Ceramics guy here. Pottery kilns are programmed to sit at around 160-180F for 20-60 minutes to allow for non-elementally bound water to burn off before climbing past the boiling point. Hold at a lower temp for a little before the full bake and it may prevent most of the bubbles and blisters.
That's a great 💡 just as when I prep for powdercoat, run the item for 30 minutes at 160 to 170 after washing to ensure its completely dry. Same concept
The town of Pontypool in South Wales (where many of my family come from) was a major centre of Japan Ware throughout the 18th and 19th century. The recipe, given as percentage by weight, used was as follows. Raw linseed Oil - 44.8% Umber (natural) - 2.2% Litharge (lead monoxide) - 2% Ashphaltum - 10% Cobalt Resinate - 0.5% Turpentine or White Spirit - 40.5% The oil, umber and Ashphaltum are heated together and the cobalt and litharge are added slowly. The solvent added last. As all of these materials are available it should be relatively easy to make a batch of the real thing...just take care with the litharge and cobalt as both are nastily toxic.
@@crabmansteve6844thats the problem with kids today. Afraid of a little asbestos and lead paint. Next their coming for our open mercury buckets and pit mines.
Speaking for all the antique sewing machine enthusiasts, I thank you for giving is a way to repair the japanning. I've been searching forever for a way to fix mine, and all this time it was a tool guy to get the job done!
Thank you very much for providing actual subtitling for those who are disabled which the majority of people on RUclips failed to do so, it made watching this a complete pleasure than a pain.
@@todddenio3200 He doesn't, the irony is that it actually made it more inclusive to a lots of people than just the hearies. It's surprisingly tranquilising with only the sound of the tools, it made it feel like you're part of it, as if you're the one who's making a fool of themselves. Think of it like those video games where the character you're playing doesn't have a voice, making you feel more connected to the games.
This is great- thank you for putting in the time. You're doing god's work here. A tip I've picked up working a lot with old paint recipes and tar finishes is that if there's an ingredient that needs to be completely dissolved by a solvent in the recipe- it's sometimes helpful to mix those first before mixing in the oil or other ingredients that may inhibit the solvent doing its job. So in this case- mix your turp and asphaltum first letting it completely dissolve before adding your linseed oil. 🍻
So several things going on in the ATB mix that makes it work best. The turpentine sort of dissolves, sort of swells/gels the asphaltum. Turpentine works better than other solvents (pretty sure) because of it's cyclic structure, which has better solubility with the (likely variously cyclic) carbon structures in the asphaltum. Boiled linseed oil is the key in the recipe. It acts like a plasticizer during drying and melting of the asphaltum, preventing cracking in the resin, and then cures hard with heat and time. The boiled version is intended to cure faster, and linseed oil is the basis for linoleum.
Trey Vaswal...."Boiled" version of linseed oil is a necessity. Regular or raw will never dry. If a finer finish is required, there is a triple boiled linseed oil available that is used in antique furniture restoration. Triple boiled will be quite a bit more expensive, but the finish is much smoother.
@@paulcopeland9035 I use raw linseed oil for anything wood, and the plastic containers I have used contains very dry linseed oil, 100 years ago they used it for paint, it will dry with time..
@@paulcopeland9035 "boiled" means it has mineral salts added that encourage/speed up the oxidation/polymerization of the oil. You could add Japan Dryer to regular linseed oil and get the same effect.
I know I am commenting a whole year after your original post, but would the ATB mix cold cure at all? I’ve used BLO for gunstock and furniture restorations, so I know it cures very slowly all by itself. But because I live in an apartment building, heat curing Japaning would... upset my neighbors.
I love all your restoration videos and learned a lot from them but on this one I actually learned a technique i did not even know existed. Until today my only experience with Japanning was when I traded my Ford for a Honda. Keep the great work!
Been making it for years. I’m with you, ATB is what I use. The longer you let it set in the container the better it gets. I made a batch setting for 4 years. The stuff is great. I use it when I restore fans. Great information you compiled. Thanks for shearing.
Late reply but I've got this funky old GE pedestal fan that I'm keen to restore, not too concerned about it being 100% accurate but I was wondering how to get that "vintage" finish. This video and your comment gave me my answer, so cheers for that!
@@jonahadi9092 It works well for pre-fired terracotta. The mix must be made thicker, however. Don't thin this down too much, apply to warmed terracotta, raise it's temperature gradually so it doesn't crack underneath
In watching your painting strokes I can tell you that even amounts of the substance for each stroke, pick and area and paint it until you see the affect you want, slow strokes leave less bubbles, hitting the bottom of the item can make the bubbles pop as if it were cake batter, the bouncing of the item can level the fresh and liquid state of the Japanning. I have used nearly every art medium to make a living before I got sick so I have some experience in this field...more than some. Thanks for sharing this experiment btw~~
When pouring turpentine, or anything from a similar can, tilt the can so the spout is closer to the ceiling than to the floor. That way it is easier to control the flow when pouring into a small measure.
Remember you can add a lot more thinner to dissolve the asphalt then leave it to flash off until you get the thickness you want before painting.this is deffinately not a fast process but the final finish is fantastic looking.
I remember something that a antique gunsmith told me..... He said something about using Burgundy pitch in a recipe for Japanning ! I will look to see if I still have the notes and send it to you ! That pitch would add to that brown color ! Keep those Great Rescues coming !
