Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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How to get an old dark metal finish on iron railing

I have some customers that want a type of finish on their interior hand rails that I am not familiar with. It is some type of a mixture of waxes and oils that you mix together to form a kind of paste. You apply it and let it sit for about 30 minutes then wipe it down and buff it for a dark metal colored finish with a very low sheen. Can you offer any suggestions on how to make this?

Wayne Grant
Grants Custom Welding - Montgomery, Alabama
2004

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2005

I'll assume that you are looking for a rustic black iron look over a steel railing. If the railing is wrought iron to begin with you have it relatively easy, use paste wax (same stuff you use on older hardwood floors), just rub it in and it will darken the metal a touch and give it a good wrought iron look.

Another option that was used in the years before paste wax (i.e., as soon as iron was introduced into the outside world) is beeswax =>
Still soft stuff and easy to rub into wrought iron, you may need to warm it a bit in the sun to make it malleable enough to work right, but it shouldn't be too difficult.

As a blacksmith I commonly use both of these, the beeswax I reserve for works that are going to be exposed to the elements and the customers demand a "traditional" finish. A good beeswax finish lasts for about 4-6 months, repels water, and keeps the iron in good shape. It does need to be redone periodically, but that is the price of tradition.

Marc Banks
- Elizabeth City, North Carolina