Expert: Anderson's Restorations-Rob Anderson - 5/6/2008

Question
I have an old antique weigh scale my father in law gave to us from his grandfathers farm.  I would like to refinish it and us it as a coffee table.  It is rusted metal all around except for the center piece is wood(metal around the wood) It is very very heavy and solid in good condition.  I am going to refinish it and was wondering about the best way to go about this?  Could you give me some idea's on where to start?

Thanks for your help!

Cathy

Answer
Thanks for your question.
 Sounds like a great project!Coffee table, how cool.
  I would start with the wood part by sanding or stripping till it's where you want it. Then apply two coats of a wipe on poly, satin or gloss. When that has dried,tape it off with masking tape. Then you can start on the metal with wire brushes in a drill or a hand held brush or sandpaper or whatever you need to remove the rust. Once you have it down to bare metal or ready to paint, wipe it down and apply a sandable primer with a rust inhibitor. Once thats done and dry,lightly sand and apply your finish color.You can apply as many coats as needed to get the look you want. The paints are available in spray cans. When all that is done, remove the tape from the wood, light sand and apply 1 or 2 more coats of poly. Then put it in your room and admire it!
 Rob
www.andersonsrestorations.com