Cast iron chiminea

[VAG_dude]

Hi there,

Our cast iron chiminea has developed a tiny bit of rust where the water has got in through the cover over winter.

I was wondering if there is some sort of paint or treatment I could apply to stop it rusting quite as quickly whilst still being able to resist the heat?

Thanks

[Andy Dingley]

Blacklead grate polish. Zebo brand, lurid black and yellow tubes. It's just graphite in oil, but it's heatproof and is the standard tidy- up for cast iron hearths.

Every few years it goes out of business and becomes hard to find, so try either really old hardware shops, eBay, or woodstove specialists.

It's not rustproof, but it will make your chiminea look better before a barbecue. Really the best rustproofing for cast iron is just that it's made out of cast iron rather than mild steel. Unlike steel, the rust on cast iron tends to isolate the iron beneath from rusting further.

[VAG_dude]

Can the rust be removed with phosphoric acid?

[Tabby]

Phospohroci turns rust into magnetite IIRC, which is just less unstable than rust. Its not a good base to paint on, you should still remove whatever rust you can.

For the chiminea, stove paint. It needs to get hot to cure it.

NT

[VAG_dude]

Thanks, so what shall I use to remove it?

Will this stuff do?

Thanks

[Frank Erskine]

A wire brush.

[Nick Leverton]

Pint of petrol and a match.

Nick

[VAG_dude]

Thanks

[David]

Just a quick question before I embark on this task...

Is there anything else I should do before painting apart from removing the rust with a wire brush?

I was thinking it may need some sort of primer or undercoat? Maybe a good going over with some wire wool?

Many thanks

[Andy Dingley]

You either knock the loose stuff off with a wire brush and press on regardless, knowing that you'll knacker any surface paintwork by lighting a fire in it.

Otherwise you go for electrolytic derusting and a achieve a perfect finish, although goodness only knows why on such a device.

Anything else is just work for the sake of it.