# Preventing rust on stick burner



## va_connoisseur (Dec 11, 2012)

Hi fellow smokers,

I purchased a stick burner this year and don't have a garage to store it in. What is the best way to prevent rust on the firebox and body of the smoker? Would a simple tarp be enough? The winters here in VA the last couple years have been mild.


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## pops6927 (Dec 11, 2012)

I've got no experience with them, but someone will be along soon to give you some tips!


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## daveomak (Dec 11, 2012)

Va, morning....  Oils with high iodine values will polymerize and create a coating that is almost impermeable to the elements....  for cast iron cookware, flax seed oil is great....  It is expensive.... for the outside of your stick burner, linseed oil is in the same league as flax....  Clean the rust from one spot and try it.... if you like it, do the rest of the cooker....  it will leave a very hard coating...   It is flammable while painting on the surface ....   I have used linseed oil on various things including wood handles for tools.... I always have thinned it with mineral spirits as a carrier...  That is flammable also but makes for a thin, even finish.... try alcohol as a thinner/carrier with caution.... It will evaporate faster.....  As a side note, this stuff is probably no more flammable than Pam veggie spray or WD 40....   Just trying to cover all the bases.....   

Your smoker will have to be heated to 350-400 to complete the polymerization process...    Please report back with your results so others can learn.....     Dave


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## va_connoisseur (Dec 11, 2012)

Dave, thanks for the info. I am primarily concerned with the firebox. I will find the linseed oil and report back


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## stovebolt (Dec 12, 2012)

One word of caution. Many fires have been started by spontaneous combustion of rags with linseed oil on them. Do not store them inside. Best solution is to burn them safely.

Chuck


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## michael ark (Dec 12, 2012)

I just use cheap generic pam from the dollar store. Every time I use mine. Season it just like a lodge skillet.


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## ribwizzard (Dec 13, 2012)

Dave,

I have used Linseed oil on cutting boards I've made before, but never thought to use it on metal surface.

Whats your thoughts on using it for grill cooking grates to season them?


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## daveomak (Dec 13, 2012)

Ribwizzard said:


> Dave,
> 
> I have used Linseed oil on cutting boards I've made before, but never thought to use it on metal surface.
> 
> Whats your thoughts on using it for grill cooking grates to season them?


RW, morning.....  I would use Flax Seed Oil....  It is expensive but it is edible....  Linseed oil is not edible.....   OK, now for the big question...

Linseed oil may polimerize into an "inert" hard coating once it is fired to 450 for a few hours and be totally safe...  

About cutting boards.... I would only use "Food Grade" mineral oil, the kind the druggist sells for "loosening up a G.I. tract".....   It will not promote bacterial growth as vegetable oils can do...

That is what I thought before I read this.....  I have never seen "Raw Linseed Oil", only boiled linseed oil so I will stand corrected on it's food grade quality....   Next time I will differentiate between the 2 types of linseed oil.....     Dave

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

[h1]Food-Safe Finishes[/h1][h2]A summary of non-toxic finishing products ideal for cutting boards, salad bowls, and other food-centric woodwork[/h2]
by Jonathan Binzen








After scores of conversations with chemists, regulatory agencies, finish manufacturers, finishing experts, and woodworkers, I found that there are a few finishes that everyone agrees are food safe. However, these finishes tend to be the least protective, and the great majority are in a kind of limbo, with many experts saying most are fine for use with food but with others saying they should be avoided because there are some lingering questions about their safety. In the welter of contrary opinions about which finishes are food safe and which are not, a few naturally derived, unblended, no-hidden-ingredients, certainly nontoxic finishes stand out.

*Pure tung oil.*  Extracted from the nut of the china wood tree. Used as a base in many blended finishes. Available from catalogs and hardware stores. Difficult to apply, requires many coats, good water-resistance.

Raw linseed oil.Pressed from flax seeds. Not to be confused with boiled linseed, which contains metallic driers. Listed as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Very long curing time, good looks, low water-resistance, frequent reapplication.

Mineral oil.Although derived from petroleum, it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and entirely inert. Sold as a laxative in drug stores and as a wood finish in hardware and kitchen-supply stores. Simple to apply, low waterresistance, frequent reapplication.

Walnut oil.Pressed from the nuts of the walnut tree. Sold as a salad oil in health food stores and in large grocery stores. Walnut oil dries and won't go rancid. Easy to apply, frequent reapplication.

Beeswax.The work of the honey bee. Can be mixed with an oil to create a better-smelling, slightly more waterrepellent finish. Sold in woodworking and turning catalogs.

Carnauba wax.Derived from the Brazilian palm tree. Harder than beeswax and more water-resistant. Can be used straight on woodenware as a light protective coating or a topcoat polish. Sold in woodworking and turning catalogs.

