[Spit-project] Spit materials

[Saint Phlip]

On 4/18/07, Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >Most smiths will go with what the customer wants, unless it's
> >downright silly/dangerous.
>
> Ah, but you forget I get to come in as totally clueless. Ripe for
> the picking for some evil unscrupulous blacksmith/welder/artisan.
>
> >I wouldn't. Too many odd chemicals. Standard rec from most smiths I
> >know is to either season it with oil, or to apply beeswax, if you need
> >it to be food safe.
>
> Good point on the chemicals, but I do wonder if some of the
> special grill paints aren't fully checked about that.

If you notice, they're suggested for the outside of things that might
be near heat, but not on anything that might be ingested.

However, there's nothing to say that you have to use the same thing on
every part. If you wanted to use the paint on, say, the uprights and
the cross bar, and maybe the S-hooks (although I'll need to show you a
trammel hook- it's an adjustable S-hook) you'd likely be OK. It's the
actual spits that I'd be concerned about.

And, paint is commonly used by smiths for things that aren't in direct
heat. I use it for prettifying portable holes, archery stands, and the
like. By the time it wears off, the metal itself has blackened and
rusted a bit.

Of the two that Aeduin suggested, I'd go with the Rustoleum. Just used
it on a project, replacing the poles with pipe for a garage shelter
that was Rob's inadvertant practical demonstration of what happens
when the snow load exceeds the structural strength ;-)  -he just
demonstrated what happens when you don't tie the damn thing down
properly, this weekend ;-O ) and I was reminded of why I like that
brand so well. For your project, use the flat black, if you use it.

But, if you DO use it, you'll have to check every time you take it out
of storage for cracking and chipping of the paint, which is what
happens when the heat tolerance is exceeded. Just give it a light
sanding to get the loose stuff off, and repaint. If you use a couple
light coats of the spray paint throughout, you'd be fine.


> >Wrought iron seasons too, btw.
>
> I kind of wonder how to season a spit setup. It sure won't
> fit in the oven. Maybe just rub it down with oil and then
> cook on it. Long slow heat over several hours....

I'd build a long fire, and lay it along it, with some sort of barrier-
a trough of sheet metal maybe? between it and the fire so the oil
doesn't catch on fire.

> >When I build my final one, that's what I'll be building it out of, but
> >for your purposes, I'd use seasoned mild steel and just plan on
> >reseasoning it regularly.
>
> I could do that. And that is another step in the right direction.
>
> >Saint Phlip
>
> Gunthar


-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.