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Dumpsters, trash AND wrought iron treasures.....

There it was, a unique L-shaped, 2 shelf, wrought iron coffee table, begging for a new home. Although mine is wall to wall furniture as it is, I had to salvage this treasure. I want to coat it well enough to use outside as well as inside. So now what do I do? I need to de-rust and refinish it and I want to do it right the 1st time. Should I strip the paint chemically, with a wire brush, naval jelly or all of the above? How and what do I prime it with to prevent further rust? Is that all I need to do before the finishing coat of black Rustoleum paint? How many times have you answered this question? Thanks for answering it again.....

Leslie Coker
- Glendale Heights, Illinois, USA
1999

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You are probably right that you want to get the old paint off because if you don't it can blister and peel, taking with it any new coats you apply. But as for how you remove the old paint, I think whatever is easiest is best, and to me that would seem to be the wire brush. I doubt that you can even buy a zinc chromate or red lead based paint today, so just use whatever bare metal primer the Rustoleum can recommends before their topcoat.

Of course if you wanted the very best, you could send the table out for chemical stripping, phosphating, and priming.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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