Shellac.A secretion from the lac bug. Harvested in India. Super blond shellac in flake form is the most waterresistant variety. A film-forming finish. Sold in woodworking catalogs and hardware and art supply stores.

*Nothing.*  Available everywhere. Makes a reasonable finish for woodenware. No application time. Free.

*A recipe for one sweet finish*
The food-safe finish that appeals most to me is one recommended by Jim and Jean Lakiotes, West Virginia makers of spoons and other kitchen items, as well as furniture. Their finish is a mixture of mineral oil and beeswax.

To make it, warm the mineral oil in a saucepan over low heat, and melt a chunk of beeswax in it equal to about one-fifth or one-sixth the volume of the oil. (At high heat, there's a potential for fire. Be sure to keep the heat low, and consider using a double boiler.) As the wax begins to flake apart and dissolve, stir frequently. When the mixture is blended, pour it into a jar to cool and solidify.

To apply, wipe on an excess of the soft paste, let it dry a bit, then wipe it off. If you want to apply it as a liquid, you can reheat it. Like any mineral oil or
wax finish that will take a lot of abuse, this one will need to be reapplied often to afford decent moisture protection. But applying this fragrant finish is such a pleasure that you may find yourself looking forward to the task.

This article is excerpted from Jonathan Binzen's article "Which Finishes Are Food Safe," featured in_Fine Woodworking_  #129.

From _Fine Woodworking_  #129 August 1, 2006


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## thsmormonsmokes (Dec 13, 2012)

michael ark said:


> I just use cheap generic pam from the dollar store. Every time I use mine. Season it just like a lodge skillet.


x2.  

I find I have to spray it on my firebox every time I burn it.  For some reason the coating flakes off once my fire runs really hot for any amount of time.  I'm not sure if that has to do with the cheap metal my SFB is made of (Chargriller Smokin' Pro bought last year about this time) or not.

At any rate, it works just fine to protect it from rust.  Just don't stand too close when you spray it because sometimes it'll flash.


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## sunman76 (Dec 13, 2012)

michael ark said:


> I just use cheap generic pam from the dollar store. Every time I use mine. Season it just like a lodge skillet.


yep me to...the wife DID YOU TAKE MY COOKING SPRAY!!!


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## ribwizzard (Dec 13, 2012)

Reason I asked, I bought about a 20 oz bottle of the stuff at one of those Gourmet cooking stores and its just been sitting on the shelf for years.  Its what they sell to treat the cutting boards they sell.

I usually just have a garden spray bottle full of walmart brand vegetable oil hanging on the smoker that I soak the inside down with everytime I steam it out. I was thinking about what I could burn up that linseed oil on.

How hard is hard. The vegetable oil turns into a stiff wax like film, are you talking hard like varnish?


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## daveomak (Dec 14, 2012)

I read on a web site where 5 coats of flax oil on a cast iron skillet was tested in a dishwasher and the coating was not touched in any way... 

From my observations, the coating is hard like epoxy resin.....  Dave


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## ribwizzard (Dec 17, 2012)

Where do you think you can get Flax oil?  Do you think the grocery store will carry it?


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## sqwib (Dec 17, 2012)

I keep a squirt bottle of regular cooking oil and squirt it on the firebox after a cook, if the firebox is cold it takes a day or two to spread out, warm it takes less than an hour, the hard part is getting underneath the firebox.

What Dave says is very interesting, may have to try that.


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## daveomak (Dec 17, 2012)

Ribwizzard said:


> Where do you think you can get Flax oil?  Do you think the grocery store will carry it?


I get it from Amazon.... the health food store has it but more expensive.... It is a heart healthy oil... Omegas etc....    From what I read, Raw Linseed oil is pressed from flax seed..... I don't know the difference... It is less expensive...  Due to it's Iodine number, it is a low temp smoking oil and is not recommended for cooking... only for salad oil etc... non cooked stuff.... It will polimerize into a very hard coating... I used it in my new DO and it is a hard surface....  It needs to be put on in a very thin coat, multiple times for a perfect finish.....  Dave

*http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/flaxseed-oil-000304.htm*

*http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flaxseed/NS_patient-flaxseed*


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## ribwizzard (Dec 17, 2012)

Im going to try to find some today for my mini smoker build, I was going to do the reverse flow plate/drip pan and the cooking grate with it.   I use regular vegetable oil on the large pits, but with this little one I'd like to keep everything at premium quality. The little thing really has turned out great and I think I'll use it more than the others.


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## thsmormonsmokes (Dec 17, 2012)

Ribwizzard said:


> Where do you think you can get Flax oil?  Do you think the grocery store will carry it?


The Target near my house carries it.  I'd bet you can find it at Wal Mart too.  It should be near the EVOO and other heart-healthy oils.


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## ribwizzard (Dec 18, 2012)

No luck, went to two grocery stores (super target) and a pharmacy,


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