I'm trying to refurbish a radiator which is in pretty poor shape. The paint was all cracked and yellowing, and having sanded it, there's rust patches underneath.
It's been painted badly in the past as well, so thick layers of paint have pooled at the bottom and are proving very hard to remove with sandpaper. I've already used several applications of paint stripping gel, which also no longer appears to be having much of an effect.
1) How can I tidy this up to get a nice smooth finish?
As I say, sandpaper is proving hard. Is there some way I can more easily remove or smooth off the remaining paint, especially in the awkward fiddly areas?
2) I have some anti-rust primer – will that be OK to use over existing rust?
Here's what I have:
Can I just use 1 coat of the primer, followed by 1 coat of the Hammerite on existing rust as in the pictures?
Thanks!
Best Answer
I have used a wire-wheel on an electric drill to remove loose paint and rust from a radiator. It can be hard work but you can get down to bright clean steel using those tools. Your case looks extreme but I would try that to judge the effectiveness.
I would aim to remove all traces of rust. If there is too much rust for this to be practical, that might be a sign that it would be better to replace the radiator.
I note that many "Hammerite" products are designed to be painted onto rusty surfaces - I'd check the information on the tin.
I used aerosol cans of radiator primer and top-coat.