Cast Iron Radiator Finishing Advice
Hi, I just had a few cast iron radiators sand blasted and I was all set to paint them. Stupidly I left them out on my deck this morning with the intention of spray painting them when I got home from work. Well – it rained and they got wet and despite my best efforts…
Hi,
I just had a few cast iron radiators sand blasted and I was all set to paint them. Stupidly I left them out on my deck this morning with the intention of spray painting them when I got home from work. Well – it rained and they got wet and despite my best efforts to dry them immediately they’re covered with a thin film of rust. Can anyone tell me if I can go ahead and spray them now – after rubbing the rust off as best I can with a towel – or do I now have to thoroughly remove the rust somehow? Like maybe with some kind of rust converter or something. Also – should I use some kind of primer coat – and if so – what kind? I watched a This Old House video called How to Paint a Cast Iron radiator that specified that the radiator should be primed first – and they showed the guy priming it – but didn’t specify what product they were using. So if anyone has any advice on what kind of primer to use I would love to hear it. Presumably it has to be a high heat product. Thanks for any relevant advice.
Can you tell me who sandblasted the rad’s?
I have a few that need to be done.
thank’s
Rich.
You can also try Naval Jelly (spray) to get rid of the rust. If you have access to one, a compressor will dry it off quickly.
Any time you strip iron, you need to get a primer on it quickly because rust starts forming as soon as it’s exposed to oxygen. Add water and the electrolytic action multiplies.
Incidentally, can you post the info about where you had them sandblasted?
If it is only a thin film of rust, wipe with mineral spirits and a rag and then prime in a few hours with a primer for metal (oil-based preferably). I have painted rads with Rustoleum oil-based primer (they sell different ones for heavy rust and light rust; do not interchange) and oil-based paint and do not think you need the high-heat paint (maybe if they are steam which get hotter?) You can also get it in spray cans which is easier to apply.
If you are very creative and your rads have carvings, you can apply a base coat of say gold/ silver paint over the primer and then ‘antique it’ by painting a darker shade on it when dry, and then rubbing it off before well before it dries. Brings the ornamentation into sharper relief and makes the rads look bronzed. Try it on a small area first.
Rust Oleum makes a product that makes rust inert. You apply it and then you can paint it.
I believe they may have a primer out now that has this product mixed in. Check their website.
thx, eric. handymaneric.com
Don’t paint over the rust because it will bleed through the paint eventually.
I think you can just wipe your radiators down. A wire brush can be handy too. I’ve refinished lots of antique radiators for my brownstone. I simply use silver radiator paint that you can buy at any local hardware store. No primer is needed when using it. If you’re interested in painting your radiators a different color than the silver, I would use an oil primer and paint made for handling heat. The kind of primer and paint used to paint auto engines or furnaces should work well.
The comments here give some advice.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/good-questions/chi-good-questions-painting-a-radiator-050466