Have you ever eyed an old set of 1950s-era metal lawn chairs and thought, with just a little TLC, those would look extremely cool in my backyard? You're probably right, says refinishing expert Teri Masaschi, author of Foolproof Wood Finishing: For Those Who Love to Build & Hate to Finish. The real question with metal pieces is: Do you actually want to make them look good as new? And if the answer is yes, how much time and effort will it take to restore those pieces to their former glory? The first thing you want to consider with metal furniture, Teri says, is whether you even want to remove rust and other signs of wear. "The industrial look is really hot right now," she says. "If you have a piece like an old metal workbench from a factory where they manufactured parts, and the metal has taken a beating and there's an old rusty, dirty patina with hardly any paint left, well, people are putting those in their kitchens now. You don't want to touch that, because it will hurt the value of it.
The most you'll want to do is wash it with soap and water." This may be especially true for old metal lighting with clamps, candlesticks, and brass and iron beds, so look at them through a contemporary lens before you decide to refinish. If you can't incorporate them into your own look, you might want to sell them instead. to get a feel for what people are buying; good keywords to use are "vintage," "rustic," "rusty chic" and "industrial." , including this clothing hook (Image 1), old milk bottle box (Image 2) and service bell (Image 3) from Vintage Lancaster. Some metal furniture, on the other hand, needs improving. Your decor may not call for a shabby touch, and some pieces — such as lawn chairs — will come into too much contact with bare skin to make leaving rusty edges practical or safe. But know that you're in for some sweat (and maybe tears). Assuming you want to paint them, you'll have to get rid of all of the rust first. “You need to get down to new, clean metal,” Teri says.
For a candlestick, that might not be a big deal, but for a neglected set of four lawn chairs, rust removal could take you several weekends to complete. You'll need a wire brush for the first round, and then a sander with 60- to 80-grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface. "It's a tremendous amount of work," Teri says. "But some people love that." Design blogger Andrea Clem, of Oasis Accents, tackled her grandmother’s rusty old lawn chair as a DIY project. Image 1 shows the chair after Andrea sanded it down to clean metal. "I thought my arms were going to fall off," she says. Andrea used a wire brush and a cordless drill with wire attachments for rust removal (Image 2). She applied a rust preventive primer and several coats of light green paint to make the chair good as new (Images 3 and 4). If you can't face the prospect of that much elbow grease, you'll need to take your piece to be professionally sandblasted. (Sandblasters are usually listed as such in the phone book, but sometimes an auto body shop is a good resource as well.)
A set of four lawn chairs, depending on the condition they’re in, will run you at least a few hundred dollars. After your surface is rust-free, what remains is simple: painting. Spray paint works as well as anything else, Teri says, but be sure to use a primer specifically for old rusty metal or previously painted surfaces. (And for lawn chairs, use paint marked "indoor/outdoor.") Follow the instructions on the can closely, paying special attention to the window of time it recommends between coats. Plan to use a couple of coats of primer — with scuffing in between to give the paint a surface to adhere to — and a couple of coats of color. It's a time investment, to be sure, but the payoff depends on how much you love the piece. "The sad thing is, those retro lawn chairs that you love, they're reproducing them now in China and you can just buy them outright," Teri says. "But they're not as good as the old ones. The metal is not typically as heavy a gauge and they’re not as sturdy and rugged."
You can expect to pay about $100 per chair for a reproduction. You can also find refurbished or good-condition pieces on eBay and Craigslist for a bit less. If your motivation is making something durable with your own personal touch — not to mention preserving an heirloom or recycling something that would otherwise end up in a landfill — refinishing a metal piece yourself can certainly be worth it. But considering the cost of sandblasting and paint and the time involved, if the look is all that matters to you, you might be better off going with a stylish reproduction or refurb instead.Rattan PorchWicker Porch FurnitureFurniture NiceCane FurniturePorch PatioPainted Wicker ChairsDeck Furniture IdeasPatio SetPorch ChairsForwardCome enjoy our new porch furniture and relax to the sound of a bubbling garden fountain! The History of the Metal Lawn Furniture...What we know now - as seen on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon - 1/23/2017!Close out on Safari Coolers - 30% Off until inventory is gone!
