Cast iron finish

[richhodg66]

Not firearms related, but it's for a Veterans Day ceremony and I know we have some smart dudes on here so please bear with me.

I procured a large school bell, made of cast iron, pretty sure it's 100 years old or more. It's in pretty good shape, but has some surface rust and there are several pretty large pits in it which I am sure from looking at it were casting flaws present the day it was made.

What should I fill those pits with? I would imagine the vibration of something like a bell would break loose most kinds of things like Bondo, etc?

Rust isn't too bad, but how best to prep it for paint? I was thinking about carefully using an angle grinder with a wire wheel, but would some kind of chemical work better? I've had good luck with evaporust, but the base of this is probably 18" across so it would take a big receptacle full of it. Will these Rustoleum type primers actually stop rust like they say?

This will be in a high school gym and won't really have to withstand close visual scrutiny, but I want it to look good. Any thoughts are appreciated.

The fixture it hangs in was designed to be bolted to a 6x6 post it looks like, so the next issue will be making a mount that's portable.

 

[Bret4207]

What looks best to me is to leave the pits as they are and just wire brush it, use an angle grinder or drill motor with a soft or medium wire wheel, not a coarse or knotted/twisted wire. A brass wire wheel is another option. Then coat it with boiled linseed oil. Rub it in. It will darken it a bit, offer a bit of a shine and protect it to a degree. An annual application may be needed. Old metal has a character all it's own that I find extremely attractive. If you fill the pits and flaws and paint it you lose all that and it looks like a cheap steel item IMO.

That's just me and what I like. Others may find that too rustic and ratty. To each their own.

 

[Brad]

I agree with Bret. Remove the loose rust and use linseed oil. It will darken and maybe add a little sheen but it will let the natural metal be seen.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm in the camp of, "Don't paint it and don't fill the pits".
I'm with Bret4207, you'll lose all of the character if you start trying to turn it into something it isn't.

I might sandblast it instead of using a wire brush. You'll end up with a more grey finish and then you can oil it if you want it darker.

As for it's age, unless you can verify WHERE it was made, you probably can't say WHEN it was made. I've seen a lot of cast iron stuff that proported to be old American iron that was actually much newer import stuff. Be careful there.
Old American cast iron items tend to be thinner (the quality of the iron was better) and cheap imported items tend to be a little thicker and made with poor quality iron. If it has a lot of casting voids in it, it may not be nearly as old as you think it is.

 

[Ian]

Wire brush the loose, flaky rust. Dig the crust out of the pits with a pick if necessary. Buy a quart of Ospho and a spray bottle. Soak it repeatedly per instructions and let dry. Then you can coat it with BLO or paste wax or Meguir's liquid carnauba car wax or whatever. I recommend the car wax myself.

 

[358156 hp]

If you end up needing to paint it, consider a paint like "Last Blast", which is sold to the machine shop trades specifically for making old cast iron look new again. I'd probably try a low pressure sand or bead blast, followed by your choice of finishing. Use just enough air pressure to clean the surface completely, no sense going heavy and discovering any heretofore unknown casting flaws.

 

[Glaciers]

Wow Richhodg66 you reminded me of a bell my family got from a house we bought on Cottonwood Creek just east of Murray Utah in 1964.
it’s been moved from Murray to California and 3 different houses that my folks kept trading up. So in 1974 I loaded it in my pickup and brought it with me to Alaska. Always mention to clean it and get it hung again.
So I’m following this thread with interest.

Why do these devices flip pictures

Looks like the date could be 1880 something



It’s 18” diameter and 11” tall plus the yoke.
Is this close to your bell?

 

[richhodg66]

The one I have looks very similar to that one. The base of the bell is 14.5" in diameter.

Some good ideas here. Gonna give this some consideration.

 

[bruce381]

I would sand blast that will even out the look/patina then coat with something like maybe linseed or even a laquire

 

[Bret4207]

I'm pretty sure there are websites devoted to bells and their manufacturers in the US. I know for a fact that a nice old school bell with the "frame" doohicky they swing on will go at auction for at least $750 up here if it's advertised and if it's a BIG one I've seen them go for thousands and even over 10K!

 

[JonB]

If I were doing this, it'd be the "Remove the loose rust and coat with Linseed oil".
No need to make a huge project out of it. The Linseed coating will likely protect it good enough, if it needs to be stored outside until next year, then just give it a re-coat before the next celebration.

 

[fiver]

soda blast and the traditional pork fat bake will bring it around just fine.

 

[Ian]

soda blast and the traditional pork fat bake will bring it around just fine.

You gonna bake biscuits in it, or what?

 

[fiver]

maybe.... I mean you know.
if the clapper is out some nice cobbler, cinnamon rolls, or monkey bread,,, wouldn't be out of the question.

 

[Bret4207]

Oooooooooooooooo! COBBLLER! I'm in! Peach, apple, berry, I don't care!

 

[Ian]

True story. Last evening of a seven-day camp-out in a part of the West Texas desert which is more than 30 miles from any human, any direction, i decided to make cobbler. We had plenty of flour, sugar, and a stick of butter, but no more canned or dried fruit. Native Tunas were out of season (Thanksgiving time). We had about a pound of sweet table grapes left though, so I made grape cobbler in the Dutch oven. It was dang good, too! We saved the leftovers for breakfast with coffee as we broke camp.

 

[fiver]

we made a hot blueberry cobbler last night and had vanilla ice cream on the side.
I got about a half of a jackfruit to pick at while we waited....
I thought I was full from dinner and the jackfruit but I managed to find room for the hot cobbler somehow.
the Baby even managed to nom down every spec off the wooden spoon Mom gave her without throwing it on the floor.

 

[Cadillac Jeff]

I just had pie
now wish I had cobbler

 

[Brad]

Last cobbler I had retired long ago. Now I just get new boots.

 

[RicinYakima]

Paw-Paws. Can't make cobbler without Paw-Paws.