Rust removal on outdoor cast iron umbrella stands
I needed to perform rust removal on outdoor cast iron umbrella stands. We recently had the need to use our outdoor umbrellas to provide some extra shade. As I was moving the umbrella stands around it was very evident that they were going to need some work soon.
Lots of rust
The stands(three of them) were rusty, more rust color than the green that they started out when new. So I was going to need to remove as much rust as possible. Also because these things had a bunch of crevices(because they were made to look fancy) there was going to be plenty of rust. Rust that I would not be able to remove with a wire brush. Any rust that is not removed has to be neutralized.
A quick moment from my rant box
If you don’t get rid of the rust then all your work/effort will be for nothing. That rust will be peeking out at you from under the new coat of paint in no time at all. I wasn’t just removing rust I was going to need to neutralize any remaining rust before that new coat of paint went down. Ok, ok, I’ll put away the rant box.
Cover that metal with a long-lasting coating
Once the rust was gone and or neutralized the stands would need a new coat of paint to protect them from rust forming once again. I could do this in a two coat process. I could lay down a coat of red primer and a finish coat of paint. This is usually a good combination for items that don’t move or get bumped or banged as part of their service life. But because these stands get a lot of abuse from peoples feet, getting moved around(and not gently) they were going to need something extra.
Automotive paint
Ever since I found that I could purchase truck bed liner paint I have loved using it for rust protection in high abuse situations. This is just such a situation. I chose this particular paint because it is a rubberized paint that can resist expansion/contraction cracking which will hasten the return of rust. I use it on my RV trailer’s front frame to resist rust from stone dings.
Henry Ford has a word on my project
Truck bed liner paint does an excellent job of protecting the metal over ordinary paint. I like that it is a rubberized paint that can take lots of abuse and still look good years down the road. The stands were going to need a coat of truck bed liner paint. The bad thing about this paint is that it is modeled on Henry Ford’s car paint principles.
“You can have your car in any colour you want, as long as it’s black” – Henry Ford
I get around this limitation by applying a coat of the color of my choice after the truck bed paint has dried.
Safety Equipment
This project would have small wires spinning at high speed that could break off and hurtle towards my eyes. I was also going to work with an acid so I grabbed my safety glasses with side shields, and gloves and started my project. I used acid resistant gloves when I worked with the acid. Also because the grinder spins the wire cup I made sure that I didn’t wear shirt sleeves which could get caught up by the spinning brush.
Getting started on the big stuff
The majority of the rust removal is accomplished using my angle grinder with a twisted/knotted wire cup. I use the twisted/knotted wire cup over the crimped wire cup because it is more resistant to losing wires during the rust removal process. This piece of equipment removes a lot of rust quickly but it does not get into small crevices.
Getting to the small stuff
Neutralizing the small pieces of rust in hard to reach areas was going to be difficult with a wire brush. This is where I would need to change my tactics to get these small pieces of rust neutralized. An acid applied with a small acid brush would be able to get into the smallest of crevices.
Rust Converter?
Many years ago I had learned that rust converter or phosphoric acid work just as well. So instead of buying a small bottle of rust converter, I bought a quart of phosphoric acid. I use a clean glass jar or steel can(from my recycle bin) to contain it for brushing so no special containers are needed. It didn’t take much acid(1 to 2 ounces brushed on the parts) to cover the three umbrella stands top and bottom. Also since rust is always present in anything made of iron, it is really handy to have it around. You’d be surprised how many projects need rust removal/neutralization once you know how easy it is to do it.
I don’t scrub the acid into the part. I just brush it on and let it do the work. This technique makes rust removal super easy. You can tell when the rust has been neutralized because the acid turns it black. So I covered the entire surface of the stands with phosphoric acid after wire brushing. Even the bare metal got a good coat just in case there was some hidden rust that my eyes could not detect. I let it dry for an hour and applied the second coat of acid. I let the umbrella stands dry out for several days.
Paint Color
As for the paint job a good coat of the truck bed liner paint brought those once rusty pieces back to life. I liked the paint so much that I canceled repainting them back to the original color. Henry Ford your right once again.
Acid Disposal
Disposal of the remaining acid is required after coating the parts. The best method is to dilute it with a lot of water. But disposal of acid can be dangerous(better to be safe than sorry) always add acid to water, do not add water to the acid.
Steps to completion
- Use the wire brush down to the bare metal(remove any rust and existing paint).
- The brushed on phosphoric acid converted any residual rust left over after the wire brush process.
- The truck bed paint sealed off the bare metal from the atmosphere. It also slows down the rust’s return due to its excellent expansion/contraction capabilities.
Related Article: Tip Removing Rust From Garden Tools
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(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
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