Preparing Metal Furniture for Painting

The most important thing to remember about prepping your metal furniture is that it needs to be very, very clean before you prime and paint the metal.

Dirty rusty metal - If you would like to paint on the dirty, rusty piece of metal furniture you must get all the rust off and wash off the dirt. One of the best ways to do this is to sandblast your metalware. Since most of us don't have access to a sandblaster, the next thing to do is to get out your wire brush and brush the rust off. I have heard that some people rub a raw potato to get rust off. I have never tried this method, I would be interested to know if it really works.



Shiny rust-free metal - Even though it looks clean, you now need to wash your metal furniture with soap and water. Get off any dirt or dust and rinse. Now, get out some white vinegar and use it to rinse off any soap residue that might be left behind. When this is done, let your metal furniture totally dry.



Drying clean shiny metal - If your piece is small enough, you can dry it in a warm oven. Preheat your oven to 250 degree and then turn it off. If the temperature is any higher than this, the solder on you piece could melt. After you turn off your oven, place the metalware in the oven and leave it in there until your oven is completely cooled. Your metal furniture need to be completely dry or your primer won't adhere to the metal.

Priming - My favorite method of priming metal furniture is to use Blair Metal Primer. It is a gray metal primer in a spray can. CAUTION: If you use a spray primer, please use it outdoors or in a very well ventilated room. Remember that this primer will stick to anything it gets sprayed on. It will be permanent on your concrete or outside of your house. Spray with light even coats to avoid running drips. Let each coat dry before spraying on the next coat. Follow the directions on the can for drying time.



Keywords: Painting Metal Furniture, Primer Metal Furniture
Writer: John McGinley