I'm trying to find a way to turn cast Iron into gold, and I have about
2 weeks to do it! I am running a cooking competition for a Bluegrass
festival in KY and I need to get a cast Iron dinner bell painted
(preferably gold) for the prize. This is somthing that is going to be
used year after year, so it needs to be fairly good at retaining its
paint, but i don't want to fudge upt he acoustics too much. I know I
must stay away from oil based paints, can anyone give me an idea?
should I just say to hell with it and look for a (much more expensive)
brass bell? or can this idea be salvaged?

any advice would be great!

in haste...
distortedreality

wrote:

I'm trying to find a way to turn cast Iron into gold, and I have about
2 weeks to do it! I am running a cooking competition for a Bluegrass
festival in KY and I need to get a cast Iron dinner bell painted
(preferably gold) for the prize. This is somthing that is going to be
used year after year, so it needs to be fairly good at retaining its
paint, but i don't want to fudge upt he acoustics too much. I know I
must stay away from oil based paints, can anyone give me an idea?
should I just say to hell with it and look for a (much more expensive)
brass bell? or can this idea be salvaged?

On your way to the paint store, stop at the plating shop and see how much to
have it polished and brass plated.

GWE

"Grant Erwin" wrote: On your way to the paint store, stop at the plating
shop and see how much to have it polished and brass plated.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That would cost roughly...plenty. BTW, does this bell have to ring (like a
bell?) Cast iron has a lot of damping, so it will probably not make a
clear, long ringing sound.

Also, what's wrong with oil-based paint?

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Grant Erwin" wrote: On your way to the paint store, stop at the plating
shop and see how much to have it polished and brass plated.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That would cost roughly...plenty. BTW, does this bell have to ring (like a
bell?) Cast iron has a lot of damping, so it will probably not make a
clear, long ringing sound.

Also, what's wrong with oil-based paint?

If you really love a challenge, what about goldleaf?

I would try painting it with that shiny gold spray paint they sell at the
auto parts stores.

I dont think the bell will suffer too much from painting. The reason I say
this is I saw a guy that made really big chimes out of old welding gas
bottles. Those suckers rang like crazy and they still had the original paint
on them.


--
Roger Shoaf

If knowledge is power, and power corrupts, what does this say about the
Congress?
wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm trying to find a way to turn cast Iron into gold, and I have about
2 weeks to do it! I am running a cooking competition for a Bluegrass
festival in KY and I need to get a cast Iron dinner bell painted
(preferably gold) for the prize. This is somthing that is going to be
used year after year, so it needs to be fairly good at retaining its
paint, but i don't want to fudge upt he acoustics too much. I know I
must stay away from oil based paints, can anyone give me an idea?
should I just say to hell with it and look for a (much more expensive)
brass bell? or can this idea be salvaged?

any advice would be great!

in haste...
distortedreality

I'd just primer and paint it. If you want it to look good putty, high build
primer, sand, repeat, then final coat.

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message
...
I would try painting it with that shiny gold spray paint they sell at the
auto parts stores.

I dont think the bell will suffer too much from painting. The reason I
say
this is I saw a guy that made really big chimes out of old welding gas
bottles. Those suckers rang like crazy and they still had the original
paint
on them.


--
Roger Shoaf

If knowledge is power, and power corrupts, what does this say about the
Congress?
wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm trying to find a way to turn cast Iron into gold, and I have about
2 weeks to do it! I am running a cooking competition for a Bluegrass
festival in KY and I need to get a cast Iron dinner bell painted
(preferably gold) for the prize. This is somthing that is going to be
used year after year, so it needs to be fairly good at retaining its
paint, but i don't want to fudge upt he acoustics too much. I know I
must stay away from oil based paints, can anyone give me an idea?
should I just say to hell with it and look for a (much more expensive)
brass bell? or can this idea be salvaged?

any advice would be great!

in haste...
distortedreality

On 23 May 2006 12:46:02 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

I'm trying to find a way to turn cast Iron into gold, and I have about
2 weeks to do it! I am running a cooking competition for a Bluegrass
festival in KY and I need to get a cast Iron dinner bell painted
(preferably gold) for the prize. This is somthing that is going to be
used year after year, so it needs to be fairly good at retaining its
paint, but i don't want to fudge upt he acoustics too much. I know I
must stay away from oil based paints, can anyone give me an idea?
should I just say to hell with it and look for a (much more expensive)
brass bell? or can this idea be salvaged?

There's a local company who just perfected a metallic spray for most
bases. It's in a resin body but it sprays on thin, leaving a metallic
overcoat which will take on a patina if it isn't sealed. (More info
once I've contacted them again.)

Alternatively, see HF for a $10 Titanic replica bell.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=41877


---
In Christianity, neither morality nor religion comes into contact
with reality at any point. --FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
---------------------------------------------------------------
- http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development -

Jim Stewart wrote:

If you really love a challenge, what about goldleaf?

If it's got to be perfect, goldleaf is a challenge and a lot of work.
But if one wants something easier but still looking good, you just grind
off the high spots of the bell, prime it with the glue and put the leafs
on. No big deal.


Nick
--
The kit-DRO
Available now in USA / Canada
http://www.yadro.de
...|....|....|....|....|....|....|..

"Nick Müller" wrote in message
...
Jim Stewart wrote:

If you really love a challenge, what about goldleaf?

