Thread: Best method for japanning

Destructions. Costs a bit at $60/hour but.

Originally Posted by NCArcher

I'll be interested to see how this turns out Eddie.
Why not do both and do a comparison? I'm pretty sure you have a plane or two that could do with a spruce up.

Oh and we need photos.

I'm surprised to report that I actually don't have any other planes in need of restoration, so I'm afraid I can't do a comparison.

I can however take photographs of an original Stanley finish, next to the enamel finish, next to my homecooked asphaltum finish.

In the meantime, here's the plane when I was given it:

2013-04-07 18.44.25.jpg2013-04-07 18.45.33.jpg

Unsurprisingly, the iron has some serious pitting. Shouldn't be anything the Black Beast can't handle, but I'm not looking forward to it anyway.

First I soaked it in citric acid to remove all the rust. Took a few days.

Here it is having its paint stripped. Some people soak 'em but I find it easier to use this gel stuff that clings to vertical surfaces. Best to do a little bit at a time lest the vapours contribute to further brain damage.

2013-04-07 19.26.08.jpg

I used a small brass brush, tooth brush, and Japanese kegari (think scratch awl) to remove all the paint, leading to this:

2013-04-12 15.44.54.jpg

There are still some more scraps of paint that need to be removed from inside cavities. I'm waiting on a few smaller brass brushes for that.

I bought some spar varnish today (Feast Watson high gloss spar/marine). Damned expensive, though I do want some for my workbench soon.

I might have time to finish this on the weekend.

That has cleaned up very nicely. Will look like a new one when it's done

Originally Posted by NCArcher

That has cleaned up very nicely. Will look like a new one when it's done

I should have mentioned that, upon stripping the paint, I was greeted with an almost uniform coat of rust eating at the steel underneath. Scary stuff for handtool weirdos like us. Makes me look at some of my other old Stanleys a little nervously.

Although none of my other planes used to live in FNQ, where even metal sweats.

Jeez that'd like nice with the oil bronzing Eddie. Polish up the smooth bits (handle etc) and get that glow of the polished iron through it:

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Jeez that'd like nice with the oil bronzing Eddie. Polish up the smooth bits (handle etc) and get that glow of the polished iron through it:

Wow this is a tough one!

I think that it's a beautiful casting - incredibly crisp and refined, amazing to think it came from the same company as the later #$%$. So on that score the oil bronzing is certainly very tempting, it would be a shame to obscure it with paint. Compare this to the casting on my Carter 45 plough (the first photograph in the first post):

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/r...-plane-154842/

Incidentally, that post shows how the spray paint works out. Very black, very glossy (although it flattens a lot as it dries).

On the other hand, japan would look more authentic and possibly increase the resale value?

EDIT: I just investigated the process for cooking on the linseed oil more closely, and it looks like it might be beyond me. For one thing I doubt my oven even reaches 500 degrees except in the occasional fit of pique when I ask it to do something like, you know, cook muffins or something. For another SWMBO wouldn't come at it. For third, I think getting a uniformly thin coat would be very difficult on the inside surfaces of the casting; I'll take a photograph to show you what I mean by this tomorrow.

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

On the other hand, japan would look more authentic and possibly increase the resale value?

BAH! Are you gunna use it and admire it (and what you've added to it - a fabulous finish), or are you gunna sell it (as the insanely rare "Bronzed" version and make more dough?)

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

....and it looks like it might be beyond me.

BAH! Quitter!

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

For one thing I doubt my oven even reaches 500 degrees ....

That's 260 Celcius, and most ovens go to at least 250(and 500 is clearly just the convenient round number - you know how Americans like convenience.

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

For another SWMBO wouldn't come at it.

BAH! Wait until she goes out - think like you do when you sneak tool purchases under the radar, and if you need any help with that: I constantly hear (in private) of all the various techniques employed - there's some pretty cool ones.

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

For third, I think getting a uniformly thin coat would be very difficult on the inside surfaces of the casting; I'll take a photograph to show you what I mean by this tomorrow.

They say to rub it off (he he he...you've been reading....he he ...you're weakening strengthening) and for the corners you could push in a tissue/cotton bud/combination-of-the-two

If you really MUST sell it later, strip the bronzing off and Japan it - but only if it doesn't sell in about 4 seconds flat - for a ridiculous price.

Anything else to be addressed?

Anything else to be addressed?

It, um, wouldn't match my other planes?

I dunno, I confess I'm weakening...

I wonder how rust resistant the finish is compared to japan?

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

It, um, wouldn't match my other planes?

It would eventually

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

I wonder how rust resistant the finish is compared to japan?

Errrr, didn't I hear a rather loud complaint of the entire body being pitted with rust under the japanning???

Off you go - report back in a week.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Off you go - report back in a week.

I think he must have taken me at my word!

Still thinking about it.

SWMBO gave me the green light on this, though expressed grave reservations about my tools "encroaching on her territory".

Pros-

-Pretty cheap. I gather than I can get a 200ml bottle of pure flaxseed oil from the health food aisle at Safeway for about $10. What doesn't go to the tools can go to my doggie. Of course I've already spent $35 on the varnish and black stuff but I'm sure I'll find a use for both soon enough.

-Should look way cooler

Cons-

-Not authentic
-Risk sparking Cold War. Raises awkward questions about willingness to use oven for evil only
-Unsure of rust preventing qualities
-Involves heaps of time and heaps of (expensive) gas
-Might affect the casting.

What will all the heating and cooling do to the old cast iron?

Originally Posted by snafuspyramid

Still thinking about it.

SWMBO gave me the green light on this, though expressed grave reservations about my tools "encroaching on her territory".

Pros-

-Pretty cheap. I gather than I can get a 200ml bottle of pure flaxseed oil from the health food aisle at Safeway for about $10. What doesn't go to the tools can go to my doggie. Of course I've already spent $35 on the varnish and black stuff but I'm sure I'll find a use for both soon enough.

-Should look way cooler

Cons-

-Not authentic
-Risk sparking Cold War. Raises awkward questions about willingness to use oven for evil only
-Unsure of rust preventing qualities
-Involves heaps of time and heaps of (expensive) gas
-Might affect the casting.

What will all the heating and cooling do to the old cast iron?

On two points,

Rust prevention?

Rust prevention is excellent


What will all the heating and cooling do to the old cast iron?

Think of cast iron frypan.




Cheers,

Frank.

How To: Cast Iron Skillet Non-Stick and Lasts a

Digging back thru the benchcrafted link this is the info where they drew it from.

Have you a self cleaning oven as the blogger suggests this is the best way to clean before applying oil. Also can remove oil if it doent go well?

I don't know what I'm talking about here but, a frying pan isn't a complicated casting with lots of thick and thin sections, also being a circle it can expand and contract fairly uniformly as it heats up and cools down. Ditto the Bench Crafted wheel. I would be a smidge concerned about cracking or warping the plane. Maybe you should ask the guys in the metalwork forum before you fire up the oven.