Blackening Mild Steel Chainmail?

[zugislander]

What about zinc coated instead of galvanized. As a comparison/replacement for tining?

Cordially,

MJB

[Salvianus]

I keep my maille in a 5 gallon bucket of kitty litter and a roll it around occasionally.

Not to be thick, would that be the kind also known as Fuller's Earth? We've had all sorts in our house...

[Doug Strong]

I have several shirts of riveted mail for different impressions. Most of them are just lightly oiled. However, a friend suggested using commercial floor polish on the mail. I tried this on one shirt and it really works. it resists abrasion and looks no different that my oiled mail looks. It does not look like clear paint by any means. Perhaps it looks a bit waxy but not much. If you are going to use your mail a lot this might be a solution. Otherwise just keep it lightly oiled.

[Patrick Kelly]

While I don't do Roman living history I have had a bit of experience with mail....




Any coating you put on your mail will be something of a temporary fix, as the action of the rings rubbing together will wear it off eventually. I've often used sand as a cleaning medium. However, it is very abrasive and if used often enough you'll eventually have to replace rivets here and there. Wood chips may be used, However, care should be taken in what type of wood, since some can be a bit acidic. In my experience wood chips don't do that good of a job anyway.

I've found acryllic floor polish (like Future) to be the best compromise. It doesn't change the appearance of the mail but still provides a tough coating that can be removed with amonia based cleaners, if neccesary.

[Doug Strong]

I've found acryllic floor polish (like Future) to be the best compromise. It doesn't change the appearance of the mail but still provides a tough coating that can be removed with amonia based cleaners, if neccesary.

I use an industrial version of the same thing.

[Matthew Amt]

What about zinc coated instead of galvanized. As a comparison/replacement for tining?

Zinc coating IS galvanization. Zinc and tin just don't look the same, and too many people can spot the difference.

Matthew