help needed for old fireplace

[njhsmee]

I recently moved into an older house and have a hollow metal coal fireplace that is in a hell of a state.It is stained badly,it looks like the top layer is peeling in places and has drips of something down the front of it.I want to leave it in place but what can I use to strip it without knackering what is underneath? Would I then need to cover it with lacquer or paint to stop it rusting or just polish it up.Any help would be greatly appreciated as I don't have a clue what to do!

[Andy Burns]

A wirebrush should remove whatever has dripped onto it, then brush on and rub in some "blacklead" which isn't lead at all, but graphite, e.g.

[michael adams]

Going by your pictures its not all that old at all.

Its a William IV cast iron fireplace by Stovax

In the old days of course these would be polished with black lead often the next job on the list after scrubbing the front step.

From the look of it theres nothing to strip apart from what's been spilt on it. And cast iron is pretty impervious to whatever solvent you'd like to try apart from acid that is.

As to subsrquent treatment blacklead aside, possibly wax would do the trick.

As your question was posted via Homeowners Hub doubless you asked it five or more years ago now. Unfortunately some people simply cant resist any opportunity no matter how slight, to act the smartarse.

HTH

michael adams

...

[michael adams]

Correction. It's an Adelaide insert - (as shown in the first link with a William IV mantlepiece) but with a Georgian Polished cast iron mantlepiece as shown here.

Possibly if you contact Stovax they could advise on the best product for maintaining the finish.

Or they would have done five years ago had you known or whenever it was you posted the question.

michael adams

...

>

[Vir Campestris]

I know he's HOH, but there's no need to be unnecessarily cruel.

Wax on something that gets hot? Where it will melt, and possibly boil off?

NOT a good idea.

Andy

[tabbypurr]

Of course. HOH may be annoying but its not the posters' fault, they don't know what the deal is there.

NT

[njhsmee]

replying to michael adams, njhsmee wrote: thank you Michael...I posted a couple of days ago as this was the first forum that popped up!

[njhsmee]

replying to Andy Burns, njhsmee wrote: thank you andy

[michael adams]

Rather than actually use it as a fireplace, I was assuming the OP simply wished to retain it as a decorative feature.

That at least is what I took " I want to leave it in place" and "Would I then need to cover it with lacquer or paint to stop it rusting" as implying.

In any case I thought the original post because it included photos hosted by Homeownershub may have been deliberately planted by the Homeownershub admin as a direct response to problems about photo hosting which have been posted on here recently and as such might have originally been posted years ago.

As your question was posted via Homeowners Hub doubless you asked it five or more years ago now. Unfortunately some people simply cant resist any opportunity no matter how slight, to act the smartarse.

HTH

HTH

michael adams

...

[njhsmee]

replying to michael adams, njhsmee wrote: Have I opened a can of worms here? I just posted this as it was the first forum I found.I have no idea what is going on with the site but thank you for your replies and I have now contacted stovax.You have been a great help.Many thanks.

[alan_m]

This link may explain

[newshound]

Especially this bit :-)

"This makes some of the uk.d-i-y regulars even more grumpy than normal (and that is saying something!)"