Thanks for doing this video. It really helps put all of those recipes floating around on different internet forums into some context. Some of the recipes I have seen also call for adding a tiny bit of rosin to the ABT recipe. Supposed to add some additional durability. I plan on trying it when I get around to doing the DIY japanning myself.
There is another method that I designed from being 3 years in Japan, and understanding the japanese shellac tree oil, and shellacing method that is the original lacquer for ancient Asian dinner and cooking (metal, cast iron) ware. I did this 14-16 layers for a cast iron dutch oven and any cast iron over a gray coals BBQ (no ovens !, no baking !). Get the gray coals going, then put upside down dutch oven onto the grill. Allow to completely heat up. Then clean paint brush or paper towel wipe on very volume of VEGETABLE OIL on the surface. Veggie oil is ooey gooey and provides the necessary carbonization that other food oils do not have. Also it is non-toxic (vs turpentine or other mechanica petroleum oils). Allow the oil to bubble, fizzle, steam, and burn onto the hot metal - until there is a complete burn-in of the blue-blacking of the carbonization and shellacing. Each application takes ~15 minutes each layer. Do this for 14-16x on cast iron (~3-4 hours). This same methods fits with all these ancient mechanical tools made of cast iron or early steel. You will have a shellaced glaze (vs ceramic or pottery glass glaze that cracks or chips). This process also gets down into the iron pores making the entire cast iron stronger - and there is nano-steel crystallization (iron + carbon=>steel) networking happening inside the cast iron pores. DO THE OUTSIDE FIRST - versus the inside - as cast iron ie cookware could crack the utensil, when doing the inside then outward.. When the process has the perfected glass smooth surface (and thickness) of blue-blacking, there is no more chance of seasoning or rusting. If you do the same for a hand-dipped mechanical iron tool, you could dip the tool into the oil, then put over the coals to cook and bake, and continue this process until satisfied with your japanning surface. I take my dutch oven to every REI cook out event - showing them the perfection of this method - and mention this constantly across other cast iron worthless seasoning vids as the perfect japanning technique for metal cookware (dutch ovens, skillets, griddles, woks, ...) and metal tools.
This is a process commonly used on wrought iron referred to as oil burnishing. Also used is Tung nut oil (and also bees wax, but with lower temperatures).
@@AmeriFanPicker Actually its not - because you coat and then go back inside - minimal brushing on the veg oil. And once down - forever done - no more seasoning, rust, washing, or anything else, ... the time invested makes for no-mess ever afterward.
I love your videos, and sense of humor, and hearing you speak now reminds me of me when i mess up building models, crafts or playing games, love sarcastic/smartass humor! Keep it up
Omg please make a cooking video next April fool’s day! 😂 joking aside, this was a great video, super useful. Thanks for taking the time to experiment with this, figuring out how to relay the info to us, recording, and finally editing the video. Really appreciative of the amount of time and energy you put into this!
I didn't know about Japanin before this. I will never make it or use it but I sure did enjoy listening to you, and you showing the different ways it could be made and how to use it. Very informative and funny video. Thank you for taking the time and putting the effort into sharing one of your passions with us. Thanks HTR 💙
Awesome! I feel like I understand Japanning enough to try it! Also, I love your side commentaries. I was actually laughing out loud a couple times. Thanks for the great video.
I love this video. I dont do anything that invlove japaning as im just a truck driver. But i love everything you put out. And its awesome listhening to you talk.
You could "Japan" your truck rims, maybe? They just might release the road salts in the winter, and dust in the summer with just a hose down. I'm theoreticalizing this suggestion. Not sure how much weight that would add either. I know you need to keep as much of the GVWR for cargo. Be safe out there.
Damn it, you never cease to amaze me, this was a truly useful video,. My concerns about japanning always involved the shipping cost to and from Japan, it seems i was mistaken all this time. Well done and thanks.
He needs a pipette. Clear would be ideal but even a piece of fuel hose with a thumb on one end would probably be neater. Or a fast food straw. At least he makes up with his great sense of humor. I literally laughed out loud when we had "the fireplace chat".
how else will you have a record of every project ever done on the bench? a stained bench is a sign of someone who uses their bench, a clean one needs a little love.
The bare spot that you referred to in the ATB sample is called fish-eye, and is usually indicative of the presence of silicones. The aerosol painted samples showed the same fault as you sprayed them. It's possibly some lubricant used in the tin forming process. You should use an anti-silicone cleaner, these are available from car body paint suppliers.
I honestly didn’t think I would watch this whole video, but it pulled me in. What a cool process! Also I understand that it isn’t at all the same result, but I’m curious about the hardness/durability of the matte cold cure. That could be a neat finish for something that isn’t a restoration and needs to be matte black. Thanks for sharing your research!
@@thomasarussellsr lol yes, it's legendary for being made of everything except coffee. If you went to somebody's house and they only had International Roast it was best to have a cup of tea. Ironically these days it's not actually as bad as some of the other cheap nasty "coffee"
@@paulmilton4228 haha I forgot about that one! I think i drank that... Once! Bushels instant coffee powder is still just as bad. I remember at school in the 80's there was always this urban legend that International Roast had dried pigs blood as one of the ingredients, who knows where that came from. www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/7kb5wd/does_anyone_know_where_to_buy_pablo_instant/
Thanks for making this video, Im sure its took many hours working out the right recipe and not to mention the hours to edit. It will certainly benefit me and no doubt many others as its not easy to find this infomation on this topic. I will be using your recipe on my next project. Thanks For Sharing. Regards Brian
You've done it now. You're going to be getting requests to buy a japanned wrench from now until RUclips changes their policy and takes down your video for being Canadian.
