Any way to keep mild steel sculpture shiny outdoors?

[52 Ford]

Linseed oil is some awesome stuff. If it's possible to recoat it every year or so, linseed would be q good choice. I prefer to apply it to the metal when it's hot. When I forge something that's gonna be outside, I clean it up with a wire brush, then heat it back up, then wipe the oil on. If it's a small enough part, I dip it in the oil. I'll have to get the temp gun out and figure what the optimal temperature is. Pretty easy to eyeball it, just trial and error. If it's too hot and the oil burns off, give it a sec and get again.

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[smithdoor]

The down side to Linseed oil it can weeks takes to dry.

Dave

Linseed oil is a good alternative.

Smithdoor is very correct, I've learned it's better to have a finish that needs to be easily touched up or even recoated every year than a finish that lasts 5+ years, but will need to be completely removed for the next coat. Also, invariably the finish will be compromised somewhere - even clear powder coat (a scratch, a ding, a particularly acidic bird poop (my personal favorite)), and you will have issues in those areas.

Re-coating and touch up ease with linseed oil is similiar to permalac and flood penetrol - clean, scuff (optional) and apply.

***DO NOT LEAVE RAGS WITH SOLVENT OR SOLVENT BASED FINISHES LYING AROUND - THEY CAN AND WILL SELF IGNITE.*** This is extremely common with linseed oil finishes.

Hang individual rags to completely dry (never stack, or bunch up, or leave in a pile. Store any (completely dry only) rags in a metal trash can with a good fitting lid or a metal sealed container.

[52 Ford]

The down side to Linseed oil it can weeks takes to dry.

Dave

I always wipe it on when the metal is hot. I haven't used linseed on shiny stuff, so I don't know how much color it takes on by getting it hot. I'll wipe it on something when it's maybe 300 or 400 degrees F (the part I mean), then burn it on with a propane torch. I gave some hooks I forged to someone and they used them in their garden. I saw the hooks after about a year and they look the same as when I first finished them.

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[52 Ford]

And it's worth repeating - if a rag, paper towel, whatever has a flammable liquid on it, treat it as if it's about to catch on fire

I try to always keep water and a fire extinguisher on hand. Truck, shop, house... never know when you or someone else could benefit.


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