How To Paint Cast Iron Furniture

I ran across this old cast iron chair and love seat at a garage sale. Talk about heavy! Wow! It was all I could do to load it up. I wasn't sure how old these pieces were when I bought them, but when I examined the bottoms I saw the makers name. They were made by the Atlanta Stove Works, which went out of business in 1930. They both had some rust, especially the chair, so I bought them pretty reasonably. The chair was $5 and the love seat was a little more.

Here is the bottom of the chair. You can see here how the paint was badly chipping and rust was setting in. I decided to use some elbow grease and a wire brush to knock off the loose stuff. I could have taken the set to a professional sand blaster, but I didn't want to pit the antique iron by doing that. I also could have treated it chemically, but rust removal chemicals can be really harsh to work with.

After brushing like crazy for a while it was time to paint. I wanted a painted finish that I was not going to have to be repainted constantly, so I went with oil based Rust-oleum Rusty Metal Primer and oil based Rust-oleum Semi-Gloss White. I started with 2 coats of primer. I used a very inexpensive "chip brush" that I had lying around.





It was really hot outside the day I started this project. It was around 90 outside. I did that on purpose. Oil based paint typically takes a long time to dry and I wanted a few good hot days to complete this project. I allowed 24 hours between each coat of paint that I applied. So, this was about a 5 day project. Even after 24 hours at 90 degrees the paint is still not what I would call totally cured. Total curing will take several days.






Above is how the furniture looked after the primer coat was applied. Another reason to apply the paint in hot weather is that the paint is a not as thick going on. The thinner paint enables it to seep into all the tiny paint cracks and rusty spots that I couldn't get off with a wire brush.




Here is the chair on top an old table during the painting process. By the way, if you have never used oil-based paint, it is a runny mess at times. I recommend dipping your brush into the can no more than about 1/4" at a time. Less paint on the brush means less runs and drips. You should also keep a rag and some mineral spirits handy to wipe your hands on and for touch ups. Wear clothes you are not afraid to throw away. Oil based paint will not wash out of your good jeans.

Here is the love seat.

My outdoor vignette.

The birdhouse is one I made. I did a post on it a few days ago. Here is the link in case you missed the post.

Birdhouse

Craftswomen and Charity - Give me your input.

2 things seem constant in my life at this particular moment. One is terrific, the other not so good. It has really made think lately about what is really important out there.

The terrific thing I see is that every day when I log on the computer, I am really wowed by the amazing talent you craftswomen have. I get blown away daily by it. There seems to be several of you that really produce excellence in your particular craft. I also see an incredible desire from craftswomen to learn new things. I can't help but be stunned by it all. You should all be very proud.

Now for the bad news. Every time I log onto the computer, I also see the BP oil spill, soldiers fighting, homeless people in our cities, women in shelters....on and on and on. It's pretty awful.

Years ago, I made a kind of a weird promise to myself. I wanted to be able to play a musical instrument. I won't tell you which one. But, I promised myself that if I ever was able to create beautiful music, that I would share my gift and use my talent to help a few charities.

But the music thing never happened for me. Instead I am cursed with this desire to create sawdust. Occasionally though, I use my woodworking talent in the same way that I intended to use music. I belong to a local guild that does a variety of projects for some very needy groups and individuals. The guild has tackled projects like building furniture for women's shelters, wheel chair ramps for shut-ins, cabinets for soup kitchens, and doing educational woodworking seminars for kids and moms. It is a pretty amazing guild, to say the least.

Here is what I would like to know from all of you. Do any of you talented crafters out there use your talent to make the world a better place? Do you quilters ever make blankets for the homeless? Are there any of you that pick up a paint brush to help rejuvenate a neighborhood? Do any of you fabulous cooks ever help feed the hungry?

I am asking this because I have come to realize that blogging craftswomen are a very large and talented group of individuals, who I think could really make a difference out there.

I would like to hear some conversation from all of you regarding the use of your talents for charitable projects. If you have done it, let's hear about it. Tell us all about your project. If it has been something you wanted to do, but haven't done, tell us what you would like to do if you could. Which projects are important to you and why?

I am not sure where I am going with all of this. But, if enough of you out there get involved with commenting on this post I may try to do a link party or some feature posts where you can show off your charitable project. For right now, let's just hear from all of you.

So Why Would A Guy Write A Tool Blog For Women?

That's the question one of my readers asked me. She wanted to know why a guy like me would write a pink blog about women and tools. Well, to answer that I should probably tell you all a little bit about me.....

First of all, I do antique restoration and woodworking for a living. I have been working with my hands for over 3 decades and still enjoy it immensely. During this time, I have learned how to apply just about every finish there is, to cane chair seats, strip furniture, build stained glass windows, rewire lamps, weave rush, carve wood, use a lathe, and, and, and. Let's just say it's a long list at this point and the list gets bigger almost every week, because I love taking on new challenges.

One of the most rewarding things over the years for me has been teaching others how to work with their hands, as well. All anybody had to do was ask my advice and I would jump right in there and lend a hand. It didn't matter what the project was either. Building a deck, or repairing a fine antique, it was all good. So writing a woodworking advice blog actually makes sense for me.

But why for women? I guess that's the real question isn't it? Well, the idea came to me when I was stopped one day in a major home improvement store (again), by a woman who needed help and advice. She couldn't find an employee and I apparently looked like a guy who could answer a question or two. It must have been the sawdust in my hair.

I left the store wondering why once again I had been stopped by a woman who needed project advice. 30 years ago it was a real rarity. But now, it was becoming a common occurrence.

