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Galvanized steel chain maille problems and safety issues




Q. Hello,

I was wondering, I want to make Chain maille out of Galvanized steel. My question is. Is it bad for you to wear? Like it sitting next to my skin? Will that give me cancer and all the other weird things?

Thanx,

Anthony Strafacci
- Champlin, Minnesota, USA
2002



Chainmail Armor
on
Amazon

(affil links)

A. This is not a good idea, Anthony. The galvanizing has probably been treated with hexavalent chromium. While the odds of it actually giving you cancer would probably be extremely remote, hexavalent chromate shouldn't be on anything you wear.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2002


A. I would avoid steel that has been treated with chromate (a rust inhibitor).

Heather Essary
- Woodhaven, Michigan, USA
2002




Q. Hi,
I am a medieval reinactor. I recently removed the galvanization from my chainmail, leaving mild steel. I am currently researching the best way to blacken it to prevent rusting. I have heard that broiling it with Pam olive oil spray can work, but seems time (and oven) intensive. The other method I have heard of is tannic acid [on eBay or Amazon], which from what I have heard, leaves a very dark grey rather than black coat, which is fine by me. How would I go about this? Boil my chainmail with acorns or teabags for a few hours? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ben Mudd

Benjamin Mudd
Washington University Student - Saint Louis, Missouri
2007


A. I was informed of my information being falsely used.
The previous response was not by me; however, it was received from a computer that I had used. The cookies were enabled, and automatically filled in my information.

As far as blackening the steel, a propane flame such as that from a stove will only distort the color and put a film of soot over the metal. A special type of flux or acidic compound is needed to obtain the desired coloration.

Aaron Svirbly
- Masury Ohio
March 27, 2008


----
Ed. note: we appreciate the heads up, Aaron, but your name is not on any previous posting, so we're a bit confused :-)


Jax Pewter Darkener
on
Amazon

(affil links)

Microcrystalline
Museum Wax


on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. 50 gm sulfuric acid, 200 gm sodium thiosulphate [on eBay or Amazon] , 1 liter water, 30 °C -- this should work.

Ron Sandusky
- St Charles Iowa
March 2, 2009

A. I have found that Jax black for steel works great. I'm currently hunting a solution for sealing the patina however. Microcrystalline wax seems to work but I'm trying to find out the curing time. Lacquers and other waxes - floor and car are supposed to work as well. I would love to hear what solution you find for sealing the patina - if you go that route.

Chrystal Shaw
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
October 16, 2011




Black oxide treatment on galvanized chain maille

Q. I'd like to know if it is feasible to apply cold Black Oxide treatment to galvanized steel without pre-treatment, or would I have to strip the zinc coating first. I'd like to blacken some wearable chain maille items which are constructed of galvanized steel wire rings.

Thanks,

Wayne Seguin
- Boca Raton, Florida
2002



Q. HOW TO DARKEN GALVANIZED? I'm making a Chain maille shirt but I want to know if darkening it will work. If it does work how would I go about doing it? Please be specific :)) nothing worse than me confused..

Tanks! a lot!

Paul Anderson
hobbyist - Overland Park , Kansas
2005


Black Patina for Zinc/Pewter/Camé

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi,Wayne
Conventional hot black oxide treatment would probably quickly dissolve the galvanized coating and contaminate the black oxide solution. Cold black oxide offers very little corrosion resistance and is terribly smutty for something you would wear. I think you'd be better off stripping the galvanizing in muriatic acid before a hot black oxide treatment and waxing or oiling. These are fairly dangerous chemicals so if you can't get hands-on instruction, at least get a couple of metal finishing books and proper PPE. Good luck.

A. Hi, Paul
It may be possible to use a simple black patina for zinc rather than stripping and hot black oxiding, but I haven't tried it on galvanized coatings. I don't think galvanized chain maille is a good choice, not only due to possible chromate issues, but also because galvanizing isn't particularly aesthetic after exposure to salty sweat. Best of luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 24, 2010




Q. Hi. It looks like a lot of us are discovering that galvanized items can be harmful. I just bought galvanized wire and found birth defects and reproductive harm label, unfortunately after I bought it and brought it home. I'm pregnant. I picked it up to make a chain maille project with my son at the recommendation of someone who was using 14 gauge galvanized wire to make his chain mail. I'll do some research on what to use instead, and have emailed the company that makes it to find out just which chemicals the warning referred to. After reading your post, it looks like zinc. Thanks. Now I'll look that up. I'm wondering how many people like the one I spoke to today are making wearable projects with this stuff, and how much danger there really is in it?

Stephanie Sanchez
- Boynton Beach, Florida
February 28, 2009



A. Hi, Stephanie. Galvanized metal often receives a chromate post treatment. Although there is very very little chromate in it, it's just not appropriate for skin contact (because chromate is considered carcinogenic). I don't think zinc itself is considered dangerous for skin contact (a million things are made of or coated with zinc). Rather the issue is that it inappropriate for skin contact because sweat and such will make it corrode it quickly.

Unfortunately, if you need to know current scientific opinion on a matter, you will only get that from medical conference proceedings, peer reviewed articles in respected medical journals, and NIOSH proclamations. The internet is fun and fast and may steer you in a good direction, but in the end it's just people talking. One reason prescription medicines are so expensive is that to truly know the effects of something (divorced from anecdotes, coincidence, self-induced psychological effects and the taint of vested interest), you must conduct extensive, repeated, double-blind testing. Nobody is going to do that kind of study for galvanized chain maille.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
March 3, 2009




Galvanized chain maille rubs off black on skin and clothes

Q. I am currently making a chainmaille hauberk for a friend of mine, and using 16g galvanized wire to turn the rings. I have noticed significant black "rub-off" when working with these rings, and I am wondering if anyone knows how I can get rid of this so that the hauberk will not stain clothing/skin when worn.

chain maille hauberk
Criss in chainmaille coif and mantle

Thanks,
Criss

Criss Rosenlof
chainmaille designer - West Valley City, Utah, USA
2007



A. More info please....

Is this a mark or stain that rubs off the galvanizing?
Sounds unusual. Its common to get a white mark rubbing off, thats zinc oxide, zinc carbonate, mixture, and these oxides are unavoidable.

Black "rub off" might perhaps be dirt?

geoff_crowley
Geoff Crowley
Crithwood Ltd.
Westfield, Scotland, UK
crithwood logo
2007



Q. When I put on the hauberk to test for size, it leaves a black "stain" on clothing and skin. It will wash off of skin, but it is harder to get out of light-colored clothing. I have washed the rings with soap and water, and I tried a white vinegar [in bulk on eBay or Amazon] bath that someone recommended, but nothing stops the staining. Also, you could say that the staining is more "grey" than "black"

-Criss

Criss Rosenlof
- West Valley City, Utah, USA
2007


A. You can coat it with some good metal lacquer,before that you can clean it with neutral solution of ammonium citrate(5% pH 7).Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2007



A. I wonder if this staining is from the natural acids and oils that seem to be present on the skin and hair, and which form zinc products which then rub off and stain.

There probably isn't an easy solution for this one, maybe even means the wrong protective coating for the job.
I've seen this type of chain maille in uncoated steel before. Yes it will go rusty brown if wet, but if worn regularly and lightly oiled seems ok.

If you wanted to strip off the galvanizing, you could do this with dilute (say 5%) acid. Hydrochloric, sulfuric, even acetic. (If you're not familiar with using acids, get someone who is experienced to do it.)

geoff_crowley
Geoff Crowley
Crithwood Ltd.
Westfield, Scotland, UK
crithwood logo
2007




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