If you have trees in your yard or a weathered fence, etc., then I would let it rust - maybe even encourage it.

The texture and color would be very pleasing. Think Corten steel. They are even making planters out of this.

And yes, I realize that Corten is a different steel, but the end results will be very similar.

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Thank you for your suggestion's,
someone told me to ask the guy that is welding it up for me, what to do, he may have the ability to finish it up,. or know a guy that can do it better and cheaper than I.

I would ask around about powder coating. My brother owns a sandblasting shop & does a lot of business with a powder coating shop. Because he sends so much business to them, they will often do "little" jobs for free. They just put the little job in with one of the "big" jobs. My family made 2 custom gates for me so I can enclose the dogs on our back patio & I went with him to the powder coating shop. They asked what color I wanted, I said I am not too picky, just something neutral. He showed me the bronze color they would be doing next & I loved it so I got to watch them do it & they didn't charge anything. If I wanted some crazy, not usual color, I'd have to wait til a big order came in to get it free or I prob would need to pay them.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

I think the Ospho brand of liquid phosphoric acid rust treatment is still available.

All the Ace Hardware stores that I deal with have it on the shelf.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
POR15 is good. It will lose its sheen quickly but if used as a base with a top coat of your choice it should serve well. Powdercoat would be my first option.

POR 15 is great stuff. Brush any loose rust and brush on. Follow the directions and wear gloves.

Loctite sells a product called Extend. It converts any surface rust to a neutral substance and acts like a primer for another sort of topcoat. It must be covered with paint or something or it won't work for very long.

Just clean it up and spray with the "hardhat" type outdoor paint. I had crews maintain metal with the rustoleum product around public pools for years. Far better than powdercoat. Powder chips, you're screwed. Paint, touch it up. The newer kind of magic muriatic pool acid and rinse is a good cleaner. I used the magic acid on green copper pipes sitting next to a 5000 gallon open pool filter pit. Then sprayed with hardhat. No green pipes or rusted hangers for years.

The best way would be to have it galvanized, then paint it yourself. Next best solution would be to have to sand blasted or bead blasted, then painted with epoxy.

Also after blasting it could be spray galvanized with a metal spray gun.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
The best way would be to have it galvanized, then paint it yourself. Next best solution would be to have to sand blasted or bead blasted, then painted with epoxy.

Also after blasting it could be spray galvanized with a metal spray gun.

The are cold galv paints, very zinc rich paints, not truly a galvanizing process. I'm familiar with Z.R.C. brands.