John Leeke, Preservation Consultant wrote: >> Please tell us more about Tnemec paint. I'll be supervising the >> painting of some exteior cast iron blauster this season. Hi John, When you use Tnemec, or probably any two part coating system, your people will REALLY have to pay attention to the MSDS sheets and you will need to insist on them wearing respirators with chemical cartridges, even if the work is being done outdoors. This is not "paint" in the regular sense of the word even though it is "painted" on, and workers have to educate themselves about the stuff. We painted lintels in a large courtyard on a sunny windy day, and the vapors, which seem to be heavier than air, sickened people inside the building. The next day we moved to the rooftop to avoid this problem and still had reports of people inside the building complaining of the smell. Also, your people will need to wear gloves, and eye protection. Clean up is with MEK (Xylol) if I remember correctly and that stuff's not a walk in the park either although people widely disregard its hazards. The only other thing I would have to say is to put the Tnemec on in thinner, rather than thicker coats even though it cures rather than dries. On a lintel, you want self-levelling with the pits filled in, but on an ornamental piece like a gate or balustrade, it is easy to lose detail with it. ~deb "mom" bledsoe -- To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to: <http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>