Hi there, thank you for your excellent introduction of the Japanning technique. I have been building up my collection of old tools and when the finish was bad would sand blast and give a couple of coats with spray enamel. The finish never looked “right” however and I can see that Japanning is the way to go. Now I’ll have to find something that I haven’t already sand blasted and painted to give it a whizz. My favourite timber finish is boiled linseed oil 50% and natural turpentine 50% and it is no surprise that simply adding asphaltum to the mix gives the best finish for Japanning. Cheers.
I've enjoyed your videos for a while now. I'm glad you posted this. In todays world everything is painted or powder-coated, it's nice to see some old school stuff.
Okay, first things first. Has anyone ever told you that you sound remarkably like Ray Romano? Next, EXCELLENT video tutorial. The sound & video, simply excellent. Very informative and your sense of humor and timing is a great addition to your video.
As much as this is fascinating to watch and I know it would make a more authentic restoration, I think I'll go with the farm implement paint for my "make it look good" restorations of fairly common old tools. It takes a lot of effort to do it right!
Many kudos for all your work on japanning. Additional kudos for producing videos of such high quality that even your comments section is a treasure trove of useful info !
Paint guy here :) When thick layers of coatings are applied, like paint, if the heat is too high, a skin starts to form on top of the rest of the mostly liquid paint below it, because it has the most direct contact with the heat and with air that the solvents can evaporate into. As the coating continues to dry, it shrinks, but this isn't a problem as it is sitting on paint that is more liquid and will allow the top layer's shrinkage. Some coatings allow less solvent evaporation through them as they dry and "skin off" and this can cause drying issues if they are put on too thick, and dried too fast. As the layers below the skin start to dry, they too will shrink. This causes problems with the top layer(s) of paint because it is already too rigid and as the lower levels of paint shrink, it pulls on, and compresses the top layer(s) and causes wrinkles.
This isn't paint. The official documentation dictates that it is BETTER to apply it to a warmer-than-air surface, and then fire it in an oven that's only a bit below the maximum curing temperature of Linseed oil. These documents come from the exact specifications used by automotive industries in the 1920s, whom got their recipes and directions from the usage of japanning up to 40 years before.
VERRRY COOL! I like that you don’t just restore, but educate as well that’s a sub from me! I don’t necessarily restore things, but I do breath new life into what others thought was trash, so I will use this one day! Thanks again!!
Exactly what I thought. I also wondered if you could buff it to see if it would shine up just like the version he preferred. Truth be told, I could see each version being used for spacific applications, but that's just how my mind works.
Thanks for the deep dive, Eric. Fellow tool nerd here. While perusing old tool catalogs, I've often wondered how to achieve the "Japanned" finish. I've been using a mix of: 4 parts beeswax, 2 parts turpentine, and 1 part BLO. Heat steel to 300 degrees or so, then brush this on or dip your part. It's more like a shiny "blued" look and not quite so black. But it does a great job of protecting old steel.
Truly enjoy all your videos.. watching yo got me bitten by the tool restoration bug. I have gone out and just started to try and do this myself!!! And i eill FOR SURE fo alot of japanning on alt ot the tools i restore ... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING ME STARTED AND MOTIVATED. It is a lot of fun
I love that you are Canadian because you use products I can actually find and if you say it's $14 then it's $14 and not $35 plus $40 shipping and customs fees on delivery. I only do woodworking so the metal stuff is way beyond me, but it is so enjoyable watching your videos. Thank-you for sharing.
I wonder how the Varnish and Poly recipes would do if you pre-dissolved the 50% Turpentine 30% Asphaltum for two days before adding the remaining ingredient ,then let sit for another day?
That chunk of tar might look tempting to Canadians, but we southern kids know that in hot weather, roof tar (like road tar) gets soft and sticky. Very, very, very sticky.
Yeah, here in Canada we have to break the frozen tar up in the bucket with an ice pick then to tar a roof on our modern igloos we place the chunks on the seam and have to heat it with a torch to melt it in place.
i’ve had to do that to my igloo here in bc. you have to be very precise with the heat. i still remember a conversation i had with a woman when i was in Florida, she assumed i had to buy a whole new wardrobe to visit her neck of the woods. it’s over 100 degrees fahrenheit here today.
@@MegaTapdog Sorry about the weather you’re having now. It is unusual there, though (I’ve been to Vancouver). Be sure to drink plenty of water, wear a broad-brimmed hat, and stay in the shade when possible.
Judge: "So, why are all you wanting a divorce from your Husband?" Wife: "Well I had just bought this white sofa........" Husband: "But Your Honour, *HTR* told me too"
"His legs were like Linguini" What am i gonna do about mah Legs! Charlie Murphy!!! Lmfao "Buy anotha one you rich Mothafuckahhhhh!!!" Rick James: Bitches! Come over here and show Charlie Murphy yo titties! [women lift up their shirts] Rick James: The milks gone bad! 😂😂😂😂😂 "WHAT DID THE FIVE FINGERS SAY TO THE FACE??? SLAP!! IM RICK JAMES BITCH!!!!
My white living room couch is busy being used by my dog to birth her pups and raise them! Do you have any other recommendations for places to make this.
Oh my god, it's the incredible captain Hindgrinder! I love it when the robots actually give me the content I want. Nice video on hard fancy paint or whatever... it's Duclaw!
