[SEL] Re: Making old style, old looking black iron pipe fittings

[Arnie Fero]

Hi Curt,

Pretty neat info on the hydrogen peroxide.  I'm gonna have to experiment
with that as a cleaner myself!!

As for the fittings that look too new, you need to revisit Rob & Kelley's
website.  http://engines.rustyiron.com/electrolysis/index.html
"Reverse Electrolysis - Creating an antique patina on new metal parts."

See ya,  Arnie

Arnie Fero
Pittsburgh, PA
fero_ah at city-net.com

On Tue, 17 Jan 2006, Curt wrote:

> So I
> made a double boiler of sorts on the stove and heated a small glass of
> fittings submerged in hydrogen peroxide. Once things got warm
> considerable bubbling occurred and though I could not see the magic
> occurring beneath the burbling, I was sure to be delighted at the rusty
> fitting being created. After about 20 minutes, I hooked one and brought
> it out of the soup. Dang, it was a clean bright part! In fact there
> wasn't a lick of rust on the fitting anywhere, outside, inside, nowhere! ???
> Well I didn't get the intended results, but hell I had discovered
> another method for cleaning parts that's much faster than the
> electrolysis method. This bears more investigation later....

<snip>

> Yup, that's a cast iron pot full of water. The fittings were hung by
> wire and suspended over the water, but not in the water. The top was
> closed over them and I let the fittings cook in the heat and humidity
> for 2 hours.