MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Hi All,
Dug these bench ends out my Grandma's garden and I'm going to restore them.
Figured I'd wire wheel them first to get the bulk of the old paint and rust off them but was then wondering if anyone had any product recommendations.
At Toolstation/Screwfix the options seem limited to the following:
Rustins Rust Converter that I could apply before paint or
Hammerite/Rustins do a straight to rust primer, paint etc all in one.
Plan is just to paint smooth black.
Blast clean and powder coat, unless you have hours of sparetime.
Hardwood for the bench seat and the back.
Get them blasted and powder coated.
I’ve done both and I have to say I’d now blast and powder coat every time. It helps to have a powder coaters 5 mins down the road, but you probably do! Put your effort into the woodwork. Nice bit of iroko would go well with those!
I’d think £50ish for those, and they’ll be mint for decades..
Pressure washer sandblasting attachment from Amazon - about £25. 2 bags of kiln dried sand from Wickes -£8. Three days sweeping sand from every corner within 100 yards. Sorted.
Thanks all, I'll give a local powder coaters a call and have a chat with them.
Very unusual. Very nice in fact, I'd certainly like a pair of those. Do you know anything about them or have an age ?
I’ve done home sandblasting in the past - have a pot attached to my compressor, but then I read about silicosis, and decided it’s just not worth it. I do have one of those spot blaster guns which I still use very occasionally, everything else gets done professionally. My next experiment is going to be with soda blasting. Got a box of old carbs to refurb and soda blasting sounds ideal!
Pressure washer sandblasting attachment from Amazon – about £25. 2 bags of kiln dried sand from Wickes -£8. Three days sweeping sand from every corner within 100 yards. Sorted.
Please don't do this. Other than the mess, as above, Silicosis is horrible.
Johnstones Smooth Metal paint. Primes and paints in one.
Oh man they are lovely, there was a pair of them at my grandads I always fancied but they disappeared before I got to them...... you're not in Hamilton are you?
Yeah, get them shot blasted and then Hammerite them.
You can blast with things other than sand.
Not sure how you would get hold of these for consumer use. Also they may destroy your equipment as it is things like chilled iron ore/stainless/slag etc.
Garnet is probably the best option. I'd go to a powder coated though. Proper equipment. Make sure they are familiar with aged cast iron. In wet paint it is handled differently to other substrates. It can be porous so needs special primers.
I've done the wire brush and hammerite before. Works well but is a lot of work. That shape looks quite easy though so a brush on a drill should work quite nicely
Acquired an old decorative cast iron planter few years ago.
Wire brush drill attachment is the easy DIY way, cleaned with white spirit then applied clear coat ‘radiator’ lacquer. This adds interest as you can see the imperfections in the metal and adds to the rustic look.
The bench ends look to be from around the 1930s (I’m no expert but I do dabble in salvage) it would be a crime to hammerite them.
Electrolysis for a gentle start to rust removal?
Thanks all, they've been in the family from new but have been left for the last 20years.
@Mucker - no, not in Hamilton.
@Dyna-Ti - I don't know anything about them. I'm off to read Oreetmon's link now though. Seem to be a few on eBay etc described as 'Twig' bench ends.
This was another complete bench I found.
Might have a quick go with a wire wheel first and see how they come up. As said, it's not an intricate design and may look better burnished than painted. We'll see I guess.
I'd agree with the blast 'n' powder coat advice.
I got this old pub table from FB marketplace and had a chap blast and powdercoat for £40.
It's been in the garden for four years now and still looks great
I had a Victorian cast iron bench blasted and powder coated. Given the cost it seemed very much the sensible option. New slats made from Iroko made by a friend's father and a handful of coachbolts. Annual anointing with teak oil and it has, so far, lived happily outside for fifteen or so years.
Silicosis is certainly a risk, but very occasional wet blasting with a p3 mask and outdoors upwind, not stuck in a corner trying to contain the mess, the risk is mitigated, and acceptable to me, as a DIYer. If you want a different media, Machine Mart can help.
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/c/sandblasting-equipment-and-accessories/?p=1
If they're going off to be powdercoated after, the powdercoaters will be able to blast them first, but in this context that sort of changes the "I restored grandma's bench" feel to "I paid these guys to restore grandma's bench".
I've a pair of the standard cast ones, I think it's flowers that make up the design.
Im thinking of painting them, but painting the individual patterns like flower flower heads plant shapes, what look like opium poppies and the like in differing bright colours. Like the canal boat painting of objects.
Finally got around to sorting it out. Despite going into the local timber yard twice and ordering Sapele twice in person, they never got back to me so ended up ordering the wood online.
Just need ideas for protecting the Sapele.
Looking on the OSMO site, I can't have a clear UV protected finish... to have UV protection, I have to colour the wood. For no UV protection, it's just recommending Teak Oil.
Anyone else suggest a product for new Sapele?
Also, I've got some black carriage bolts on order to replace the silver ones.
Thanks
Looks good- what did you do with the legs in the end? My Mum has an old Singer treadle machine and the cast iron needs some tlc.
I wire wheeled them to start with and noticed a few pin holes. As a result I didn't dare get them blasted. I filled the holes with metal putty and then painted with Hammerite smooth.
Top job. Good for another century.
Thar armrest looks rather phallic in that 2nd pic
Looks great.
Very unusual legs.
As for the Osmo, I use 'Clear 420' which has uv protection.
You'll never not alter the colour slightly when you apply an oil, but it'll really make it pop so it's worth doing.
Oil doesn't so much alter the colour (unless it's tinted) as make everything appear richer and lustrous, and obviously protect it.
The issue you might have is doing it economically. It's expensive and you won't be using too much on that.
Make sure you take the sharp edges off the timber. Difficult to see if you have from here.
Thanks @kayak23 I need to get some 420 Clear anyway as we've just had a new Oak front door finished in it.
Osmo don't recommended for flat surfaces though due to standing water...will it be ok?
Good point I guess. Is the seat totally flat? They will often slope a bit.
Very slight angle, not sure there'd be much run off