If it's got to be perfect, goldleaf is a challenge and a lot of work.
But if one wants something easier but still looking good, you just grind
off the high spots of the bell, prime it with the glue and put the leafs
on. No big deal.

A large concrete wall was sized and covered with gold leaf in Symphony Hall
in Salt Lake City, Utah. My wife and I did the cleanup afterwards, and
recovered a couple ounces of gold.

If concrete can be made to look good, a cast iron bell wouldn't be much of a
challenge. Only if you desire it to look machined would it be much of a
chore. Fact is, gold leaf applied to slightly irregular surfaces has
considerably more character than it does on perfectly flat surfaces.

Harold

What about the fake gold leaf they sell at craft stores. Cheaper and
would probably do the job.
Karl

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

If concrete can be made to look good, a cast iron bell wouldn't be much of a
challenge.

OK, I should have been more clear. If it is done the way it is tought to
church-painters (a friend has a masters degree) it is a damned lot of
work. Preparing the surface, sanding, filling, sanding, ... and finally
polishing the gold with an achat.


Only if you desire it to look machined would it be much of a
chore.

ACK

Fact is, gold leaf applied to slightly irregular surfaces has
considerably more character than it does on perfectly flat surfaces.

ACK. That's what I meant with "still looking good". Doing it the easy
way makes it look "antique".


Nick
--
The kit-DRO
Available now in USA / Canada
http://www.yadro.de
...|....|....|....|....|....|....|..

On Tue, 23 May 2006 17:01:43 -0700, "Roger Shoaf"
wrote:

I would try painting it with that shiny gold spray paint they sell at the
auto parts stores.

I dont think the bell will suffer too much from painting. The reason I say
this is I saw a guy that made really big chimes out of old welding gas
bottles. Those suckers rang like crazy and they still had the original paint
on them.

I've done that too, with a 122 cu ft oxy bottle. Plasma-cut the
bottom off, ground it smooth, welded a ring on the top to hang it.
Tawk about sustain! Once struck, it rings for a very long time!
BON-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-G-G-G-G-G.......

Nick Müller wrote:

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

If concrete can be made to look good, a cast iron bell wouldn't be much of a
challenge.

OK, I should have been more clear. If it is done the way it is tought to
church-painters (a friend has a masters degree) it is a damned lot of
work. Preparing the surface, sanding, filling, sanding, ... and finally
polishing the gold with an achat.
....

What's an achat?

-jiw

Gray iron = Lower cost than bell metal (bronze) but sound not as good for
reasons mentioned by Leo below.

Ductile iron = excellent choice.

CS Bell Foundry in Hillsboro Ohio started out making gray iron bells but
they had their own composition to give the bells a good tone. Ductile iron
was invented / discovered in the late 1940's and patents did not run out
until the early 60's. At some point CS Bell Foundry began using ductile
iron. Ductile iron would be an excellent choice for a bell because it is
somewhat closer to steel compared in damping capacity compared to gray iron.
The thing is, once the bell is tolled the gray iron would reduce the ring
time, i.e. the vibrating bell lip would vibrate a shorter time so the tone
would have less harmonic vibrations and will not be as "rich" in sound
quality.

I would think with good surface prep the iron could be paints but I would
keep it to minimum thickness to prevent the paint from affecting the tone.

Mark


"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Grant Erwin" wrote: On your way to the paint store, stop at the plating
shop and see how much to have it polished and brass plated.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That would cost roughly...plenty. BTW, does this bell have to ring (like
a bell?) Cast iron has a lot of damping, so it will probably not make a
clear, long ringing sound.

Also, what's wrong with oil-based paint?

James Waldby wrote:

polishing the gold with an achat.
...

What's an achat?

Sorry, it is agate.


Nick
--
The kit-DRO
Available now in USA / Canada
http://www.yadro.de
...|....|....|....|....|....|....|..

"Nick Müller" wrote in message
...
James Waldby wrote:

polishing the gold with an achat.
...

What's an achat?

Sorry, it is agate.


Nick

The gold I spoke of was polished with balls of cotton. There is no
burnishing to speak of, so the gold leaf has a very pleasing texture. The
use of cotton made recovery of values much easier for me.

Interesting that agate is used. Likely because of its hardness?

Harold

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

The gold I spoke of was polished with balls of cotton.

You can use your fingernail to. Works quite good on not too big
surfaces.


The use of cotton made recovery of values much easier for me.

;-)


Interesting that agate is used. Likely because of its hardness?

It is quite hard (6.5) and seems to be polishable very good. Might also
have to do with affinity (or lack of) to gold. But I'm far away from
being a chemist.


Nick
--
The modular DRO
Available now in USA / Canada
http://www.yadro.de
...|....|....|....|....|....|....|..

On Thu, 25 May 2006 10:14:29 +0200, with neither quill nor qualm,
(Nick Müller) quickly quoth:

James Waldby wrote:

polishing the gold with an achat.
...

What's an achat?

Sorry, it is agate.

There you go, talkin' in them furrin langidjes agin.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achat

Here is Wiki's transmogrification of the page. LOL!
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl...en-US:official


----------------------------------------------------------------------
* Scattered Showers My Ass! * Website Development from A to Z
* --Noah * http://www.diversify.com
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