When to Choose Raw Steel
Raw steel means uncoated "mild" or "carbon" steel, which will rust over time. If it rusts, why do we sell it?! Find out in this guide.
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Raw steel means uncoated "mild" or "carbon" steel, which will rust over time. If it rusts, why do we sell it?! Find out in this guide.
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Rusting is a natural property of all steels, unless they are specific grades of stainless steel or are treated, painted or coated.
Some people want a rusted look. To achieve this you should:
Buy raw steel legs
Remove the protective oil using a degreaser
Leave outside or in a humid area. You can accelerate the process using an acid such as citric acid or lemon juice.
One the desired level of rusting has been achieved, we suggest "locking" it off with . This product can be applied neat, allowing a few days to fully dry.
If you plan to paint or finish the legs yourself, then buying raw steel will get you off to a great start.
Raw steel legs can rust indoors due to air moisture, varying by home humidity. They may last months or years indoors without rusting in the best environments (clean, dry air) but could equally rust within weeks or days in less favourable areas (salty coastal air / high humidity).
If it rains your raw steel legs will rust within a matter of hours.
The type of air (indoors or out) can drastically effect the speed of corrosion of steel products, especially raw mild steel.
Salt air attacks steel at many times the normal rate.
Industrial areas may contain corrosive particulates.
So long as the rust is not allowed to spread too deep into the steel, raw steel can be restored back to its former glory quite easily.
Apply WD40 to the rusted legs and allow to sit for around 30 minutes.
Take a kitchen scour pad (the green fabric type material) and apply more WD40 to pad.
Work the pad in a circular motion over all parts of the rusted steel. Apply more WD40 if it starts to dry out.
Wipe the legs with a dry cloth.
If you have selected uncoated raw steel for your finish and want to keep the rust away, here are some options:
Furniture wax: applied liberally will protect raw steel for a good amount of time, but it is not ever lasting, so be sure to apply as soon as you see any kind of rust starting to show.
WD40: If you have cleaned your legs using WD40, the residue that remains will protect the steel from rusting for quite a few months, in most cases.
These solutions are only really suitable for indoor use and may not work very well in coastal air (anywhere within 10 miles of the sea) due to high levels of salt.