Metal Refinishing: An Easy DIY Project
Ranked #14,551 in Home & Garden, #200,547 overall
Restoring A Metal Fuel Tank
A metal restoration project takes just a little effort, some sandpaper and paint, and can extend the usefulness of many items such as this fuel tank for a small outboard motor. The steps outlined here will work for restoring many different types of metal items including old toys, outdoor chairs, tables and garden benches.
The key to a good paint job lies in the preparation. Sanding off all of the old paint and any rust is crucial to obtaining a smooth and professional looking finish. With a little time and effort, repainting a used metal item saves money and gives new life to many old items.
The fuel tank for this project was faded from years spent outdoors, but the metal is sound and the tank does not leak. Gasoline is highly flammable, so the tank was emptied and the top was left open to allow the fumes to disperse before beginning the restoration and repainting process.
Photos by the Author
Repainting & Refinishing Metal
Using fine grit sandpaper, lightly sand the entire surface of the metal to remove all of the loose paint, rust and dirt. 150 grit sandpaper worked well for this project, though a wire brush quickly removes rust and stubborn paint.Wipe the container with paper towels or a rag soaked in Naphtha or a similar solvent cleaner. The solvent removes the fine particles left by the sanding, as well as any remaining grease and dirt. Allow the solvent to evaporate thoroughly, and dispose of the solvent soaked rags properly.
Mask off the fuel gauge with tape to protect it from the spray paint.
Spray on a coat of primer paint, using a quality metal primer. There are several brands available in spray cans and formulated specifically for exterior use on metal. When using a spray can of paint, spray in several light passes to avoid drips and runs. Complete coverage may require several light coats of paint. The spray paint dries quickly, allowing the application of several coats of paint in a relatively short period of time.Paint the bottom of the fuel tank first. Allow the initial primer coat to dry before repositioning the container to paint the remaining surfaces. Paint the most visible section of the project last, in this case the top of the tank.
Allow the primer coats to dry completely, and then sand lightly (if needed). Wipe away any of the fine particles left by the sanding before moving on to the color coat.
Spray on the color coat, following the same sequence and process used to paint the primer coats. Again, spray several light coats rather than one or two heavy coats to minimize drips and runs. Allow the color coat to dry thoroughly - at least over night.Apply decals or stencils over the dried color coat. For this project, a simple fish stencil was printed, cut out and then taped into position along the top edge of the tank. Mask the rest of the tank with newspaper to prevent overspray, and then use a contrasting color to lightly spray paint over the stencil. Allow the final paint coat to dry thoroughly before using the finished tank. Depending on the spray paint manufacturer, the paint will take several days or longer to cure completely.
Have you repainted and restored an old metal item?
Metal Finishing Scotch Pads
METAL FINISHING BUFFING PAD SCOTCH BRITE FINE BOX OF 20
Amazon Price: $28.75 (as of 06/02/2012)
Metal Glaze Finishing and Blending Putty
Fibreglass Evercoat 416 Metal Glaze Polyester Finishing and Blending Putty - 30 Oz. Pump
Amazon Price: $35.13 (as of 06/02/2012)
METAL GLAZE is a two-part polyester finishing and blending putty. Applications include use as a finish coat over body filler repair areas to fill minor defects, deep sand scratches and pinholes prior to applying primer surfacer to improve the efficiency of the primer coat.
American Pickers Guide to Picking
American Pickers Guide to Picking (History Channel)
Amazon Price: $11.84 (as of 06/02/2012)
Professional treasure hunters Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz chronicle their road trips across the American countryside in search of "rusty gold" to buy and sell among the picking world's one-of-a-kind characters. Whether you are a fan of the show or just like finding hidden riches, you will love seeing what Wolfe and Fritz dig up and enjoy meeting the devoted collectors, extreme stockpilers, and elite dealers who they encounter along the way.
Making Stencils
Stencils make it easy to paint images on many different surfaces, from walls to tee shirts and from toys to cars. Plastic reusable stencils are common for creating borders around windows or along ceiling lines, though pre-made patterns can be limiting and unimaginative. Making stencils from clip art or other sources is a simple process and allows much more flexibility and greater creativity.This simple stencil project originated from an image found on a seafood restaurant's takeout menu and was used to decorate the fuel tank for a small outboard motor. Use the same process to customize a stencil for nearly any painting project.
