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“Polished” cast iron radiator finish

sobriquet
sobriquet Member Posts: 51
in Strictly Steam

hello, not sure if steam is the right place for this, but it does have to do with my steam system. I’m wondering if anyone has ever finished a radiator by hand polishing and/or burnishing the raw cast iron and then applying a light film of oil to protect from rust. I currently have 2 radiators being media blasted. I’m undecided on the paint or powder coat color and I see a lot online about a burnished finish. I quite like it, but not sure if anyone had had real success with this or can give me some general direction. My plan was to hit it with steel wool and buff with a cotton wheel, then oil with 3in1 oil or machine oil. The guy blasting them did say they would flash rust almost immediately, so not sure if this is a good idea. Looking for some feedback, thanks!

Comments

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,300

    Cast iron is very brittle and can not be polished .. Powder coating for the polished look is your best bet .

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    PC7060
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 25,918

    I had a customer use a hammertone powder coat on a bunch of radiators. I thought it looked a lot like a bare cast iron, a bit of a texture yet a hard durable finish for cleaning

    Or maybe a clear powder coat

    IMG_1234.jpeg
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Long Beach Ed
    Long Beach Ed Member Posts: 1,806
    edited October 19

    Yes, polished cast is quite a thing in England. Here's a catalogue page from Castrads, and English firm who sells their product in the States. You can scroll down to see their "polished" bare iron lacquered finishes:

    https://www.castrads.com/us/finishes-us/

    A friend just finished a months-long project polishing a small Clow Gasteam Radiator; it was a very laborious endeavor but well worth the time. Iron polishes beautifully, using a variety of twisted wire wheels, wire wheels, grinding stones and buffers and compound.

    You get plenty of imperfections, is a sight to behold.

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