I built my dog (well, actually my wife) a feeding station out of bird's eye maple and walnut. Even my 16 year old son said it was beautiful, and he doesn't like anything.
The stainless steel bowls look pretty crummy in there. Any ideas for making them look more like brass (the hinges are brass)? I don't think SS can be plated, but maybe there is a tinted lacquer or something? Thanks.
Nix on the painting for your four legged friend. Becareful with brass a lot of it is not rated for eating off of. How about a ceramic bowl?
Buy copper bowls. You want to Paint you wifes feed bowl ?
why make those bowls look like brass when there are other bowls you could get that already look that way?
forget fixing old bowls. start finding new bowls. i suspect glass bowls would look ok too.
randy
you could mix your own food grade amber shellac with a food grade alcohol and dip/spray the bowls. it'd probably look like crap. ;) (also i don't know if shellac is safe for dogs... it's used in some human foods)
I don't know for sure... have you tried plating it? (fairly simple to test using a battery, some salt/vinegar, and a penny.)
replacement bowls as others have suggested seem to be a good option. you *did* make it able to accept other bowls, yes? ;)
good luck
Good stainless steels will change color when heated. People (such as knifemakers) who forge steel know this and use the colors to judge temperature and hardness.
You can achieve a faint to dark straw color that is semi-permanent by heating the steel between 350 and 500 degrees fahrenheit. This can be done in your kitchen oven. It's not a true brass color, but it might work for your purposes.
Check out the chart at the bottom of this page:
-chib
Hard to believe, but worth a try. Straw would be better than silver; thanks.
Just be aware that the color is a surface oxide only. It scratches easily and will eventually wear away. The colors from straw to blue are semi-permanent. Beyond blue (and gray) the colors are incandescent and will cool to black.
Start at 350 degrees and watch the steel closely in the oven. Ramp up the temperature 25 degrees at a time and hold for 10 minutes until you see the color you want. Then stop and hold the steel at that temperature for an hour or so. Remove from oven and let cool naturally to room temperature. Do not quench the hot steel in water.
You can test this process with an old stainless butter knife or similar object before doing your bowls.
I'm also thinking of your dogs here. Heat-colored steel is no more toxic than the steel itself, whereas some other coating might not be as benign.
-chib
chibiabos wrote in news:040820041630134894% snipped-for-privacy@outreach.com:
Conversely, what would be the best way to *remove* the straw color from stainless steel? The brushed SS hood on my gas grill has turned this color, but I've been afraid to "attack" it with anything.
TIA
Unfortunately, the only way to remove the color is with an abrasive such as sandpaper or steel wool. This is likely to destroy the brushed texture on your grill.
-chib
chibiabos wrote in news:040820041648280747% snipped-for-privacy@outreach.com:
Thanks. That's what I was afraid of.
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