I'm currently restoring a cast iron book press for book binding and I've noticed some decorative paint on it. Is this something I should be concerned about? Since I'm only using it for pressing books and not for cooking, will it be safe to handle? I've already tackled a lot of rust with evapo rust and plan to seal it with renaissance wax. Using oils didn't work out well for me since I found they caused issues when pressing books. Any advice would be appreciated! Cheers!
1 Answer
You don’t need to worry too much as long as you're not eating the paint or licking your fingers afterwards. It would take a lot of paint consumption for it to harm you, especially since you're sealing it. You might want to add a couple of layers of shellac for extra protection. Just remember, if it starts to chip, wear a mask when cleaning up—the real risk comes from actually ingesting lead.
Thanks a lot! I wasn't sure if it was a silly question. I'll definitely look into the shellac option!