Can you paint black pipe?

[dg152]

The black pipe I got for my new Bessey pipe clamps is sure messy. I know that over time the oily finish will wear off. Is there an effective way to clean the oily finish off? Is it advisable to paint the pipe to protect wood being glued? If so, what type of paint or sealer would you use?

[Dennis Puskar]

Use paint thinner to clean off the oily finish.
You could paint it if you prefer, I left mine bare, no problems.

[Big Dave]

If needed, scrape off the "rough" stuff with a putty knife, and then wipe it down with mineral spirits/paint thinner. Painting is a no-no for clamping. There's no need once they're clean...

Dave

[jasfrank]

I would think the paint would gum up the sliding action of the clamps. Just wipe the oil off with thinner as others have suggested.

[jteneyck]

Most black iron pipe is or was coated with shellac. You should be able to remove it with DNA.

John

[Shop Dad]

You can have it any color you like, as long as it's black.

[rayknight]

You can get galvanized or zinc plated piping, same threads, doesn't leave those black stains across your glue joints, any big box hardware store has them. Ray

[HomerLee]

The galvanized coating will sometimes peel under pressure and cause clamp to slip.

[Dara]

Clean it up with sandpaper and mineral spirits and then a rag.

When gluing red oak I put painters tape over the pipes where the glue will hit them. The pipe will react with the oak when wet and make black spots that go too deep to sand out.

[bandsaw]

My pipes are painted red. I got them 40 years ago from a building being dismantled. They were from a fire sprinkler system. The red paint is nice to handle and stops wood staining. The clamps work well. I suggest you paint one and give it a trial.