Very interesting video. I'm japanning my tintypes and I've often problems with cracking like a spider web after the second coat baking. Usually I bake at 300° F the first coat and 225° F for the second. I use mineral spirit as thinner ... but I'll try you receipt and your baking method.
Awesome work. Very nice. Not sure I have the patience you have for the process (I'd rather do something else that takes such a huge amount of time). But you do restore wonderful old and lovely items in a very elegant and beautiful manner - and these items do deserve this treatment! Keep up the great work... :)
Nice vid. I did a Wikipedia search for 'japanning' before starting your vid and was pleasantly surprised (as an Englishman) to learn about 'Pontypool Japanning'... I lived in Pontypool for a few years before moving to Newport and regularly visit Usk... whoda-thunk I'd learn about Japanning and its connection to where I used to live from the most awesome Canuck on RUclips. Thankyou Sir.😎
Hi,I'm Japanese. Japanning is a kind of fake style finishing of Japanese wooden furniture. English "lacquer" and Japanese"Urushi(Toxicodendron vernicifluum)" are completely different thing. I know you know the difference, and as your long time subscriber , i hope you'll make video about Urushi!!!
Ceramics guy here. Pottery kilns are programmed to sit at around 160-180F for 20-60 minutes to allow for non-elementally bound water to burn off before climbing past the boiling point. Hold at a lower temp for a little before the full bake and it may prevent most of the bubbles and blisters.
This is the most constructive RUclips comment I've read in months (and I tend to move in the friendlier parts of RUclips) !!
Comments like this are what RUclips was made for.
That's a great 💡 just as when I prep for powdercoat, run the item for 30 minutes at 160 to 170 after washing to ensure its completely dry. Same concept
Bill:
Socrates - "The only true wisdom consists of knowing you know nothing".
Ted:
That's us, dude.
@@DannnnH67 hahaha
The town of Pontypool in South Wales (where many of my family come from) was a major centre of Japan Ware throughout the 18th and 19th century. The recipe, given as percentage by weight, used was as follows.
Raw linseed Oil - 44.8%
Umber (natural) - 2.2%
Litharge (lead monoxide) - 2%
Ashphaltum - 10%
Cobalt Resinate - 0.5%
Turpentine or White Spirit - 40.5%
The oil, umber and Ashphaltum are heated together and the cobalt and litharge are added slowly. The solvent added last.
As all of these materials are available it should be relatively easy to make a batch of the real thing...just take care with the litharge and cobalt as both are nastily toxic.
This should have more upvotes for the historical references
Doing the Lord's work.
@@manitoba-op4jx rightly so
@@manitoba-op4jxUnderstandably afraid of asbestos and lead paint.
@@crabmansteve6844thats the problem with kids today. Afraid of a little asbestos and lead paint. Next their coming for our open mercury buckets and pit mines.
You got me excited! i thought you were finally going to reveal your sushi recipe!
That's next episode.
...4 years later and still no emotionally distant sashimi.
@Ididathing I'm sorry he lied to you 🫡
Hey it’s you!
Speaking for all the antique sewing machine enthusiasts, I thank you for giving is a way to repair the japanning. I've been searching forever for a way to fix mine, and all this time it was a tool guy to get the job done!
Thank you very much for providing actual subtitling for those who are disabled which the majority of people on RUclips failed to do so, it made watching this a complete pleasure than a pain.
My pleasure!
What made it even better is the fact that HE ACTUALLY TALKS in this one... He needs to talk in all his videos
@@todddenio3200 He doesn't, the irony is that it actually made it more inclusive to a lots of people than just the hearies.
It's surprisingly tranquilising with only the sound of the tools, it made it feel like you're part of it, as if you're the one who's making a fool of themselves.
Think of it like those video games where the character you're playing doesn't have a voice, making you feel more connected to the games.
This is great- thank you for putting in the time. You're doing god's work here. A tip I've picked up working a lot with old paint recipes and tar finishes is that if there's an ingredient that needs to be completely dissolved by a solvent in the recipe- it's sometimes helpful to mix those first before mixing in the oil or other ingredients that may inhibit the solvent doing its job. So in this case- mix your turp and asphaltum first letting it completely dissolve before adding your linseed oil. 🍻
So several things going on in the ATB mix that makes it work best. The turpentine sort of dissolves, sort of swells/gels the asphaltum. Turpentine works better than other solvents (pretty sure) because of it's cyclic structure, which has better solubility with the (likely variously cyclic) carbon structures in the asphaltum. Boiled linseed oil is the key in the recipe. It acts like a plasticizer during drying and melting of the asphaltum, preventing cracking in the resin, and then cures hard with heat and time. The boiled version is intended to cure faster, and linseed oil is the basis for linoleum.
Trey Vaswal...."Boiled" version of linseed oil is a necessity. Regular or raw will never dry. If a finer finish is required, there is a triple boiled linseed oil available that is used in antique furniture restoration. Triple boiled will be quite a bit more expensive, but the finish is much smoother.
I've tried japanning with mineral spirits instead of turpentine and the results really seemed inferior to the turpentine results.
@@paulcopeland9035 I use raw linseed oil for anything wood, and the plastic containers I have used contains very dry linseed oil, 100 years ago they used it for paint, it will dry with time..
@@paulcopeland9035 "boiled" means it has mineral salts added that encourage/speed up the oxidation/polymerization of the oil. You could add Japan Dryer to regular linseed oil and get the same effect.
