Welders 3rd hand

Blacksmithing
#1

I wasnt sure which committee would know, but ya’ll big smiths are more likely familiar with finishes!

Hubs has some scrap welding rods and 1" reclaimed concrete rebar at his shop. The plan is to lop off 1" or so thick cookies of rebar, then use the reclaimed rod welded on them to make “grasshoper” style welders third hands. (I’m hoping to convince him to drill it or tap them so it’s adjustable, but thats more work & parts, so may just tack weld and run)

I’ll be using them for jewelry soldering and was worried about rust from the mild steel in contact with flux. His idea was to oil blue/lamp finish it. I wouldn’t be heating that part directly but it will heat sink. Does bluing off gas anything toxic? My other idea was powder coat but I would be paranoid about reactivation

#2

You might use the “browning” method. Let it get good and rusty, then coat it in oil. Bake it/heat it. And google just failed me. Browning is such an old technique that I couldn’t get google to give me any definites, like how hot you have to get it to get it to “set”. It could be related to “seasoning” a cast iron skillet, though.

edit - and since google is always trying to sell you something, it kept getting pulled into Browning armaments…

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#3

Beeswax can be used to create the blackened finish

#4

I looked into “bluing”(black oxide). The real way to do it uses caustic chemicals and is very dangerous. The cheap way to do it is with a brush on bluing compound offered by different companies. It doesn’t hold up as well as true bluing. Honestly vapor hone then powder coat is the best finish you are going to get. The other option is good ole rust oleum enamel (just don’t use spray paint at DMS)

#5

I’d treat it like cast iron as well, but season the bare (not “browned”) steel. Slice, weld, and brush well with a wire wheel, then season.

A good rule of thumb for seasoning cast iron is to use temps about 50 degrees above the “smoke point” of the oil you are using. You wanna be above the smoke point so the polymerization of the oil occurs (so it doesn’t stay sticky), but not so hot that the oil burns off entirely. You want to keep it at that temp for the polymerizing to complete.

For cast iron using coconut oil, I use a 450 oven for about an hour, then turn the oven off and let it gradually cool down with the pan still in the oven.

For best results, put as little oil on as is feasible, wipe off the excess, heat to 250, wipe off again, heat to appropriate temp (450?), soak at temp for an hour, let cool. Repeat as needed to build up a solid seasoning.

Note: heating this hot for this long will cause the oil to smoke. Leave the oven door closed. Using too much oil can cause ignition, so wipe well (and wipe again). Blue shop towels work well for this.

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#6

It does make a nice blacksmith finish, but isn’t as durable as an oil seasoning like one might use with cast iron (I do both).

This is a beeswax finish. 15 seconds in the forge, then rub with a bar of wax. Very smoky - do outside. A MAPP torch will also work.
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#7

I have some question about how you will be using these for jewelry soldering? If you will be using a torch for soldering, the temperature ranges from around 1500 to 3000 degrees farenheit, depending on which torch you are using. Am thinking any of the described finishes might get hot enough to be a problem at those temperatures?
Most of the 3rd hands in the jewelry area are some kind of steel, i think, which does not contaminate a soldered piece of jewelry. So maybe clean steel is okay?