"Don Foreman"

Perhaps you might consult a Finn about how to
treat the metal on your
sauna stove. Hint: not paint.

Blackening of steel can be done with a liquor
made from black walnut
shells. It can also be done simply with heat.
The result is quite
similar to blueing on firearms. Firearms are
blued with salts to keep
the temperature down to where it doesn't screw
up the properties of
the metal, but that doesn't matter at all on a
sauna stove.

I can't take it anymore, yes you paint the sucker!
Use high heat
black in a rattle can and put it on heavy. Then
set it up outside
and put a big hot fire in it, really hot, kiln
dried maple is best.
Then it won't stink anymore and it won't end up
looking like a
chunk of crappy looking scrap iron. And don't be
afraid to fire
it up hot on a regular basis too! If you're the
type who is afraid
of a hot stove with flames halfway up the chimney
you have no
business burning wood. Cold, smoldering, smoky
fires are no
good, they are creosote makers asking for trouble.
The inside
of the stove should be snow white!
While we're on the subject, another thing that
gets me going
are top benches too low! The code inspector says
they cannot
be any higher than what was decided upon by a
panel of ignorant
beaurocrates who don't know ****. How are you
supposed to
put your feet on the ceiling with a top bench that
freaking low?
And one more thing, just one: rough cut cedar
benches rule!
Rough cut, as in fresh off the circular saw, three
inches thick
and ten inches wide is about right. Two side by
side on top,
one loner in the middle and two side by side for
the lower.
phil kangas