I know I am commenting a whole year after your original post, but would the ATB mix cold cure at all? I’ve used BLO for gunstock and furniture restorations, so I know it cures very slowly all by itself. But because I live in an apartment building, heat curing Japaning would... upset my neighbors.
This guy is changing the youtube restoration game without even breaking a sweat. Pay your respects accordingly.
I love all your restoration videos and learned a lot from them but on this one I actually learned a technique i did not even know existed. Until today my only experience with Japanning was when I traded my Ford for a Honda. Keep the great work!
I probably would have gone with Dodge, but its still an upgrade lol
THE JAPANNING EPISODE IS HERE! THE JAPANNING EPISODE IS HERE! Hooray! Hooray!
Better than fricking Christmas... or so.
Go! Be free! Fly into the darkness.
...for meth heads
Been making it for years. I’m with you, ATB is what I use. The longer you let it set in the container the better it gets. I made a batch setting for 4 years. The stuff is great. I use it when I restore fans. Great information you compiled. Thanks for shearing.
This recipe should work for pottery as well as metal, no? I was thinking for terra-cotta.
Late reply but I've got this funky old GE pedestal fan that I'm keen to restore, not too concerned about it being 100% accurate but I was wondering how to get that "vintage" finish. This video and your comment gave me my answer, so cheers for that!
@@jonahadi9092 The porosity of terracotta might cause problems? E.g. by soaking up the solvent in the mixture or something? Not sure.
Somebody wrote they have pottery knowledge higher up but nothing about trialing it... You could also try putting a varnish in between
@@jonahadi9092 It works well for pre-fired terracotta. The mix must be made thicker, however. Don't thin this down too much, apply to warmed terracotta, raise it's temperature gradually so it doesn't crack underneath
"As Dark as my soul" Quote of the Video. Well done.
In watching your painting strokes I can tell you that even amounts of the substance for each stroke, pick and area and paint it until you see the affect you want, slow strokes leave less bubbles, hitting the bottom of the item can make the bubbles pop as if it were cake batter, the bouncing of the item can level the fresh and liquid state of the Japanning. I have used nearly every art medium to make a living before I got sick so I have some experience in this field...more than some. Thanks for sharing this experiment btw~~
Good effort in getting This old Tony to do the voice over. Thumbs up for a lovely documentary all round.
Hahaha, thank you.
When pouring turpentine, or anything from a similar can, tilt the can so the spout is closer to the ceiling than to the floor. That way it is easier to control the flow when pouring into a small measure.
I appreciate how realistic your mixing instructions are.
Remember you can add a lot more thinner to dissolve the asphalt then leave it to flash off until you get the thickness you want before painting.this is deffinately not a fast process but the final finish is fantastic looking.
How did you get Ray Ramono to do the voice over?
I've got hoes in different area codes.
It made me question whether Ray Ramano is actually Canadian
First thing I thought. Another YouLube sell out.
everybody loves ramond
Top Kek
I remember something that a antique gunsmith told me..... He said something about using Burgundy pitch in a recipe for Japanning ! I will look to see if I still have the notes and send it to you ! That pitch would add to that brown color ! Keep those Great Rescues coming !
I find it fascinating that you put the effort in to a project by utilizing the products that were available when the item was first produced.
Thanks for that. I've been trying to figure out Japanning for several decades (off and on). That was a real good coverage. Thanks again.
I've also been waiting for you to do this. Really interesting and very useful in some of the restorations I do. Thanks
I've been looking for this information for years!!!!
Thank's a Lot!!!!!!!
Thanks for doing this video. It really helps put all of those recipes floating around on different internet forums into some context. Some of the recipes I have seen also call for adding a tiny bit of rosin to the ABT recipe. Supposed to add some additional durability. I plan on trying it when I get around to doing the DIY japanning myself.
Yes! I agree, rosin would be great to add.
There is another method that I designed from being 3 years in Japan, and understanding the japanese shellac tree oil, and shellacing method that is the original lacquer for ancient Asian dinner and cooking (metal, cast iron) ware. I did this 14-16 layers for a cast iron dutch oven and any cast iron over a gray coals BBQ (no ovens !, no baking !). Get the gray coals going, then put upside down dutch oven onto the grill. Allow to completely heat up. Then clean paint brush or paper towel wipe on very volume of VEGETABLE OIL on the surface. Veggie oil is ooey gooey and provides the necessary carbonization that other food oils do not have. Also it is non-toxic (vs turpentine or other mechanica petroleum oils). Allow the oil to bubble, fizzle, steam, and burn onto the hot metal - until there is a complete burn-in of the blue-blacking of the carbonization and shellacing. Each application takes ~15 minutes each layer. Do this for 14-16x on cast iron (~3-4 hours). This same methods fits with all these ancient mechanical tools made of cast iron or early steel. You will have a shellaced glaze (vs ceramic or pottery glass glaze that cracks or chips). This process also gets down into the iron pores making the entire cast iron stronger - and there is nano-steel crystallization (iron + carbon=>steel) networking happening inside the cast iron pores. DO THE OUTSIDE FIRST - versus the inside - as cast iron ie cookware could crack the utensil, when doing the inside then outward.. When the process has the perfected glass smooth surface (and thickness) of blue-blacking, there is no more chance of seasoning or rusting. If you do the same for a hand-dipped mechanical iron tool, you could dip the tool into the oil, then put over the coals to cook and bake, and continue this process until satisfied with your japanning surface. I take my dutch oven to every REI cook out event - showing them the perfection of this method - and mention this constantly across other cast iron worthless seasoning vids as the perfect japanning technique for metal cookware (dutch ovens, skillets, griddles, woks, ...) and metal tools.
