How to properly paint rusty metal.
Topic :Painting rusty metal
I have a simple question. We have a wheelbarrow that is quite rusted, but is intact with no holes. I just want to re-paint it. How do I take off the rust? Does the wheelbarrow then need to be primed with paint primer? What kind of paint would you recommend? The wheelbarrow is made of metal (steel?).
Thanks for any help.
Even though there are no holes now, there probably will be once you start removing the rust. With that said, I would suggest a five part system to somewhat restore the wheelbarrow:
1. Use a scraper and remove all the large chunks of rust, then wire brush the entire metal surface to remove all the loose rust.
2. Buy these three items: Rustoleum Rust stop, Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, and Rustoleum Oil Base Paint. You can buy all three in spray form, but I like the brush-on one’s better for really rusty surfaces. You can use another brand’s system if you like, I simply mentioned Rustoleum because it’s available almost everywhere.
3. After cleaning the surface well, make sure it’s dry and dust free. Apply the Rust Stop as per the directions on the bottle to all the rust.
4. When the Rust Stop is fully dry, apply the Rusty Metal Primer and let dry. When dry, very lightly sand the surface with the finest sandpaper you can buy. Remove the dust from the surface and apply another coat of primer. Let dry 24 hours. Two coats of primer will help hide some surface imperfections, but not all of them.
5. When the primer is dry, lightly sand again with the super fine sandpaper, clean off the dust, and apply the paint. Let the paint dry 24 hours, and apply a second coat. If a third coat is needed wait another 24 hours and paint once more. Let the wheelbarrow sit for a week after painting to allow the paint to harden properly.
This will help preserve the wheelbarrow for quite a bit longer. However, it will not restore it to a "factory finish". There will be imperfections, and the new paint will scratch easier than the original finish. The cost of the supplies will be around $30 for the brush type and $40 for the spray type. You can buy a new wheelbarrow for $30-40.