Then it hit me. It was simple. More women ask me for advice, because more women need advice. Here was a case where a woman in a home improvement store really wanted to tackle a project, but needed a guiding hand. In her search of the store, she couldn't find a knowledgeable employee and she somehow found me. Pretty flattering when you think about it.

I went home and did some online research. It seemed to me that there were a ton a woodworking sites out there, but about 99.9% of them were dominated by men who thought they were god's gift to sawdust. I could see instantly how there was probably wayyy too much testosterone in the room for most women to stick around there long.

So, I decided to build a tool and project site for women. No more huge amounts of testosterone. No more pictures of old men with their beer drinking buddies and a chain saw. This was to be a site that women would feel comfortable in. It would answer questions, encourage comments, post tutorials and be somewhat of a meeting place for craftswomen of all kinds. I also wanted to recognize women for some of their great work that I often see out there.

So, that is how Tools Are For Women Too! got it's start about 3 months ago. I hope all of you like it and find it worthwhile. It is a site that is still evolving and I welcome comments. Please let me know if I can help you.

Are You Interested In Guest Posting?

Would you like to be a guest contributor on Tools Are For Women Too! ? If so, contact me. I am currently making room for about a craftswoman guest post per week.

Do you want to show off a tutorial? Do you have a new blog that needs a jump start? Do you just want to share your latest project with Tools Are For Women Too readers and followers?

Whatever the reason is, you may want to get on my contributors list.

Email me at toolsr4women2@gmail.com or leave a comment and let me know what kind of post you would like to write.

I can't wait to hear from you.

Link Party Time - Modern Craftswoman Monday #7

Link party time again! Let's see those fun projects! As usual, just about anything goes, and you can post up to 5 projects again this week.

Last week a bunch of us had quite a discussion about what to do about people who enter their projects and don't link back to the party. I personally hate the idea of deleting entries, but it may come to that. Meanwhile, I am going to try and make it as easy as possible for everyone.

My Really Simple Party Rules......

1.) You must link back to the party somehow. Here is the deal. You can link back any way you want. It doesn't matter to me. It can be by grabbing my button and putting on your blog somewhere. You can put Modern Craftswoman Monday on a blog roll, or list it on a post, or whatever you want. Pretty easy huh,?

By the way, I am here to help. I understand that there are around 100,000 new blogs being started every day, and some of you are new and may not know how to link back. Just let me know you need a guiding hand. Glad to do it.

2.) You must become a follower if you are not one already. Another easy rule.

3.) You must have fun. It's a rule. Enjoy yourself, and take time to visit some of the other projects. Leave a comment or two if you can.

Here is the button if you decide you want to link back that way.

toolsareforwomentoo src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4565738303_c1f085c93f_o.jpg">


<center><a href="http://toolsareforwomentoo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="toolsareforwomentoo" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4565738303_c1f085c93f_o.jpg" /></a></center>Design by Trendy Treehouse

That's it! Now, let's see some projects!

Antique Picture Frame Birdhouse

I have been wanting to build a birdhouse for a while now, and I thought I would share with all of you what I came up with.

As some of you know, I often restore antique picture frames, and I had one sitting around that was in pretty bad shape.

I also had a few pieces of old cedar fence planks and some table legs.

So, I started cutting and nailing. No plans. No real direction. Just wanted to have some fun with this one.

I cut a table leg in half lengthwise to get a pair of columns. The body was made from the cedar fence planks. I made the pitch of the roof with a pair of 45 degree cuts, so that the picture frame molding could be easily used as trim. The perch and the trim across the bottom is also made from picture frame molding.





I decided to do a distressed white wash finish and let some of the gold frame peek through in spots.

By using cedar planks and outdoor grade glue this birdhouse can now be used outside by some lucky bird, or inside as a decor piece.

This was a pretty fun project. I might have to do a few more of these.

Check my Link Party Directory to see which ones I am linking up with today!

How To Finish A Cutting Board

Here is a small cutting board I made out of walnut scraps. It measures 10" x 10" and is over 1.25" thick. It has a little heft to it, which makes it a pleasure to use in the kitchen. Today I am going to tell you how I apply a finish to a cutting board.

Here you see the board sanded down completely with 220 grit sandpaper. I did most of the sanding with a flat sanding block. The flatter your board remains, the better.



Now I am going to show you an old woodworkers trick. I am going to raise the grain back up a little, with a damp paper towel and some water. What you are trying to do in this step is to raise all the wood fibers up evenly. You don't need to soak the wood or paper towel. You just want to dampen it a little.

Let the wood dry completely. The pores of the wood will now be open and free of clogging dust particles. The fibers of the wood will be raised and ready for a second haircut.

Time to sand again. Start off with your 220 grit. Then 320. End with 400.

I always use pure mineral oil on cutting boards. Nothing else works as well. Mineral oil is as food safe as it gets, unlike cooking oils that can turn rancid.

Wipe it down with generous amounts of oil. Let it soak in really well. Wipe off the excess after a couple hours. You want the wood to absorb as much of the mineral oil as possible. Apply a generous second coat and let it soak in overnight. Wipe off the excess again. It should look something like this.

All that is left now is to enjoy a little brie.

Never put a wood cutting board in a dishwasher. Reapply some mineral oil occasionally, as needed. Wash with a little dish soap and running water. Air dry your cutting board by standing it on end if possible. That's all there is to it!

By the way, a good wood cutting board is a real treat to use and is much easier on your knives than plastic. Wood boards also tend to clean easier and better than plastic and wood can also be resurfaced.

While wood requires trees, plastics require landfills. A good wooden board will last many years.

Hope you enjoyed the post.

If you love link parties you can see who I am linking up to by visiting my Link Party Directory. It lists over 100 parties this week.