How best to apply black grate polish?

[skier-hughes]

As the weather is not so nice today, I'm getting down to some internal work and the reclaimed fireplace is ready to be blacked.
It has some detail to it, but nothing much.
I'm wondering how best to apply the zebo black grate polish.

I'm thinking old toothbrush or even the black shoe polish brush which being slightly larger than a toothbrush would make the job a little quicker.

Would a cloth be easier?

Does it matter if I'm not very even with how much I apply?

Do I have to buff it off afterwards?

Does it go off? As I've found several tubes left by the old owner, so they are several years (decades)old!!

Graham

 

[JoceAndChris]

Ooh one of my favourite jobs.

I use a cloth, which, combined with my nails, can get right in round the intricate detail. I'm sure a toothbrush would be good too, but it gives less of a sensation of rubbing the product in. Make sure your cloth doesn't shed any fluff- an old T-shirt is perfect.

I certainly didn't worry myself about evenness and I'm pleased with the results, and after all, this should be done every 6 months or so, I'll catch up with any missed bits next time. Not sure about old grate polish, if it's not too dried out it should be OK I suppose.

Don't polish it off, as far as I understand the idea is to blacken not to attempt any kind of sheen! Enjoy- by the way, it's beautiful sunshine here.

 

[skier-hughes]

Warm but breezy and overcast...

blimey I might write a poem about sitting outside blackening my grate

 

[Carol]

I'm in the toothbrush camp, for putting on a nice layer, leave for half an hour or so (time for tea and biscuits), then polish off with shoe brush sized brush. Our fireplaces are very intricate so a cloth wouldn't get into the nooks and crannies. And having struggled to get it off my hands and nails desperately the first time, I now use those disposable gloves. Wussy, eh!
Agree about doing it every six months but mine are lucky if they get a go-over annually!

 

[skier-hughes]

I'm going with Carol, tea and biscuits, gotta be the way to go!!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Don't understand how you could polish your grate outside when surely it's inside- unless you have very long arms?

But yes, a poem on the subject would be nice and I don't think has been attempted.

My cat just brought me a baby bunny, completely unharmed, I'm dying of a cuteness attack. I have to get it back to its Mum.

 

[skier-hughes]

The fireplace has not yet been fitted, so can be blacked wherever takes my fancy.
Carol's idea is useless, I've just had tea and biscuits and the grate is not at all black :twisted:
My cat brought a live baby bunny in through a magnetic cat flap, don't know how. Then let it run round the kitchen, to the amazement of the dogs.
Soon caught it and wrung it's neck.

 

[Lime]

I use a washing up brush.
The handle makes it easier to use and the bristles are longer.

 

[michael]

Toothbrush for getting into the intricate detail. Shoe brush for general application and then a cloth for buffing.
On one I did many years ago, I continued buffing with a lambs wool buffing pad on an electric drill. This brought it up to a silvery pewter colour. Depends on the finish you want I guess.
No cast iron fireplace these days but I do have a cast iron wood burner that needs a bit of attention. Can Zeebo be used on wood burners i.e. where the metal gets hot or would the Zeebo burn, start smoking, give off fumes or worse catch fire?
Failing Zeebo ,whats the best product for cleaning wood burners?

 

[Lime]

michael, you are bound to get some smell as zeebo and other black polishes have waxes and other things in them.
Put on thinly it should be alright.
The actual material that buffs up is graphite (a carbon form) and can burn at a high temperature.
However if it ever reached that temperature on the outside of a wood burner I'd be very concerned about carbon monoxide poisoning.
The old cast iron wood burners killed many people when they got too hot.
Cast iron, when glowing hot (near red), allows carbon monoxide through the atoms of iron as if the iron isn't there although stopping all other flue gases.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Please may I shamelessly beg for photos? (the grate, not the bunnies, cats or dogs, though I'd like to see those too) I've seen your house now, it's GORGEOUS. I found it around Page 25, I think. By the way, what happened before Page 107?- I'm very curious.

My silly bunny ran on top of the woodshed, I didn't know they could climb! So I had to spend ages coaxing it down.

 

[chuckey]

Years ago, I tried to Zebbo one of our cast iron fireplaces. Total disaster, the surface of the cast iron was incredibley hard and smooth so no matter how long I left it the stuff, it would just polish off in parts leaving a silver surface. I sprayed it matt black from a rattle can, now that gave an nice even finish .
Frank

 

[skier-hughes]

Please may I shamelessly beg for photos? (the grate, not the bunnies, cats or dogs, though I'd like to see those too) I've seen your house now, it's GORGEOUS. I found it around Page 25, I think. By the way, what happened before Page 107?- I'm very curious.

My silly bunny ran on top of the woodshed, I didn't know they could climb! So I had to spend ages coaxing it down.

Maybe before page 107 we had the old forum, can't be bothered to look at see what is at p107, as I have a glass of wine in my hand!!
Pictures of the fireplace are up somewhere, look harder.

Graham

 

[skier-hughes]

here you go, though this was a photoshop pic of what it would look like before I bought it, to see if I liked it!!

 

[skier-hughes]

and here's a pic of the room from the other way with the one suite frame now in place and new oak floor down.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oooh that's lovely- thank you, thought I was going to have to spend another evening as the self-appointed Mma Ramotswe of PPUK digging things out.

What a pretty thing, it must look fantastic now it's had some TLC- or did the wine prevent you? The rubble, or dross, in front is an interesting way to dress it out. :?

Drinking before 6pm, I'm jealous!
xxx

Just seen Pic number 2- who is the distinguished looking gentleman hiding in the corner? Is that a French window there? And what a lovely floor!

 

[Schoolmarm]

The gentleman looks like his wife.

 

[skier-hughes]

The rubble is all the gypsum plaster come off the wall, the wind died down, so I did some planting instead, worked from 6am to 10 pm yesterday, so this evening is time off, bacon, fresh duck eggs, chips, mushrooms, beans etc beckons me now, so another glass of wine, then some cooking!!
The distinguished gent is indeed JO, my wife, so it's lucky she's working down in London, or she'd be over to sort you out!!!
Here she is again...

 

[Schoolmarm]

And looking nothing like a gentleman. :roll:

 

[skier-hughes]

and here's another to just prove she looks nothing like a bloke