How to paint a rusty outdoor table?

[notsohandy88]

Hi all, I want to paint my metal outdoor setting. The base and chairs are in reasonable nick but the table is rusty. 
I’ve scraped off most of the flaky paint but I’m not sure if I should strip the rest before converting, priming and painting. Should I hit it with the wire brush attachment on my drill?

Or can I simply convert the rusty metal and then prime?

thanks

 

 

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

Hi @notsohandy88,

It's best to knock off as much rust as possible before converting it. Whether that's done with a wire wheel or sanding is fine. Once you've removed the bulk of it, you can convert the remainder, prime and paint. 

To do a thorough job, it might be best to sand back the paint to see if it also has rust beneath it, and I suspect it will. If you don't open those areas up and convert that rust as well, it might eventually deteriorate your new coats of paint.

Remember your PPE, including safety glasses, a face mask, and gloves.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[notsohandy88]

Thanks Mitchell, of course I was hoping you’d tell me to just slap on a bit of converter and I’d be fine. 
it’s a cute setting though, so it’ll be worth spending a bit of time. 
thanks

[MitchellMc]

That's what I would do, @notsohandy88! 😂 However, even though I cut corners on my own projects, I like to provide the correct steps to members to ensure the longevity of the project.

Mitchell