Steelcase Tanker Desk Restoration Tips

A. You can get replacement keys from easykeys.com

A. To Todd and Kelly, from another vintage metal furniture devotee: The May 1999 issue of Martha Stewart Living has a good article about restoring vintage metal furniture, with a few before and after photos. That article says you can use rubbing compound [on eBay or Amazon] and a coat of wax to spruce up the existing paint and put new glides on the legs, rollers on the drawers and install a new top surface. If you choose to change the color of a piece, according to the Martha Stewart article, you can choose to have your metal furniture wet-coat painted (this is done at an auto-body shop with a high-powered spray gun) or powder-coat painted (involves applying a very fine, dry pigment to an electrically charged object and then baking it in a large oven). Before either method can be used, a professional should strip the old finish by bead-blasting it with tiny plastic pellets, according to the M.S. article. Most of the pieces shown in the Martha Stewart feature were wet-coat painted...the article says it is cheaper to have several pieces done at once - the furniture must be disassembled and the nonmetal parts have to be masked first. For powder coating, the glides, rubber bumpers and other nonmetal parts must be removed so they don't melt in the oven. The Martha Stewart article says powder coat painting is the cheaper method, but the choice of colors is more limited and it might take some persistence to find a painter who will work on an individual piece.

I just found an old Steelcase desk at a garage sale and hope the Martha Stewart tips work out! (I'm not positive, but I think those tips may have been provided for the article by a company called Past Present Future in Minneapolis.)

Q. Emily, I have a business in Pittsfield, MA that specializes in restoring these Tanker desks, as well as other Mid-Century metal seating and lighting. Can you please let me know the company that carries the linoleum in Sweden? It would be very helpful if I could expand the color options for these desk tops.

Thank you,

A. Hi all. I would suggest that you take a piece of scrap, polish it quickly, clearcoat it and see how rust-free it stays in your environment first.

Please consider that if you look at really top-notch paint jobs such as on a car, they involves first dipping the steel in molten zinc (the galvanneal process) so the surface is now zinc rather than steel, then phosphatizing it (which is a process that converts the surface of the steel to a toothy finish for good paint adhesion, while relieving corrosion hot spots that are caused by mechanical working) and providing protection against corrosion at any tiny pinholes. The phosphatizing is dull, matte, and opaque. Then the metal is dipped into an electrocoating tank to be primed with a colored primer (this gives coverage in the joints and folds and spot welds where sprayed, brushed or powder paint can't reach and where moisture accumulates by capillary action and rust tends to seep out). Finally, two of more layers of spray paint are applied in a room from which the dust has been filtered, and which is humidity controlled; and then the paint is baked --all before the clearcoating. The reason for all this effort is that steel rusts quickly and easily upon exposure.

Now, for interior use you certainly don't need an auto-quality job, but ...
Although "brushed steel" is a very fashionable look today, to have the steel show through like that requires that there be no galvanneal cathodic zinc coating, and no phosphatizing to fight galvanic hot spots, and no electrophoretic prime coating on the steel to protect it from rusting at the joints and folds -- in brief, it requires that many of the proven tools against long term rust prevention be thrown out the window, and only a layer of clear lacquer or clear coat paint stand between the very active steel and the atmosphere.

That's why appliance manufacturers use stainless steel rather than plain carbon steel with a clearcoat for brushed metal kitchen appliances.

I note this not to discourage you from your hobby, which I wish you well with! But before putting a huge amount of man-hours into an effort, you should understand your odds of it staying rust-free. If the house is cool and dry and away from the ocean it should be okay for several years. But good environmental conditions are required: a damp basement or a garage location and it probably won't hold up for long.

Scratch brushing is actually done with a quick "SCRITCH!" from a large belt sander (called a timesaver), not a metal brush. There are also a lot of different swirled patterns, from a 'dowel' or 'jeweled' finish to larger patterns that can probably be done with sandpaper or scotchbrite on a circular buffer or a Dremel [on eBay or Amazon]. Good luck with your projects!

A. Hi, D. Thanks. Yes, there are many good clearcoat materials available. Readers may be interested in listening to our podcast interview about clearcoating with Teresa Sedmak, pres. of Everbrite Coatings. But aluminum surfaces and shiny brass or stainless steel elevator doors are not plain steel and do not need the same level of protection from rusting that steel requires. Again, a cool, dry, air-conditioned office is one thing, and brushed steel with a clearcoat may be okay; but an 'office' in a damp basement might be another.

Regards,

A. I just got a steel desk sanded and painted at an autobody shop. The desk was in relatively good shape so there was not a huge amount of fine work needed. For me, the key was finding a small company run by an independent contractor who was willing to do it at an affordable cost. I bought the desk for $10 at our local university recycle shop, and the total cost for sanding and painting (with BMW paint -- tee hee hee) was $252. It is beautiful. So my advice is to call around and find someone who needs the business. Good luck!

