Dining table with light metal work

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I had posted a thread in the general welding questions area a few weeks ago asking how to get a blackened metal finish on a turnbuckle.  I finished up the dining table it was being used on last night and thought I would post some pictures.The table has a multi-step finish on it.  The metal, including the turnbuckle/bracing and last screws holding the breadboard ends on was cleaned/stripped using muriatic acid.  I then heated them in my fire pit until they turned red.  Once red, I applied paste wax using cheesecloth.  This produced lots of really nasty smoke   Once the metal turned dark, I re-heated it to set it.I made the threaded rod by taking 5/8" solid stock and welding the threads I cut off of the turnbuckle hook and eye onto it.The metal turned out black like I wanted and looks great.  Thanks for all of the suggestions in my original post asking about how to age the metal.Wic Attached Images
Reply:That's one sturdy table. Nice looking finish on the metal and the wood!
Reply:looks good, i never would have thought heating wax would do anything.  i wonder why it does....although now that you mentioned that i have heated plugs in engine blocks and hit them with  candle wax to loosen them and you know they also turn out blackened....bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:Really nice! Reclaimed wood from a barn?Yakdung
Reply:Thanks for the comments!The table is pretty heavy.  The top alone probably weighs in at 50+ pounds.  The wife and I had a few curt words with each other bringing it into the house from the shop last night The wax idea came from a local blacksmith I talked to.  He told me he throws his larger objects into a brush pile, lights it up and waits for it to burn down.  Then he rubs Johnson's paste wax on them to turn them black.  I guess its the petroleum base that does it.The finish on the wood is a multi-step process- dye the wood, seal with a 2# cut of dewaxed garnet shellac, put a glaze coat on using a gel stain, seal with a 2# cut of dewaxed amber shellac and then 3 coats of water-based Varathane Diamond floor sealer.  Lots of work, but the depth of color and the finish is really nice.The wood is not reclaimed wood.  I spent a good bit of time making it look that way, however.  Lots of saw kerf marks, ripples from a jointer with one blade slightly higher than the others, hand saw marks, wood rasp marks, flat masonry nails, etc.
Reply:Nice table, too bad the turnbuckle isn't just a little longer, the proportion just isn't right.
Reply:Kidding, I'm kidding.
Reply:i remember your thread a few weeks ago , looks like it turned out good for what it was meant for. Acid i use cleans heavy rust off metal and etches it black like that , you hav to neutralize it. Im wondering why you would use painters cheesecloth , unless it burns that pattern in a little bit.  Seems 00 or 000 steel wool might be better considering the steels red hot. May i ask what kind / brand paste wax you used.?        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:The smaller screws I used did turn black when I took the zinc off of them using the acid.  The other metal parts didn't.  I neutralized the acid by washing the parts good and then soaking them in baking soda and water for a while.I used cheesecloth because that is what I had.  I use it with paste wax to seal the surfaces of my woodworking tools.  Keeps rust away and makes them super slick.  The wax works its way through the cheesecloth when I am applying it.  I don't keep steel wool around because it is not compatible with waterbased finishes (leaves small particles which rust in the finish).I used MinWax paste wax.  The blacksmith I spoke with uses Johnson's Paste Wax.To me the turnbuckle is actually a little long, but I decided not to cut it down once I realized I had a piece of 5/8" rod lying around I could make work if I didn't cut it down.
Reply:I use johnsons paste wax on all non painted projects i love the look of natural unpainted matel plus a little heat or let it patine for a few weeks then add the paist wax get some nice looks out of it. I love to turnbuckel look! wood and dark metal is my favorite
Reply:that table is FANTASTIC !
Reply:Originally Posted by Jimmy_popthat table is FANTASTIC !
Reply:Just curious but what about using a gun blueing solution? Would that work?
Reply:Originally Posted by bhardy501Just curious but what about using a gun blueing solution? Would that work?
Reply:Love the table, cool way to build a stretcher!Check out my channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkz...bZg8AYNXGqBjZQ"Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of arms." - Aristotle
Reply:Thats an awesome table!!! Wish you had pics of the build
Reply:Cool table, looks really sturdy with the metal work. Like the dark finish which matches the chairs. The tips are really helpful. Great work!__________________www.sawblade.com