Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Refinish An Iron Planter

This is a classic example of an iron planter in need of some TLC.


An iron planter is a vessel that provides a pot of soil to contain a plant so it can blossom. Aesthetically, it's a decorative accessory for indoors or outdoors that can extend a real presence into a room, becoming an eye-catching focal point like a couch or a large mirror. Iron planters can bear a range of unique carvings or designs--from lion's heads to intricate scrolls. If you've come across an old, rusty iron planter, there's absolutely no reason why you can't restore it to its former glory. Does this Spark an idea?


Instructions


1. Combine 1/4 cup of trisodium phosphate with 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket. Dip a sponge in the mixture and wring it out. Wipe down the iron planter vigorously, removing built-up grime.


2. Scrub the iron planter with a wire brush energetically while it's still wet to remove some of the surface layer of rust.


3. Attach a piece of 80-grit sandpaper to an electric sander and run the sander over the surface area of the iron planter. Repeat with 100-grit sandpaper, then 220-grit sandpaper.


4. Wipe off all the dust from sanding, using the tack cloth. Dip a 3-inch nylon brush in anti-rust primer for metals and coat the iron with a single coat of primer. Allow to dry overnight.


5. Coat the iron planter with two coats of anti-rust paint. Allow 12 hours of drying time between each coat.

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