# Stove polish on sandblasted cast iron?



## milesmoony (Aug 26, 2020)

Going to have my old cast iron wood stove sandblasted. I was wanting to apply either Rutland or Williams stove polish but was reading it is not for sandblasted surfaces. Anyone here have any idea why, what would be the consequence?

After sandblasting my stove at the end of last winter, painting it with stove bright, and sealing the seams with furnace cement it still stinks to holy hell every time I fire it up... I went through the painting and curing processes meticulously. I’m thinking it’s perhaps a reaction of the paint being sprayed over the furnace cement? Either way I’d like to avoid using either of these products a second time and stove polish seems so much simpler.


----------



## bholler (Aug 26, 2020)

milesmoony said:


> Going to have my old cast iron wood stove sandblasted. I was wanting to apply either Rutland or Williams stove polish but was reading it is not for sandblasted surfaces. Anyone here have any idea why, what would be the consequence?
> 
> After sandblasting my stove at the end of last winter, painting it with stove bright, and sealing the seams with furnace cement it still stinks to holy hell every time I fire it up... I went through the painting and curing processes meticulously. I’m thinking it’s perhaps a reaction of the paint being sprayed over the furnace cement? Either way I’d like to avoid using either of these products a second time and stove polish seems so much simpler.


Don't use stove polish paint is far better in every way.


----------



## milesmoony (Aug 26, 2020)

bholler said:


> Don't use stove polish paint is far better in every way.



I get that,  but I’d rather not go through the toxic and time consuming process of painting a second time. Seems stove polish may need to be applied more often but is less toxic, and goof-proof. Plus the polished stoves I’ve seen look beautiful, more original for an old stove. I’m just sick of being sick from the paint on my stove and would rather try something else entirely. I’d really be kicking myself if I painted it a second time and the smell came back :0 

Any insight into the sandblasting question?


----------



## bholler (Aug 26, 2020)

milesmoony said:


> I get that,  but I’d rather not go through the toxic and time consuming process of painting a second time. Seems stove polish may need to be applied more often but is less toxic, and goof-proof. Plus the polished stoves I’ve seen look beautiful, more original for an old stove. I’m just sick of being sick from the paint on my stove and would rather try something else entirely. I’d really be kicking myself if I painted it a second time and the smell came back :0
> 
> Any insight into the sandblasting question?


I have never used stove polish so I have no idea.  My only experience with it is trying to get it off so I can paint it.   I really don't understand why the paint kept smelling.  I have painted many many stoves and never had that issue.  What temps were you getting it up to?


----------



## begreen (Aug 26, 2020)

Once the stove polish gets into the pores of the casting it is hard to remove. This affects the bonding for paint if one decided to switch. I have had it both ways and now will only paint. It stays good looking much longer than stove polish. Stove Brite metallic black looks good on cast iron.


----------



## milesmoony (Aug 26, 2020)

bholler said:


> I have never used stove polish so I have no idea.  My only experience with it is trying to get it off so I can paint it.   I really don't understand why the paint kept smelling.  I have painted many many stoves and never had that issue.  What temps were you getting it up to?



It’s a mystery to me too. After initially painting it and giving appropriate air dry time I gradually burned a hotter and hotter fire for a couple hours until it was, I would say, as hot as you can get. Repeated this process the next day. 
I’ve posted on here before about the issue. Seems like the smell is coming from the joints in the stove which are packed with furnace cement. It’s a different smell from I uncured stove paint, but just as strong. The only theory I’ve been able to come up with is it’s a reaction of having painted over the furnace cement around the seems. Anyhow, it’s not an option to live with it, so time to start over.


----------



## milesmoony (Aug 26, 2020)

begreen said:


> Once the stove polish gets into the pores of the casting it is hard to remove. This affects the bonding for paint if one decided to switch. I have had it both ways and now will only paint. It stays good looking much longer than stove polish. Stove Brite metallic black looks good on cast iron.



Any idea why the manufacturer recommends against using stove polish on a sandblasted surface?


----------



## bholler (Aug 26, 2020)

milesmoony said:


> It’s a mystery to me too. After initially painting it and giving appropriate air dry time I gradually burned a hotter and hotter fire for a couple hours until it was, I would say, as hot as you can get. Repeated this process the next day.
> I’ve posted on here before about the issue. Seems like the smell is coming from the joints in the stove which are packed with furnace cement. It’s a different smell from I uncured stove paint, but just as strong. The only theory I’ve been able to come up with is it’s a reaction of having painted over the furnace cement around the seems. Anyhow, it’s not an option to live with it, so time to start over.


