I then with wax and oil apply and buff for that "Antique" look on older metal.
Find after citric / phosphoric / whatever, that when dried the finish is quite matt flat looking. What oils / waxes do people recommend?
When buffed up on a item inside the house it gives off a nice smell.LAVENDER OIL?![]()
BriWax in a tin.
Block of Bee's wax dissolved in white Spirit.
Bee's wax, linseed oil and a few drops of lavender oil. warmed until it forms a paste.
Apply and buff.
I have some concentrated hydrochloric that looks perfect
Will wear my gas mask and dilute down though fumes are very nasty!
And do it outdoors, a long way from anything/anyone you like... the vapour given off will rust anything near it!
Dave H. (the other one)
I cleaned up quite a few horse-shoes last week.
When I collected them, @hotponyshoes suggested I pressure wash them first.
Well, I thought I’d just get covered in manure-rich water, so I didn’t - but what a bloody mistake, that was - and I’ll listen to the fellow next time!
I dunno why I decided I had to start when I did, but I sat them outside in a sun-trap, in a couple of buckets of boiling hot citric acid.
About an hour later, I started to get impatient, so thought I’d squat on the ground (in the 27C heat), and scrub all those little grooves on the bottom of the shoes with a toothbrush!
Another mistake! All of the filthy grit, manure, straw, mud & gravel was just filling the mix with filth - and (to my mind) must have been reducing the effect.
My production rate was very poor, too - I only did about 35 in about 4.5 hours, and boiled almost to death, scrubbing away, elbow deep in the filthy, acidic mixture - in the sun!
Having said that - the above time-frame did include giving them a rinse in boiling water, and then drying them with the compressed air blow gun.
They had a slight haze of orange on them until I’d scrubbed & hot-rinsed them, but after drying, they were just slightly darkened.
This is how they looked before:-
View attachment 234730
This is afterwards:-
View attachment 234732
These few have had a quick “wire-brush on a drill” treatment.
View attachment 234733
Obviously, next time I’ll pressure wash them first!
All the Best,
CJ