The Armour Archive

I use a can of food release and an oxy mapps torch. It works well enough, in that it aint complicated, gives me a decently tough finish, and seems to reduce rusting quite a bit. On the other hand its kinda a pain, have to go over a given area several times to get even finish, and the little compressed oxy bottles get empty FAST. Usually takes at least two do do a helm, so thats $16+ bucks. So, options?

Black Magic by Sculpt Noveau (spelling>?) Hal has a link to them.

I have been useing linseed oil and a vertical smoker.
I apply the oil after the metal gets up to temp.
And let it go for an hour then reapply and add more charcoal.
Usualy three times gives a good durable finish.

I also use lineseed-oil. But i learned a few things about it:
First, i put some oil on a tissue, then i heat the metal up to 40 or 50 degrees CELSIUS and start to wipe the oil on the tissue all onto the warm metal. When doing it warm but not hot, the oil gets really liquid and you can apply a very thin layer of oil onto the sheet metal. After that i heat the metal from the backside of the armour-piece with a propane-torch. I work slowly from left to right, returning each pass til i see the front-surface getting brown. I try not to hold the flame against the piece til its black because then it gets too much heat and the black colour gets destroyed. It gets black by the heat from the nearby passages of the armour. After the whole piece has been blackened, i wait about 15 to 30 seconds (i apply oil again on a NEW tissue in this time) and apply a new thin layer of oil, beeing carefuill not to fry my fingers. Usually i repeat this 3 or four times til i get a smooth black surface.
Applying thin layers of oil significanty reduces the creation of smoke.

I have found this to be rather economical and handy for this kind of thing.

http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-to ... 91037.html

Wait for a sale weekend and take one of the 20% off cupons with you and you can get these for dirt cheap.

I usually will either hang the helmet up from a frame made of EMT wire coat hanger wire or stack cinder blocks up high enough to maneuver the torch under.

Keep in mind a couple things. You can heat blue without oil but it takes practice and the better the polish, the more even the heat, the better the color.

You can blacken with Oil, just like a cast iron frypan. I have used just about any oil I had on hand to do it but peanut oil seems to work best for me. Linseed oil is fine too. If you use linseed oil consider melting in/mixing it with beeswax and adding Japan Black/Lamp Black.

There are MANY types of artist & blacksmith chemical finishes which are more like cold blueing. Black Magic is one, Jax Black is another. With most of these chemicals you don't need the heat but heat helps. Usually no more than 300 degrees and DO NOT BREATHE the fumes... highly poisonous! again with the chemicals, the better your polish on the metal, the better the results.

No matter what method you use... make sure your metal is clean, clean clean and grease-free. It makes a huge difference.

Good luck!

I use WD40 and a tiger torch. All I do is spray on a light coating, then play the torch back and forth slowly over the front of the piece till it goes black. Apply coats as needed. It took me 1 spray can and about 45 minutes or an hour to do a breastplate and fauld the other day.

You do have to be carefull not to heat up any spot to much, if you do the coating flakes off and leaves bare metal underneath. if that happens just let it cool off a bit and re blacken that section. I had more trouble with this heating from the inside than heating from the outside.

I also just picked up some linseed oil to experiment with.

Kris

Thanks for all the suggestions. Im going to try several of them and see which works best for me. Ill post results down the road.

Cool...I've always wondered about this.

clean, polish, heat, and apply linseed oil. Do that about three times. Haven't had a rust problem with my helm since I got it and blackened it. Just keep it waxed and clean after blackening.

+1 on sculpt novue black magic . they have a cold process black patina that you spray on wait 3 min. and wash off. works fantastic on CR and spring steel . they have a hot process for stainless that is heat spray on then burnish with a cloth. i costs $8 a bottle. industrial metal supply carries it. make sure items are polished and free from dirt ,oil, wax, ect. best finish and easiest to maintain with a pretty hard finish. best part when it does scratch, you just spray it and polish,

cheers,
nicholas

here are my maximillian legs with the sculpt novue black magic.

cheers,
nicholas

I use what I call my "commercial method".

I put the just-cleaned piece on my old propane grill with all the burners turned to max and the lid closed and then I go watch TV.
When a commercial comes on, I use either a coat hanger or tongs to dip the hot piece into a bucket of used motor oil (the dirtier, the better, and stir it up before the first dunk). When it stops sizzling, I take it out of the oil and put it back on the grill (note: I only use this grill for blackening and not for food) and close the lid.
Then I go back inside (close the door, the smoke stinks) and continue watching TV. When the next commercial comes on, repeat the process.

I usually do this 5 - 8 times. After the last time, I take the piece inside and wash it with hot soapy water. Use dish soap since it cuts the grease. After all the loose oil is off, put it back on the grill for a few minutes. Then, while it is still hot, I rub floor wax into it. The wax will melt and run into all the crevices & pores.

This leaves the piece with a nice, even black finish.

- Scott

Patternweld,

Those weed burners are really handy in a number of ways.

I have a steel table with wheels on it. And I also have 25 flat firebricks I bought at Tractor Supply.

Combine together (simply stack the bricks) and you have a portable propane forge that you can move around, break down and pack in the car to take to your friends, or use in a number of ways.

Not super efficient, but handy, easily reconfigured, and portable !!

It just seems like a waste of gass that won't get you to forge welding temps.

There are Ron Reil atmospheric (Venturi) burners out there that with a flare, will get a forge made from a 8" pipe section, inswool blanket & some ITC coating well into the welding range with less gass demand.

You can get metal hot with a weed burner but for a dedicated "forge" I'd want a little more BTU.

Grimr

I don't blacked... I "blue" with the weed burner.
I clean and polish the metal, place on a rod and weed burner heat to color.

Hal, do you put anything on it after polishing and before you "blue"?

I too use Patterns method, love the reaction from the neighbors as much as the results on the helm

to hold the helm, I have a breaker bar and jam it in the ground outside the shop. then hit it with the weed burner till it starts to turn. then use WD40 lightly spraying to cool ot off. smokes like crazy! depending on the finish i'll burn in the oil and lightly wipe with just a rag or use fine steel wool to get a patina going.

I perfer the weathered or aged look to smooth finishes but it depends on what the individual wants

won't get you to forge welding temps

That is the point though.... I don't forge weld. I use mine to do hot work on armor and armor accessories. For that work, it does fine. And for less than $100 total, it is a bargain.

I also use a stack of fire bricks and a weed burner to heat the metal for hot dishing.
Start dishing the outside first and it does not thin the metal very much.

I do not do forging or blacksmith work.

As to my heat blue... I polish to the desired finish then wipe clean with acetone.
The trick with the heat blue is to stop just before the desired color.
As the heat will stabilize a bit after removing the torch.
Oh... and also, do not get any finger prints before or after the oil.

To finish it, I use 3-in-1 oil.
Do not touch the new heat blue before applying oil.

And another pic of heat blue:



I always wondered what happened to Shrugs the Helm.
Did it find a good home?

Hal