It is not unusual to come across a great piece of metal furniture at a garage sale or thrift store. Only problem is the piece of furniture is rusted and looks in some pretty beat up shape. These items are often overlooked because the dirt and rust make them appear so unattractive. Although it may appear to be impossible, you can turn an unattractive rusted piece into a beautiful vintage piece of furniture. By following some simple steps a major iron or metal furniture restoration can be done and the item will look brand new.
The first thing is to gather the various supplies you will need for the restoration project including a water bucket, some sponges, a spray bottle, a steel bristled brush, sand paper, spray primer, putty and spray paint in the color you want to paint the piece of furniture. It is also recommended you put on some old clothes as the paint can stain clothing.
Mix a small amount of dishwashing detergent with a water bucket of warm water. Mix the soap and water together so the mixture is nice and bubbly. Put your sponge in the bucket so it is nice and saturated and then scrub the metal to remove all dust, dirt and debris. It is important that this process is done thoroughly to ensure the paint will adhere. Allow the washed furniture to dry thoroughly.
Next you will want to scrub off the rust with a steel bristled brush. Press firmly and buff the furniture until the rust comes off as much as possible. Go over the same area a few times to ensure you got as much of the loose rust off as possible. You will then want to spray the metal piece of furniture with a phosphoric acid. The phosphoric acid will need to soak and penetrate over night. What this process will do is turn any of the unseen rust into a crust that can be sanded and buffed off.
Take some medium grit sand paper and remove the crusted iron phosphate. Sand will also roughen up the texture of the metal surface, which will make the paint adhere to the metal better. It is important that the sanding process is done very thoroughly to ensure all rust has been removed and the piece of furniture has been sanded.
It is important that you have chosen paints formulated for metal, as it will stick better and prevent future rusting of the furniture. It is important to first apply a spray primer, which will provide a nice base for the actual color paint to stick to. This will also guarantee the paint color is accurate. Paint the furniture from the top down adding multiple very thin coats until it has been completely covered. Allow the coats to dry completely before adding the next. Before bring the furniture to its final location allow it to dry completely over night.
The next time you are at a flea market or garage sale and you spot that rusted piece of furniture hiding in the back take a closer look you just may be able to make it look brand new!