Close out on Standard Parkane and Skylark chairs!20% off Coolers through January 31st!Check out our Vintage T-shirts, Retro Coolers! Just Like Mom'n them had, only better!! Order new sling (for mesh sling replacement) Before you get started, you have to measure your chairs and order replacement sling. To find width, measure from the center of one rail to the center of the opposite rail at the bolt locations typically found at the top and bottom of the sling. To find length, lay a cloth tape measure along the top face of one rail so it follows the rail's curvature. Cut the old sling Slash the old sling down the middle with a utility knife. (A damaged sling cannot be saved.) Remove the end cap on each side rail. Remove the old sling Slide the two halves of the sling out of their tracks in the chair's rails. Loosen but don't remove the bolts that attach the rails to the chair frame, then pop out the spreader bar. This is the best time to retouch or repaint your frame.
Go to Frame Touch-Up Techniques for how-to and tips. Slide the new sling on Remove one rail entirely. Hold the sling with its hem side to the back and slide its nylon rod into the track of the rail that's still attached to the chair frame. Secure the new sling Slide the detached rail over the sling's other nylon rod. Bolt this rail back on the frame. Tighten the loose bolts on the opposite rail to make the sling taut. Reattach the spreader bar Reinsert the spreader bar. Use a pipe clamp to spread the rails slightly; if need be, bend the bar a bit to make it fit, then hit it with a rubber mallet to restore its shape. With a wire cutter, trim each rod flush with the end of the rail. Push the end caps back on the rails. You're done reviving your sling chair. Now, see Care and Maintenance tips. Or, click next to see how to replace vinyl straps. Order new straps (for vinyl replacement) For a single-wrap strap (one with exposed plastic pegs or metal clips), measure across the frame from hole to hole with a cloth tape measure wrapping around the outside of the frame.
A double-wrap strap (shown) covers the fasteners. Start at one hole, loop the tape measures fully around the frame, then pull to the opposite hole and repeat. Buy enough straps and pegs to redo the entire piece. (Metal clips can be reused.) The supplier will cut each strap to length and punch a hole for pegs or attach edge clips on both ends. Make the straps flexible by soaking them in hot (not boiling) water; never use a hair dryer or heat gun. Attach the strap end by pushing a peg through its hole and into the hole on the back of the frame. Wrap the strap around the frame With the peg seated firmly, wrap the strap all the way around the frame, covering the peg. (For a single wrap, simply go halfway around the frame and pull to the opposite side.) Stretch the strap to the other side Grab the strap near its middle and stretch it to the opposite side of the frame. Hold it tight against this side with one hand; use the other to loosely wrap the strap's free end around the frame 1½ times.
Keep tension on the strap as you push a peg through the free end and into its hole. Slide the loop up over the peg with your thumb, then let go of the strap. It will tighten as it cools. Repeat this process for all straps. You're done reviving your vinyl strap chair. Now, see Care and Maintenance tips. The time to touch up nicks and scratches on the frame is after the old straps or slings have been removed and before the new ones go on. The method to use depends on the type of metal to be painted. For aluminum, rough up the surface slightly with 100-grit sandpaper, then smooth with 220-grit paper. There's no need to prime—just apply an exterior-grade acrylic enamel paint. Use a tiny touch-up brush on nicks, a spray can on bigger scratches. For wrought iron on tubular steel, use a wire brush and sandpaper to sand any rust spots or chipped paint down to bare metal. Next, brush or spray on a metal primer, then apply an exterior enamel topcoat. (A coat of rust converter such as Rust Reformer stabilizes rust without sanding, but a rough, crusty look will remain.)
When a painted frame is covered with scratches or caked with rust, it's probably time for a professional overhaul. Factory-authorized refinisheers like The Chair Care Co. will sandblast and repaint furniture with a tough, powder-coated finish that will last 15 years or more. "The pieces come out looking brand-new," says owner Steven Gentino. The full-body treatment—blasting, repainting, welding, repairing straps, slings, or cushions, and replacing fasteners—runs about $120 for a typical chair. That's still only one third to half the cost of buying new. Once paint is dry: • Continue fabric sling replacement • Continue vinyl strap replacement The plastic components of outdoor furniture (shown)—vinyl straps, plastic pegs, and mesh slings—last about 10 years. In the meantime, the easiest way to keep outdoor furniture looking good is to give it a quick scrubdown with mild dish soap, followed by a water rinse. In addition, each material has its own particular needs.