Grate blackener

[vicky whitworth]

Hello, do you know if it's still possible to buy Zebo/Zebrite fire grate blackener? And if it's not what are people using instead? I see that Stovax do a grate polish - does anyone use that?
Thanks, Vicky

 

[Penners]

You can't get Zebo/brite any more, Vicky, but there are several other brands of grate polish on the market. Stovax is certainly one, and Hot Spot claims to be the successor to Zebo: http://www.starchsupplies.co.uk/hotspot-black-graphite-grate-polish.html

I think Liberon do one, too.

I can't vouch for any of these - I'm still jealously hoarding my dwindling tube of Zebrite!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Hot Spot. Very nice.

 

[vicky whitworth]

Thank you Both. Hot Spot it is. Like you, Penners, I've been eeking out my last tube of Zebo but now it's all gone.

 

[Penners]

I've never understood why Zebo/brite disappeared. Judging by the number of times it's been sought on this forum, there still seems to be plenty of demand.

 

[middi]

I never understood why some people want to blacken their grates .

THEY NORMALLY GO BLACK WHEN ONE USES THEM ( soot and all that :wink: )

( sorry Vicky, ...... I get my coat)

Middi

 

[LadyArowana]

I've never understood why Zebo/brite disappeared. Judging by the number of times it's been sought on this forum, there still seems to be plenty of demand.

I saw some reference to the lead content being too high, but this was not an official document, merely comments online.

 

[Carol]

The Liberon stuff is fine. Easy to get hold of and apply and stops my cast iron fireplace rusting in the steamy kitchen. I only do it twice a year and my ten year old tin is still going!

 

[Penners]

I never understood why some people want to blacken their grates .

THEY NORMALLY GO BLACK WHEN ONE USES THEM

Middi, you're supposed to light the fire inside the grate. This means that the outside face doesn't blacken.

Just a little tip there!

 

[Penners]

I saw some reference to the lead content being too high

To the least-worst of my knowledge, Zebrite did not contain lead. Yes, it was generically called "black lead", but it actually consisted of little more than graphite in a wax base.

Graphite is widely called black lead although it is, in fact, pure carbon in another form (or allotrope). Its name is derived from the Greek grapho - to write. And pencil lead is, of course, actually graphite.

Wake up at the back - there will be a test, you know!

 

[worms]

Zebrite did not contain lead. Yes, it was generically called "black lead"....ZZZZZZ...
Wake up at the back - there will be a test, you know!

Please sir, What do I use to polish the white bits of my zebra?

 

[Penners]

 

[LadyArowana]

I saw some reference to the lead content being too high

To the least-worst of my knowledge, Zebrite did not contain lead. Yes, it was generically called "black lead", but it actually consisted of little more than graphite in a wax base.

Graphite is widely called black lead although it is, in fact, pure carbon in another form (or allotrope). Its name is derived from the Greek grapho - to write. And pencil lead is, of course, actually graphite.

Wake up at the back - there will be a test, you know!

I tried to find an authoritative reason why they stopped making/ selling it, but there was only one article from a newspaper archive and the document wouldn't open for me. It does seem strange that it would disappear.

As for carbon, there's only one really interesting form........

 

[MdB]

As for carbon, there's only one really interesting form........

Ah yes, Graphene is the hot topic of the moment and people are finding lots of interesting things to do with it.

 

[worms]

As for carbon, there's only one really interesting form........

Well, depending on the producer, CH3-CH2-OH can be pretty interesting.

 

[Moo]

Ah yes, Graphene is the hot topic of the moment and people are finding lots of interesting things to do with it.

I didn't understand that, so I turned to Wickipedia and discovered that "Graphene is an allotrope of carbon, whose structure is one-atom-thick planar sheets of sp-bonded carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb crystal ..."

Um ......

 

[Feltwell]

I had to think, it didn't come to me straight away either. Then it dawned on me that being as the poster was LadyA that it probably refers to carbon in it's altogether sparklier, much more expensive and very very hard form. It's been a long day, that's my excuse.....

 

[biffvernon]

I have a feeling of deja vu. We discussed the Zebrite - Zebo - Stovax - Graphite Grate Polish saga on this forum several years ago. Put "zebrite" into Google and you will find a host of clones for sale.

 

[Penners]

Graphene is the hot topic of the moment

Not forgetting Buckminsterfullerene (Bucky Balls).

 

[MdB]

Not forgetting Buckminsterfullerene (Bucky Balls).

C60 is so last decade...

You can just about get away with wearing nano tubes, but the latest fashion is Graphene all the way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/graphene
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&gl=uk&tbm=nws&btnmeta_news_search=1&q=graphene&oq=graphene&aq=f&aqi=d1d-o1&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=2020l4729l0l9564l8l8l0l4l4l0l195l571l1.3l4l0