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withered_preacher
@rodabod
Yesterday's DIY (copied from another thread).
I had this shipped over from Bristol as a lot of the fireplaces in London don't seem to be especially nice. I'm not sure yet when this one dates from. Probably between 1880 - 1910.
Anyway, first up, remove a shit-tonne of rust. The cast iron rusts very easily, and this has clearly been sitting outside for a long time:
Rust is removed using a steel wire brush, and some foam sanding blocks. These were both only a Pound in Poundland which is nice. You can start to see the detail coming through:
Now stove polish or "blacking" is added which is a mixture of wax and graphite. This adds contrast by darkening the areas which have an oxide layer further, while leaving the shiny parts just slightly dulled. It is scrubbed on with a plastic brush, and rubbed on with a cloth on flat areas. You can now see more detail popping out:
Finally the tiles are fitted. I had these Art Nouveau tiles hand-made in Bristol. They are "tube lined" which means that the surface of the tile has an impression scraped into it prior to glazing which follows the outline of the image on the tile. The tiles are taped together and slotted into the fireplace. These are then fixed in place at the rear with fire cement which is unsurprisingly a cement which can withstand high temperatures. This cement also seals all air gaps in the fireplace so that you get a good "draw" at the actual burning fire when the chimney pulls air upwards.