Japanning-like finish?

[pop-pop]

Starting around minute 2-1/2, this guy on YouTube finishes a plane setting hammer by heating the steel head and applying linseed oil repeatedly until the steel black.

Anyone have any experience with this technique?

 

[zdorsch]

Good morning!

I haven’t done this process yet, but I came across similar trying to figure out how to get a black oxide like finish on bolts. Here a bit more information that I found. Folks also use used motor oil for the blackened look.

Treating Plain Steel with Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO)

Hello, everyone! I have been researching ways to treat plain steel tools for some time now, besides wiping with oil occasionally. I stumbled upon a few forum posts relating to BLO but they mostly dealt with removing BLO from old tools or "how long should I let my tools sit in BLO?". What I was...

www.garagejournal.com

How to finish Steel objects (Making them black and water resistant) — The Barefoot Forge

There are many ways to get metal to darken and become water resistant- but here’s how we usually do it. We’ve tried some of the modern blackening products and methods, ranging from spray paint to powered coating- and while these are great for things that will be outside and exposed to long term wea

www.thebarefootforge.com

Japanning or The Art of Embracing the Arcane

The actual mixing and application of traditional japanning information in this article has been updated and can be found in the BLOGS titled, "How To Series: Traditional Japanning, The Black Hole of Finishes." I have le...

aplanelife.us

 

[pop-pop]

Took a piece of 3/4" steel tubing and a MAPP torch and got this.
Mill finish on the steel and just a wipe of acetone to prep before applying several coats of BLO to hot steel. Didn't polish like the YT guy did.

 

[Cuprousworks]

I can't locate the link now, but the Benchcrafted blog had an article about aging steel and iron using flax seed oil and home oven heating for an aged darkening. Same idea, maybe more control with oven...

 

[areevesnc]

Sounds similar to me to seasoning a cast iron skillet!

 

[Cuprousworks]

Sounds similar to me to seasoning a cast iron skillet!

Exactly. The blog posting reviewed the performance of different oils.

 

[zdorsch]

It may be the lighting but does it go from flat to satin? Or is the sheen uniform?

 

[pop-pop]

It may be the lighting but does it go from flat to satin? Or is the sheen uniform?

Here it is outside in the evening light. There is a lot of sheen variation. I’ll try again using a toaster oven instead of the MAPP torch.

 

[areevesnc]

Just like the skillet, I suspect that multiple applications will give a nice uniform layer, if that’s what you’re going for.

 

[J_Graham]

Idk the smoke point of BLO but I use Grapeseed (550⁰) as hot as my stove will go on my carbon steel pan and 5ish layers is easily as thick as japanning.