This is a process commonly used on wrought iron referred to as oil burnishing. Also used is Tung nut oil (and also bees wax, but with lower temperatures).
That’s sounds awesome but also kind of overkill even for vintage smooth cast iron.
@@AmeriFanPicker Actually its not - because you coat and then go back inside - minimal brushing on the veg oil. And once down - forever done - no more seasoning, rust, washing, or anything else, ... the time invested makes for no-mess ever afterward.
I love your videos, and sense of humor, and hearing you speak now reminds me of me when i mess up building models, crafts or playing games, love sarcastic/smartass humor! Keep it up
Omg please make a cooking video next April fool’s day! 😂 joking aside, this was a great video, super useful. Thanks for taking the time to experiment with this, figuring out how to relay the info to us, recording, and finally editing the video. Really appreciative of the amount of time and energy you put into this!
Thank you!
like the non glossy gloss one (2nd from left) , that matte finish looked cool man
I didn't know about Japanin before this.
I will never make it or use it but I sure did enjoy listening to you, and you showing the different ways it could be made and how to use it.
Very informative and funny video.
Thank you for taking the time and putting the effort into sharing one of your passions with us. Thanks HTR 💙
Thanks for watching!
I'm in the middle of restoring a Keen Kutter plane right now. You just saved me a ton of time! Can't wait to try this out myself. Thanks a bunch!
No problem!
"I actually marked it this time, so we know what we're doing", Immediately paints over marking ;)
Awesome! I feel like I understand Japanning enough to try it! Also, I love your side commentaries. I was actually laughing out loud a couple times. Thanks for the great video.
Information is power. Thank you for passing along the power
I cannot thank you enough for sharing the results of these tests. I just whipped up a batch of this today based on your recommendations. ✌🏽
I love this video. I dont do anything that invlove japaning as im just a truck driver. But i love everything you put out. And its awesome listhening to you talk.
Thank you!
You could "Japan" your truck rims, maybe? They just might release the road salts in the winter, and dust in the summer with just a hose down. I'm theoreticalizing this suggestion. Not sure how much weight that would add either. I know you need to keep as much of the GVWR for cargo. Be safe out there.
Thanks for that great presentation on coatings. Very interesting for authenticity.
Damn it, you never cease to amaze me, this was a truly useful video,. My concerns about japanning always involved the shipping cost to and from Japan, it seems i was mistaken all this time. Well done and thanks.
I will keep this in MIND!
It’s time you rescued some vintage funnels, amigo. There’s no need to spill everything everywhere.
He needs a pipette. Clear would be ideal but even a piece of fuel hose with a thumb on one end would probably be neater. Or a fast food straw. At least he makes up with his great sense of humor. I literally laughed out loud when we had "the fireplace chat".
How do you think my workbench is 8000 years old?
how else will you have a record of every project ever done on the bench? a stained bench is a sign of someone who uses their bench, a clean one needs a little love.
@@HandToolRescue Hope you don't smoke though :)
my perfectionist side is screeching upon seeing this
Awesome! I love it. I should have watched this before I restored my STANLEY no 78 last week. Awesome info.
"Offline Literature", someone should really open one of those stores.. sounds like fun stuff..
Awesome tutorial! Thanks for sharing!
No problem. Give it a shot!
The bare spot that you referred to in the ATB sample is called fish-eye, and is usually indicative of the presence of silicones. The aerosol painted samples showed the same fault as you sprayed them. It's possibly some lubricant used in the tin forming process. You should use an anti-silicone cleaner, these are available from car body paint suppliers.
I’ve watched a lot of your videos but not many where you talk. I have to say, I love the dry comedy. It is perfect.
I honestly didn’t think I would watch this whole video, but it pulled me in. What a cool process! Also I understand that it isn’t at all the same result, but I’m curious about the hardness/durability of the matte cold cure. That could be a neat finish for something that isn’t a restoration and needs to be matte black. Thanks for sharing your research!
I hope to see more videos similar to this! Extremely cool, and a worthy change of pace
If you're in Australia go right ahead and substitute International Roast for asphaltum, it's the same thing
Coffee?
@@thomasarussellsr lol yes, it's legendary for being made of everything except coffee. If you went to somebody's house and they only had International Roast it was best to have a cup of tea. Ironically these days it's not actually as bad as some of the other cheap nasty "coffee"
Caffeinated Skwirl Pablo?😂😂
@@paulmilton4228 haha I forgot about that one! I think i drank that... Once! Bushels instant coffee powder is still just as bad. I remember at school in the 80's there was always this urban legend that International Roast had dried pigs blood as one of the ingredients, who knows where that came from.
www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/7kb5wd/does_anyone_know_where_to_buy_pablo_instant/
@@CSkwirl And, that's why I switched from coffee to tea.
Yep, I will be using this recipe. Thanks Eric👌
Learn so much watching your channel. Thank you for taking the time to explain this. I heard you mention Japanning on the FitzAll Podcast.
My pleasure.
That was the most profitable 40 minutes i spent on RUclips today. Love your restorations and also your sense of humour. :-)
I can;t wait to buy all this stuff and then not do anything with it.
Me to a T.
That's what I did still sitting on the dresser
Me, too.
Happens with most things 🤣 I feel you
I'm not alone!
Thank you so very much for this! When you talked about it briefly in the past it piqued my interest. This video is amazing!
