robert

  Robert H. Neidlinger                      [email-masked]
  "The Tomb Guard"                          [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Noller, Joyce)
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 23:33:11 -0700

>   "The Tomb Guard"                          [email-masked]
Try taking the hot pieces out of the forge, giving them a few quick
swipes of the wire brush to remove the scale and rubbing on plain boiled
linseed oil.  If you get choking clouds of smoke but the rag doesn't
catch on fire you're just about the right temp. The process leaves a
rich black finish that's just about indestructible I don't know how old
the technique is but it was common knowledge by the end of the 19th
century. Another old technique is to rub on beeswax while the piece is
still warm but not too hot to handle barehanded.  None other than Sam
Yellin himself said that beeswax or linseed oil should last a year or
two outdoors and a lifetime indoors.