Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Smallhold Farming and Rural Living => Property, Buildings, Equipment and Alternative Energy => Topic started by: Goldfinger on November 06, 2010, 15:22

Title: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: Goldfinger on November 06, 2010, 15:22

Hi all,,

I would like to know what is best used to clean the outside (the black casting) of my woodburner?

Over the summer it's been used nearly as another table  ::), it has circular cup marks on the top and other general mucky marks on it.

I thought of using white vinegar, the same way as to clean the inside of the glass but was worried it might stain/taint or even rust!  :(

I just want it brightened up really, ready for the kids birthday party and Christmas because we're bound to be quizzed over it on what they are like.....
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on November 06, 2010, 16:53
We bought Thermolac for ours.  It's a black spray on stuff.  Bought online, but I can't remember where from!
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: arugula on November 06, 2010, 16:56
"Traditional Graphite" cleaner in a 75 ml tube like toothpaste, made by Stovax.

:)
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: smud6ie on November 06, 2010, 18:06
When the stove is cold,Warm water,a touch  washing up liquid and a nail brush,rinse then if it has not all come off dry it well and  spray a very light coat of aerosol spray stove paint.
Graphite paste is fine fot restoring older rusty cast iron but once you use it,paint will no longer stick. another downside to the paste is,you will get black smudges on you when you brush against the stove.
Smud6ie
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: Goldfinger on November 06, 2010, 21:54

Hmmmmm, dilema then......

Should I paint...??? ?

Should I polish...??? ?

What gives a better looking finish overall??
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: Spana on November 06, 2010, 22:15
The spray.  You can get lots of colours and finishes.  Even if you want black there is still a choice and it makes the wood burner look like new.   
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: Goldfinger on November 06, 2010, 22:45

Is the brush-on stuff easier??

My spraying technique is er.... 'not good' shall we say....  :blush:
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: compostqueen on November 06, 2010, 23:06
Zebrite is polished on with a cloth and buffed up.
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: Poolfield2 on November 10, 2010, 18:19
You can also get brush on stove paint, pongs a bit though. I find the black matt finish on its own a bit stark so on the odd occasion I get round to cleaning ours I put the paste on top of the dried paint and then polish off so no marks get onto passing clothes. It gives a gunmetal finish.
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: orchardlady on November 10, 2010, 20:03
It used to be called Black Lead but is now the modern grafite stuff come sin a tube or a tin. It is a mucky stuff to apply and you will get it on you so wear plastic gloves that are disposable. Clear the area around your fire or wood burner and lay newspaper down. You spread it on just like toothpaste and allow it to dry (not long) then buff up with an old shoe polishing brush just like a shoe polish you will get lot's of tiny little bits buff off hopefully onto your newspaper. You get a lovely warm black pewter glow to the cast iron. You only need to do this once a year. It's mucky but incredibly satisfying to see the end result I tend to do it in the late Spring so it stays lovely all summer and doesn't look tired.
 :)
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: Goldfinger on November 10, 2010, 21:33

Been taking an even closer look at the 'burner while decorating and we've noticed the paint coming off / flaking in a couple of places  :ohmy:  :(  :(

Does this mean I should re-paint, and then / or, use the polish stuff? ?
Title: Re: Woodburner cleaner?
Post by: Poolfield2 on November 11, 2010, 13:49
Brush off any loose flaky stuff and the use hammerite type stove paint as that sticks to the bare metal just fine.