Hand Tool Rescue I bought my first quart of Evapo Rust and it worked great on my father in law old rust tools
" it worked great on my father in law" glad I scrolled down a bit more
@@MikeWest_W Hey if it worked to make my knees less creaky, I'd use it.
Texas Wrath vinegar is cheaper.
@@scotthaddad563 For rust or knees?
@@cosmasindico yes.
Thanks for making this video, Im sure its took many hours working out the right recipe and not to mention the hours to edit. It will certainly benefit me and no doubt many others as its not easy to find this infomation on this topic. I will be using your recipe on my next project. Thanks For Sharing. Regards Brian
You've done it now. You're going to be getting requests to buy a japanned wrench from now until RUclips changes their policy and takes down your video for being Canadian.
he should totally add that to his shop as a premium option.
Hi there, thank you for your excellent introduction of the Japanning technique. I have been building up my collection of old tools and when the finish was bad would sand blast and give a couple of coats with spray enamel. The finish never looked “right” however and I can see that Japanning is the way to go. Now I’ll have to find something that I haven’t already sand blasted and painted to give it a whizz. My favourite timber finish is boiled linseed oil 50% and natural turpentine 50% and it is no surprise that simply adding asphaltum to the mix gives the best finish for Japanning. Cheers.
I actually laughed out loud when you said "offline literature, they're called books" thanks.
I think they're called books
😂
I've enjoyed your videos for a while now. I'm glad you posted this. In todays world everything is painted or powder-coated, it's nice to see some old school stuff.
Like this video a lot! I have trouble pouring turpentine also.
I have found a funnel to be useful however I can never find one.
Good stuff. Love the fireside chats, reminds me of sitting around the radio and listening to the president.
If you pour from the can holding it with the opening at the top instead of the bottom, you'll spill less.
Okay, first things first. Has anyone ever told you that you sound remarkably like Ray Romano? Next, EXCELLENT video tutorial. The sound & video, simply excellent. Very informative and your sense of humor and timing is a great addition to your video.
As much as this is fascinating to watch and I know it would make a more authentic restoration, I think I'll go with the farm implement paint for my "make it look good" restorations of fairly common old tools. It takes a lot of effort to do it right!
Some people are fine with half-assed.
@@asherdie even the very maker of this video who suggested farm paint at 20:02
Many kudos for all your work on japanning. Additional kudos for producing videos of such high quality that even your comments section is a treasure trove of useful info !
Himmmm. Now I need to find something to do this to. I'll slather up an iphone case so people think my 6+ is from 1922.
#diyMATT : Cool idea. As it happens, I need a new iPhone case now.
#diyMATT just finished mine. Won't turn on now 😕
@@msfedorak Your cell phone case used to turn on? Yeah, you messed up then.
You would become a hipster god.
@Klippy Klop Well yah certainly know your onions ya dewdropper. Now you’re on the trolley!
Finally discovered what means japanning on your videos. Thank you for the great explaining of this method. Love your videos. Sorry for the english...
Paint guy here :) When thick layers of coatings are applied, like paint, if the heat is too high, a skin starts to form on top of the rest of the mostly liquid paint below it, because it has the most direct contact with the heat and with air that the solvents can evaporate into. As the coating continues to dry, it shrinks, but this isn't a problem as it is sitting on paint that is more liquid and will allow the top layer's shrinkage. Some coatings allow less solvent evaporation through them as they dry and "skin off" and this can cause drying issues if they are put on too thick, and dried too fast. As the layers below the skin start to dry, they too will shrink. This causes problems with the top layer(s) of paint because it is already too rigid and as the lower levels of paint shrink, it pulls on, and compresses the top layer(s) and causes wrinkles.
This isn't paint. The official documentation dictates that it is BETTER to apply it to a warmer-than-air surface, and then fire it in an oven that's only a bit below the maximum curing temperature of Linseed oil.
These documents come from the exact specifications used by automotive industries in the 1920s, whom got their recipes and directions from the usage of japanning up to 40 years before.
@@D-Vinko this is pretty much bulk standard oil paint. Its pigment(dissolved) with an oil binder and a big load of thinner. Same rules apply here
Loved that you brought up the ancient forgotten techniques of book reading.
Off line literature, called books! Lol. Best channel on RUclips!
Well done Sir! I wouldn't change a thing.....including the spills!
"Stanley moved to a non Japanning finish after World World II" yeah...that checks out😂
;)
VERRRY COOL! I like that you don’t just restore, but educate as well that’s a sub from me! I don’t necessarily restore things, but I do breath new life into what others thought was trash, so I will use this one day! Thanks again!!
The matte finish would be good for certain applications, how hard was it? Also could you do a gloss over it? Thanks for the in-depth video
Exactly what I thought. I also wondered if you could buff it to see if it would shine up just like the version he preferred. Truth be told, I could see each version being used for spacific applications, but that's just how my mind works.
Thanks for the deep dive, Eric. Fellow tool nerd here. While perusing old tool catalogs, I've often wondered how to achieve the "Japanned" finish. I've been using a mix of: 4 parts beeswax, 2 parts turpentine, and 1 part BLO. Heat steel to 300 degrees or so, then brush this on or dip your part. It's more like a shiny "blued" look and not quite so black. But it does a great job of protecting old steel.
I was "huh, he's actually serious in this", then "nope, there it is". :)) You rock man, i was scared there for a moment.
