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Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Can I faux paint a table top to look like galvanized metal?

2004

I am a furniture restorer. I have worked with brass, copper and silver but never galvanized steel. I currently have a job restoring a galvanized table that has lost some of its "finish" (galvanized coating) normally I would use reversible materials and faux paint the finish in the areas of loss with mica powders/ gilding varnish. However I cannot seem to get the proper reflective qualities of the galvanized surface. Is there any product that mocks this? like a chemical patina like Jax Patina [affil links] or maybe zinc powders I can add to a flat, clear paint? or is there any other alternatives?

Thanks,

Meg Strecht
furniture restorer - NY, New York

Hi, I am curious to know if you have ever found a good answer to this question. I am restoring an old Land Rover and would like to find a way to paint that will have the appearance of old galvanizing. I am thinking of loosely mixing aluminum flake paint with flat white and applying with a sea sponge. I might do a few coats then sand it down with fine paper on a random orbital sander to remove any luster.

Andrew Hurst
- Nova Scotia, Canada
May 4, 2011

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