NDR: having fun with gun barrell finish

Rick Kyte

Rick Kyte

Well-known member
I've been playing around the last few evenings with ideas for a panel that can fit around a fireplace insert. I'm putting a pellet insert into my fireplace, and I wanted panel made of noncombustible material to take up the gap between the insert and the fireplace opening. The fireplace store sells a premade insert--a three piece flat black panel with gold trim that is (a) expensive and (b) ugly.

I found some suppliers for 1/2" granite panels, but they would have to be custom cut. They would be (a) very expensive and (b) attractive.

so I think I came up with a solution that is (a) cheap and (b) ugly, but my wife likes it so (b) doesn't really matter :)

I took a sheet of black metal and cut it to size. Then heated it in small sections with a blow torch and applied Plum Brown Barrell Finish to it. The plum brown adheres well to hot metal but not to the cooler metal. This gave it a varied light to dark brown finish with some some light grey metal tones showing through.

fp1.JPG

Then I rinsed it off, let it cure for a day, and gave it one application of gun blue finish. The blueing only adhered to places where the brown finish was thin, but it darkened the appearance of the whole panel.
fp2.JPG

Here's a close-up to see the color variation.
fp3.JPG

The final step last night was to spray it with a few coats of polyurethane to seal it.

When it is installed only about 5" around the insert will show. the outer edge will be covered a wood face that is going over the brick.

The best news is, I've got enough sheet metal left over to make a set of wind chimes for Tod's boat.

Rick
 
Looks awesome.

I'd be glad to be a product tester for you - want to swing by my place and install it?

I also like that stone patio. We've been talking about mking one, but the materials add up (and I'm afraid of frost heaves).

Charlie
 
That looks real rich,Rick

Titan, the one from Vermont. Tell Charlie the one who's anomalous (correct spelling) that if he puts down about 4 to 6 inches of sand and tamps it well, no frost heave. Also if available stone dust two or three inches of that. ( : )
 
Woof.

Titan, stop drooling on the keyboard....

Wispete, thanks! With such little depth of sand or rock dust, doesn't the ground underneath freeze and if there is water in it, won't it cause things to get out of level?

Thanks!

Charlie
 
Charlie,

I'm not sure how much sand you would need to prevent frost heave, but I think Pete is right that about 6" would be sufficient. In my case, I put the paving squares down over the top of an old concrete block patio. About a week after we moved into our house there was a big rain, and we discovered a shallow pond had formed between the garage and the back door and water would slowly seep through the basement walls. For two years we made do with stepping stones to get out of the house after each rain. Eventually, I put new blocks over the old ones, with 4" of sand near the house and about 1/2" near the garage/backyard, which reversed the slope. That was four years ago and I haven't noticed any upheaval so far.

Rick
 
Rick:
That looks pretty "slick" but what affect will the heat of the fireplace have on that surface?
wis boz
 
Wis Boz,

The only thing I'm curious about is the effect of the heat on the poly coating. I won't add the wood face on the rest of the fireplace until we've had a couple of cold months to test it. That way I can remove it easily if need be. But I don't really expect it to have any effect. Those inserts are so efficient that's there's very little heat loss around the edges. Almost all of the heat will come out of the vents in front.

Rick
 
Rick:
Again I show my generation gap. Our two fireplaces both started out as wood burning with one changed to gas but all heat up the metal inserts considerable. Starting to gear up for deer bow hunting coming the 15th of Sept.
wis boz
 
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