Find a suitable image for the project. A combination of simple shapes works well, as demonstrated by the shapes representing the skeleton of the fish. Use an image from a web page, clip art or even a kid's coloring book - just be sure to honor copyrights. Or draw your own unique image.
Size the image. Except for large images, use a copy machine to re-size pre-printed objects. Applications such as PowerPoint can re-size clip art and other online images into a variety of sizes.Print the image onto standard bond paper. In most cases, standard copy paper works well enough for single-use stencils. If a sturdier stencil is needed for multiple applications, either print additional copies or transfer the printed image to a heavier medium such as a manila file folder using carbon paper.
Cut out the negative sections of the image using a sharp E-xacto knife. The negative sections are the areas where paint is applied to create the image. Cutting paper dulls the blade quickly, tearing the paper rather than slicing through it cleanly, so change the blade as needed.
Position the stencil, and secure in place with blue painter's tape. The blue tape is less tacky than standard masking tape, and is designed for removal without pulling of the painted surface underneath. Another option is to spray the back of the paper stencil lightly with a temporary spray adhesive.
Mask off the rest of the object with tape and newspaper to protect from overspray.
Paint the stencil, using either an aerosol spray paint. Spray lightly and directly at the stencil, applying enough paint to cover the area but without allowing excess paint to seep under the edges of the stencil. If using a brush, dab the paint into the stencil using a vertical stippling motion.Allow the paint to set up before carefully pealing away the stencil to reveal the image.
This weekend metal restoration project turned out pretty well. The old fuel tank stayed out of the recycling bin and I didn't have to buy a replacement. And the unique fish stencil has drawn some positive comments from others at the boat ramp.
Metal Art in the News
- Five trolleys offer free rides during First Friday Art Trail
- Ranges from metal art, furniture and abstract art by Miles Knudson to poetry by the Speakeasy Poets. 789-4023. ? Glassyalley Art Studio and Gallery ? 1940 Texas Ave. Photography by Cat Boucher, Jeff Moore and Christena Stephens.
- Play the market Splash into the art scene this Memorial Day weekend for13th ...
- Visitors admire unique metal art by Bartlett Art Works at the Estes Park Art and Craft Market in Bond Park last year. The market is the first major event of the summer travel season. Memorial Day weekend in Estes Park presents many canvases, ...
- Artist brings metal to life
- He welded for an oil company to support himself as he created ranch signs and metal art in his parents' four-car garage. The young entrepreneur sat down at his parents' kitchen table one night to sketch out the flame-like logo for his future company, ...
- Fine Art in The Park Show Attracts Crowds
- Coeta Chambers, artist coordinator for the event, said the panoply of fine arts include ceramics, glass, jewelry, watercolors, acrylics, photography, metal sculptures and metal art. The show is juried, Chambers said, adding that each year between 250 ...
The Revolutionary Yardscape
The Revolutionary Yardscape: Ideas for Repurposing Local Materials
Amazon Price: $9.15 (as of 06/02/2012)
Budget-friendly, environmentally sound, and one-of-a-kind, discovering new uses for what you already have or what you discover in the salvage yard is truly living local. It reduces a garden's environmental impact, saves money, and - most importantly - is fun and creative.
Metal Recycling in the News
- Cleanup on land north of O Street begins with assessment
- Environmental assessment work at the former Watson-Brickson lumberyard and Alter Metal Recycling scrap yard will begin this summer. An engineering consulting firm will begin drilling holes on the land and testing soil and groundwater under a $338591 ...
- Sims Metal Management CEO Contract Update
- Sims' core businesses are metal recycling and electronics recycling. Sims Metal Management generated approximately 85 percent of its revenue from operations in North America, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, New Zealand and Asia in Fiscal 2011.
- Bid to boost metal recycling rates
- Two local authorities have joined forces with the metal industry and Zero Waste Scotland in a bid to boost recycling rates for metal packaging. Aberdeen City and Shire Councils are to take part taking part in the 'Metal Matters' campaign, which aims to ...
- Weak rupee hits Indian scrap metal imports
- By Silvia Antonioli | ROME (Reuters) - A weaker rupee has cut India's scrap metal imports this month, forcing buyers to look for cheaper domestic alternatives, the vice-president of the Metal Recycling Association of India (MRAI) told Reuters on ...
Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art
.
Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 06/02/2012)
Recycled Metal Garden Sculpture: Little Flying Piglet Pig
Amazon Price: $85.00 (as of 06/02/2012)
Metal Craft Discovery Workshop
Metal Craft Discovery Workshop
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 06/02/2012)
A nontraditional approach and a comprehensive techniques section will introduce you to the whimsical side of metal. Metal Craft Discovery Workshop shows just how easy it is to create 20 fun and funky projects step-by-step, from a miniature journal to an altered lunch box.
.
More DIY Projects, Ideas and Supplies
Sanding Disks
eBay
Did You Like Visiting This Lens?
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
Thanks for stopping by!
-
-
asktoddmiller
Feb 14, 2012 @ 9:01 am | delete
- Great lens and fantastic information! Thanks so much for sharing.
-
-
-
Tipi
Feb 13, 2012 @ 4:57 pm | delete
- I guess that I should not be at all surprised that when you restore and old metal fuel tank that it looks even better by 20% than when it was new! Your instructions are once again precise and easy to follow with your step by step instructions and pictures along the way. Then to top it off, you give us that designer touch by showing us how to make your cool fish stencil. All I can add is a little angel dust to this perfection.
-
-
-
cffutah
Feb 13, 2012 @ 3:47 pm | delete
- Very informative, I'm always looking at new ways to better upkeep my house.
-
More DIY Projects Pages
How To Build a Backyard Fire Pit using Fieldstone
Backyard fire pits are popular elements in landscape design, ranging from a simple fire ring for campfires to lavish outdoor fireplaces. Fueled by wood or pr...
Salvaged Wood for DIY Projects
As the cost of lumber continues rise, many weekend woodworkers and hobbyists are looking to salvaged wood as an alternative source of wood for their DIY proj...
Our Small Garden Pond
Building a small garden pond for keeping koi and goldfish is a fun and rewarding DIY project. Most guides for creating water gardens and backyard ponds recom...
How To Make A Toad House
Toads eat a wide variety of insect pests, and they are welcome visitors to the garden. Often hard to spot until they hop out of the way, toads search through...
Jurassic Path - Garden Stepping Stones
Add a prehistoric accent to your landscape with an ambling pathway of concrete stepping stones cast with a set of cast "fossilized" dinosaur tracks...
Metal Refinishing: An Easy DIY Project
Metal is easy to repaint and to refinish, and there are many old metal objects out there that are worth saving with a little touch up and a little paint. A ...
DIY Metal Garden Arbor Plans
An arbor creates a dramatic entrance to garden, and there are a wide variety of garden arbors available in many styles and materials. From simple wooden stru...
Create a Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Attracting wildlife to your backyard is a fun and rewarding experience, and can enhance the enjoyment of any yard. Whether you live in the city, on a small s...
How to Build a Bat House
Bat House Bats are one of the best natural defenses against mosquitoes and other flying pests, with each bat devouring over 1000 flying insects every evening...
Making Folk Art Decoys
Back in the day of market hunters, simple silhouette decoys made from flat pieces of wood were used to hunt shorebirds, crows, pigeons, waterfowl and just ab...
1,000 Steampunk Creations
.
1,000 Steampunk Creations: Neo-Victorian Fashion, Gear, and Art (1000 Series)
Amazon Price: $15.80 (as of 06/02/2012)
by AnthonyAltorenna
I enjoy creating Squidoo Lens on topics of personal interest including woodworking, fishing & gardening. Most of the Lens photos were taken to show th... more »
- 96 featured lenses
- Winner of 43 trophies!
- Top lens » Salvaged Wood for DIY Projects
Explore related pages
- Salvaged Wood for DIY Projects Salvaged Wood for DIY Projects
- Making Album Cover Frames Making Album Cover Frames
- DIY Metal Garden Arbor Plans DIY Metal Garden Arbor Plans
- How To Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades How To Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades
- Energy Saving Tips to Lower Your Heating Bill Energy Saving Tips to Lower Your Heating Bill
- Collecting Lionel Trains Collecting Lionel Trains
American Pickers Guide to Picking
American Pickers Guide to Picking (History Channel)
Amazon Price: $11.84 (as of 06/02/2012)
Random Orbit Sander with Cloth Dust Bag
DEWALT D26451K Corded 3 Amp 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander with Cloth Dust Bag
Amazon Price: $59.00 (as of 06/02/2012)
Everbrite Refinishing Kit
Everbrite Refinishing Kit - Coating to restore color and prevent metal tarnish
Amazon Price: (as of 06/02/2012)
