Linseed Oil Paint Steam Radiator

random12345

I'd like to get two thin tube cast iron steam radiators refinished because the paint smells terrible when it heats up, and it isn't going away even after a few weeks. They were painted years ago with latex paint, but never used. I'm thinking about getting them sandblasted and then using linseed oil paint from this company: https://solventfreepaint.com/ottosson-linseed-paint.htm because at least if this does smell it's probably not as toxic. Honestly, I would be happy to just strip them and leave it as bare cast iron but don't want it to rust through either. So I guess my questions are 1) does anyone have any experience with this paint and 2) how long will an unpainted cast iron radiator last compared to a painted one? Thanks.

Jamie Hall

Second question first. An unpainted radiator will begin to rust almost immediately. Aesthetically, this may be a problem -- who wants a rusty radiator? -- and worse, it's rarely an even coat of rust. In terms of function, it's a non-issue; the surface rust which forms will take decades to get to the point where it might harm the function.

On the first, I've not tried linseed oil or linseed oil based paints on things like radiators, though I have used linseed oil for wood finishing. Great stuff. Takes a long time to cure competely -- days for thin coats, weeks for really heavy coats (such as a maple countertop! Don't ask how I know...). The odour during curing is not at all unpleasant -- at least to me -- and I daresay it is non-toxic, or at least far far less so than say an acrylic. On the other hand, I have used quality acrylic paints on radiators, and while the odour during cure is quite noticeable, complete cure is normally achieved in a matter of hours.

Older latex paints are a problem, though. The few I've hit, however, have been cured quite completely by wire brushing (vigorously!) and applying a prime coat of a shellac based primer, such as B.I.N. Which really smells while it is curing -- but that only takes an hour.

If that's any help...

random12345

Thank you. As usual, your input is much valued!