Sorry you are having that issue but I have reassembled and painted lots of stoves and they always cured fine.  I just don't understand.  To be clear I am not being critical of you or saying you did anything wrong it is just not normal at all.


----------



## milesmoony (Aug 26, 2020)

bholler said:


> Sorry you are having that issue but I have reassembled and painted lots of stoves and they always cured fine.  I just don't understand.  To be clear I am not being critical of you or saying you did anything wrong it is just not normal at all.



I appreciate it. What do you usually use to seal the joints in cast iron stoves that consist of separate assembled panels? I read somewhere a recommendation for using fiberglass rope door gasket if the joints have conducive channels. I definitely would like to use something other than furnace cement next time.


----------



## bholler (Aug 26, 2020)

milesmoony said:


> I appreciate it. What do you usually use to seal the joints in cast iron stoves that consist of separate assembled panels? I read somewhere a recommendation for using fiberglass rope door gasket if the joints have conducive channels. I definitely would like to use something other than furnace cement next time.


Some stoves are designed for gasket most require cement though.


----------



## begreen (Aug 26, 2020)

What stove is this?


----------



## milesmoony (Aug 27, 2020)

begreen said:


> What stove is this?


Glo-fire 301, 49’r scene on the side. A Jotul knockoff


----------



## begreen (Aug 27, 2020)

That would need stove cement at the seams. There are a few threads on that stove here in the Classics forum.


----------



## coaly (Aug 27, 2020)

Polish is water soluble. It is not impervious to water when cured. Water vapor as well as water spilled or boiled over from humidifying kettles goes right through it and rusts under the coating. Then you coat over the rust over and over. If the stove sits in a basement with high humidity all summer it becomes the coldest surface which condenses water vapor on it. That is not the environment to use polish. Temperature and humidity controlled, not so bad.  The purpose of a coating is to prevent water and oxygen from coming into contact with iron. Polish doesn't do that. Paint seals the surface.

I've never had a stove smell after curing paint with two fires. Best to paint outside, cure outside with a piece of stove pipe on stove. 500* stove top, good to go. I do this with used reconditioned stoves and never had a complaint even from people that were sensitive to odors.

The smoother the cast iron surface, the less stove polish sticks. It is not for a machined smooth surface.
The more iron is cleaned, the shinier it gets. Black or grey takes polish well. Wire wheeling too much giving it a shine will come through the polish when you buff it. Like putting shoe polish on glass or a chrome bumper. Makes a mess. Depending on the sand blasting job it may or may not have a consistent color or tone until many coats and touch ups.

Rutland Stove and Gasket Cement in tube, or Imperial in a tub. Cures with heat.


----------



## Hoytman (Aug 27, 2020)

I question whether you know if it’s a steel stove or one of cast iron. If it’s a true antique and cast iron, you shouldn’t be sandblasting it anyway. Electrolysis is a much better tried and true way to remove rust and preserve any castings with far less chance of ruining the castings than wore wheeling and most certainly sand blasting. That is of course, if preserving it is of importance. If you’re not that worried about it and just want the rust off and color back on it, then lick your poison, polish or paint. If it’s real cast iron polish gives the best look in my opinion. Paint is a better sealer.  If rust is a concern from eager kettles, then keep them away from it.


----------



## bholler (Aug 27, 2020)

Hoytman said:


> I question whether you know if it’s a steel stove or one of cast iron. If it’s a true antique and cast iron, you shouldn’t be sandblasting it anyway. Electrolysis is a much better tried and true way to remove rust and preserve any castings with far less chance of ruining the castings than wore wheeling and most certainly sand blasting. That is of course, if preserving it is of importance. If you’re not that worried about it and just want the rust off and color back on it, then lick your poison, polish or paint. If it’s real cast iron polish gives the best look in my opinion. Paint is a better sealer.  If rust is a concern from eager kettles, then keep them away from it.


It is cast iron and far from an antique.  It is an Asian knock off of a jotul.


----------



## begreen (Aug 28, 2020)

What prep work was done before the prior painting with Stove Brite? It sounds like there may have been an incompatible coating on the stove. I have seen this happen with a stovepipe painted with a high-temp paint (Krylon), then touched up with Stove Brite. They have two different bases and the acetone in the Stove Brite caused the underlying Krylon paint to dissolve. It was a mess.


----------