Truly enjoy all your videos.. watching yo got me bitten by the tool restoration bug. I have gone out and just started to try and do this myself!!! And i eill FOR SURE fo alot of japanning on alt ot the tools i restore ... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING ME STARTED AND MOTIVATED. It is a lot of fun
That's awesome to hear!
This may be my all time favorite video. 😂
I love that you are Canadian because you use products I can actually find and if you say it's $14 then it's $14 and not $35 plus $40 shipping and customs fees on delivery. I only do woodworking so the metal stuff is way beyond me, but it is so enjoyable watching your videos. Thank-you for sharing.
I wonder how the Varnish and Poly recipes would do if you pre-dissolved the 50% Turpentine
30% Asphaltum for two days before adding the remaining ingredient ,then let sit for another day?
Try it and let me know! I hope others experiment and find a good recipe.
A very educational episode. I really enjoyed learning about Japanning. Thanks for taking the time to do this one!
That chunk of tar might look tempting to Canadians, but we southern kids know that in hot weather, roof tar (like road tar) gets soft and sticky. Very, very, very sticky.
Yeah, here in Canada we have to break the frozen tar up in the bucket with an ice pick then to tar a roof on our modern igloos we place the chunks on the seam and have to heat it with a torch to melt it in place.
i’ve had to do that to my igloo here in bc.
you have to be very precise with the heat.
i still remember a conversation i had with a woman when i was in Florida, she assumed i had to buy a whole new wardrobe to visit her neck of the woods.
it’s over 100 degrees fahrenheit here today.
@@MegaTapdog Sorry about the weather you’re having now. It is unusual there, though (I’ve been to Vancouver).
Be sure to drink plenty of water, wear a broad-brimmed hat, and stay in the shade when possible.
I like the fireside chat.
Well I had never considered Japanning as an option but i sure am now! Thanks you crazy Gapper! lol
I Seriously Enjoyed The Humor, Thank You My Friend!
Judge: "So, why are all you wanting a divorce from your Husband?"
Wife: "Well I had just bought this white sofa........"
Husband: "But Your Honour, *HTR* told me too"
Ha ha ha.
Thank you so much! Very very informative.!! I have two pages of notes and happily souring the internet for products!!!
"White living room couch"
*Rick James has entered the chat*
"Fuck yo couch, nigga! Fuck yo couch!"
I thought he was talking about another certain youtuber...
Chaarlay muphy! Charlay murphy! Charlay murphy!
Darkness!
"His legs were like Linguini" What am i gonna do about mah Legs! Charlie Murphy!!! Lmfao "Buy anotha one you rich Mothafuckahhhhh!!!" Rick James: Bitches! Come over here and show Charlie Murphy yo titties!
[women lift up their shirts]
Rick James: The milks gone bad! 😂😂😂😂😂 "WHAT DID THE FIVE FINGERS SAY TO THE FACE??? SLAP!! IM RICK JAMES BITCH!!!!
"and it's great for tasting." that line earned you a new subscriber.
My white living room couch is busy being used by my dog to birth her pups and raise them! Do you have any other recommendations for places to make this.
LOL
Do you have white bed sheets? It has to be white.
What kind of dog do you have?
Then use the dog's bed?
Ham Hawk Great Dane chihuahua!
Oh my god, it's the incredible captain Hindgrinder! I love it when the robots actually give me the content I want. Nice video on hard fancy paint or whatever... it's Duclaw!
have you ever tried melting the asphalt before adding it to the recipe?
Very interesting video. I'm japanning my tintypes and I've often problems with cracking like a spider web after the second coat baking. Usually I bake at 300° F the first coat and 225° F for the second. I use mineral spirit as thinner ... but I'll try you receipt and your baking method.
Awesome work. Very nice.
Not sure I have the patience you have for the process (I'd rather do something else that takes such a huge amount of time).
But you do restore wonderful old and lovely items in a very elegant and beautiful manner - and these items do deserve this treatment!
Keep up the great work... :)
considering you just watched a 40 minute youtube video on someone else restoring a tool, i think his time spent was far more efficient than yours.
@@LBCAndrew not really. A It's a fun/spare time and B. I've learned some interesting method I plan on using....
Awesome video so much good information .Thanks for all the experiment it tooks like it took tons of time. great stuff
Asphaltum futures are about to go nuts on the commodities market :P
It's already priced in. SELL.
Just to say thanks for the informative video, I was looking for a recipe for japanning.
Great vid..., Cant wait for the “ Workbench spontaneously combusts “ episode
Nice vid. I did a Wikipedia search for 'japanning' before starting your vid and was pleasantly surprised (as an Englishman) to learn about 'Pontypool Japanning'... I lived in Pontypool for a few years before moving to Newport and regularly visit Usk... whoda-thunk I'd learn about Japanning and its connection to where I used to live from the most awesome Canuck on RUclips. Thankyou Sir.😎
Hi,I'm Japanese. Japanning is a kind of fake style finishing of Japanese wooden furniture.
English "lacquer" and Japanese"Urushi(Toxicodendron vernicifluum)" are completely different thing.
I know you know the difference, and as your long time subscriber , i hope you'll make video about Urushi!!!
This. Please do this.
Is urushi toxic?
Fernan Aquino I'm pretty sure the oil used is basically concentrated poison ivy oil. Sounds fun.
@@fernanaquino2482 You know what happen when you touch poison ivy!
"Urushi-ol" is the active chemical.
@@cogitouniico7424 count me out on that stuff.. I HATE poison ivy
Excellent. You taught me a lot about the subject.