Metal finishing Q&As since 1989
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Oil rubbed bronze clawfoot tub feet
Q. HI!
MY NAME IS DEBBIE!
I HAVE AN ANTIQUE CLAWFOOT TUB AND I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A WAY THAT I CAN REFINISH THE FEET TO HAVE AN OIL RUBBED BRONZE APPEARANCE. I HAVE SENT THEM TO BE SANDBLASTED TO REMOVE MANY YEARS & LAYERS OF PAINT, TO RESTORE THEM TO THE ORIGINAL CAST, BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. IS THERE A WAY TO ACHIEVE THIS ON CAST IRON?
THANX SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!
DEB
HOBBYIST - CORINTH, New York
2007
A. You can use immersion copper plating (very simple process, immersion bronze is possible too, simply rub solution onto surface and rinse well); then you can oil it very very sparingly (any edible oil or fat can be used, linseed oil [on
eBay or
Amazon]
is best, 20 shellac solution is very good too) and heat it to 300-400 °C (with hot air gun
[on
eBay or
Amazon]). Repeat if needs and that's it -- try it first on some scrap iron. Hope it helps and good luck!
Ah -and coppering formula:
1 lit water
50 gm copper sulphate
50 ccm ammonia(25%)
+ add some tartaric acid
[on
eBay or
Amazon], solution must be slightly acid!
Immersion bronze (for steel):
stannous sulfate 2-6 gm [on
eBay or
Amazon]
copper sulphate [on
eBay or
Amazon]0,75-2,25 gm
sulfuric acid 10-30 ml
water 1 lit ,20 °C temp.
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
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