I answered my own question about removing the laminate top from the desk. I used a putty knife and a hammer and gently tapped the knife between the laminate and the steel. I got it all removed without damaging the metal beneath.

A. Lawrence A., what you have is the laminate top. It's soft and rubbery, while other tops for these tanker desks are hard, similar to kitchen counter tops. My laminate top is peeling back in one of the corners, it's about 1/4 inch thick. I have yet to remove it completely, but its only glued down.

Here's my flickr page with photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tanker_desk/

A. Sounds like you have an Art Metal or possibly a Shaw-Walker brand desk. Those are definitely in the same era, just a different manufacturer. Check here for some great photos : http://pastpresentfuture.net/examples/desks.html

Not sure what I would do about that top. I've seen some people completely replace the top all together and place a nice wood butcher-block style slab on top. I've also seen a nice piece of glass placed over worn out desktops.

Good Luck!

A. I have refinished, several desks, fridge, steel case shelves...by hand. It can be a lot of work but its cheaper than having it professionally done. I don't care for the brush look. I like the

To remove the old paint use Aircraft Stripper. With an industrial brush apply it in the same direction. (wear rubber gloves [on eBay or Amazon], protective clothes and mask and goggles [on eBay or Amazon], do it outside. The stuff is intense)

- Leave it on, scrape it and apply as many times needed to remove the paint. Take 00 steel wool [on eBay or Amazon], brush or scraper, and remove the rest. Be careful not to scratch it too much (it's messy)(I use the blue metal spatulas for Venetian plaster)

-At this point either you stop, or have to finish it. As it the metal will oxidize. If you stop, there will be a little work in removing some of the oxidation, when you start again.

-wipe it down, with a metal cleaner.

-Then take Silicon Carbide paper (wet/dry sandpaper) (takes a lot), start with a 220-2000 grit . I got old gloves and stuck the paper on them. If there is a "grain" or machine marks , start by going against them, then other direction, then against again. Sand this way until they disappear. Continue on to the next grade sandpaper.

Same thing all over again. Repeat this until you've moved through all the grades and have a nice shiny surface.

I only go in the same direction, to achieve a smooth finished look with no pattern.

Use your own judgment when to move to the next grade.

You will have to apply some top coat, wax or paint to keep the metal clean and shiny. Immediately.

If you want to keep the piece raw, finish by using metal polish (by hand or buffer). Then cover with wax, I used butchers)If you use wax, there is maintenance involved...you will have to reapply, ever so often...its work!

If you want to put a coat on it I recommend an epoxy based metal paint (hard to find, specialty paint places carry them) or one from the auto department. The epoxy is the best. The auto body paint on the shelf is similar to spray paint. It looks good if you take your time and apply it evenly.

You need:
Aircraft Stripper
protective wear (gloves, eye, face)
Silicon Carbide paper 220-2000 grit (several grades)
sanding block or 2x4 cut
00 steel wool [on eBay or Amazon], brush, scraper
a Dremel [on eBay or Amazon] is great as well
metal cleaner
metal polish
rags or buffer
top coat- wax or epoxy

It's a full day or more depending on piece, the application of initial paint (baked on is hard).

A. I have restored at least 10 tanker desk and tables. Firstly if the old finish is still good with no rust, and no chipping; do not strip it. The baked on OE finish makes a good base for the new paint. If this is the case, disassemble, using a Air Powered DA simply knock down the old finish, do not sand through to the metal. Once you you have the surface sanded paint with automotive paint, clear, wet sand and buff. I found a local shop that will paint and clear for $150-200. I will finish the wet sanding and buffing, which only takes about 2 hrs.

If the OE paint is damaged have desk bead blasted, and powder coated. Check Local industrial powder coating shops. I have a shop that will bead blast and coat for under $200 on most desk and tables. Having done my first few desk the old fashioned way (lots of elbow grease and massive amounts of time), bead blasting and coating is by far the most economical.

A. As far as getting a brushed look on steel it can be done. I have been an automotive painter for 13 years and have done many successful finishes on brushed steel. When you sand metal that is what paint/clear coat sticks to. That is how automotive painters do it every day! When you stripped the paint off you didn't sand through the galvanized layer. It will not rust if there is ample clear coat on the piece.

As far as the rubbery top on the tanker desks, I have just used wedges, screwdrivers, or anything thin and ripped the top off. Once you get it going it should come off with ease. Then remove any excess glue and get the metal top of the desk as smooth as possible. I then take 1/8 press board with a very smooth finish on top and fit it to the desk top. I prep it for painting and then give the finishing color and making sure that you seal all the edges of the press board. If you do not then the press board will separate.

A. Hello,

Forbo Nairn in Kirkcaldy produce very nice furniture linoleum for desk top type applications.
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk is a useful link and you can contact them for USA suppliers.

This is not just an ad - I was looking up furniture and lino-topped desks on Google.
Old furniture restoration is real work...
Regards,
Andrew