Cleaning Wood Stove after wire brushing??

[Chrism]

I thought cast iron as soon as water touches it it surface rusts instantly??? I wire brushed my Isle Royale and I want to wipe it down and I saw something that said 2 cups of sea salt to 1/2 gallon of water to wipe it down?? what's the best thing to do to clean it before I paint it ?? Thanks

 

[begreen]

After vacuuming, use a tack rag or a slightly damp rag wipe followed by a denatured alcohol wipe to remove any oils.

If you are using Stove Brite paint, be absolutely sure you are in a well ventilated location and use the proper organic vapor mask. The fumes are potent and can do brain damage.

 

[Chrism]

my wife tells me i have brain damage already so it wont make a difference :lol: where do i get denatured alcohol from is that a home depot / lowes thing?

 

[Jimbob]

Brakleen, available @ any auto parts store will work, too.
Make sure you follow BG's advice in the ventilation.

 

[48rob]

I saw something that said 2 cups of sea salt to 1/2 gallon of water to wipe it down??

That sounds like a perfect recipe to make it very rusty!

Rob

 

[begreen]

my wife tells me i have brain damage already so it wont make a difference :lol: where do i get denatured alcohol from is that a home depot / lowes thing?

Yes, most paint departments have it, even at smaller hardware stores.

 

[Marsh Rat]

We use acetone at work for cleaning the stoves before painting. You can actually just use that with a box of rags and take all the paint off without a wire brush.

 

[Woody Stover]

After vacuuming, use a tack rag or a slightly damp rag wipe followed by a denatured alcohol wipe to remove any oils.

I haven't had much experience with using tack cloths, but I did use one when refinishing a wood interior door. The gummy stuff on the cloth stuck to my fingers (maybe not to the door itself since my hands were warmer) so if it were me, I would use the damp rag...

 

[DanCorcoran]

Acetone is highly flammable:

"The most common hazard associated with acetone is its extreme flammability. It auto-ignites at a temperature of 465 °C (869 °F). At temperatures greater than acetone's flash point of −20 °C (−4 °F), air mixtures of between 2.5% and 12.8% acetone, by volume, may explode or cause a flash fire. Vapors can flow along surfaces to distant ignition sources and flash back. Static discharge may also ignite acetone vapors."

 

[begreen]

That's why I suggested alcohol. It's a bit more benign.

Acetone is the solvent in Stove Brite paints. Cleaning the stove with it would be appropriate, but only with great respect to the safety data on the can and in a very well ventilated space. If you use it, wear gloves and a vapor mask for sure.

 

[Chrism]

What's wrong with rubbing alcohol??

 

[Jimbob]

It would work, but it isn't as potant, as it contains some water.

 

[Chrism]

Goin with the denatured alcohol. Ill give it a day to completely dry the stove is in the basement with the dehumidfier set on the lowest setting 35% humidity so ill paint it in a couple days .

 

[Chrism]

Also before I bring the stove in my house I'm gonna start a fire in it outside so there are no nasty fumes with my first burn inside.

 

[Jimbob]

Good idea. Make sure you attach some stovepipe to it so it keeps going, and to "cure" the stovepipe, if needed.