Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipment

CaminoKlng71 · Dec 26, 2013

I'm looking for some advice. I have Picked up a bunch of vintage shop equipment from a friend who's father passed away. This is all from an old Ford Areotech facility that he worked at for quite a few years.
The Workbench and Film Safe appear to have 2 coats of different shades of hammertone on them.
The Shelves and Tanker Desk seem to have original paint and are in better overall condition.
I would like to restore all of these pieces and ideally would like them in a raw steel finish. I haven't done this type of finish before and am looking for some advice.
1. Best method for stripping the old finish (hammertone or paint)?
2. How best to then prep the raw steel?
3. How to seal the metal and prevent rusting?

dr_clyde · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I would look for an industrial stripper. They can remove the finish a lot more efficiently than you could on stuff that big. Usually via chemical bath or a very large abrasive blaster of some sort.

There really isn't a lot of paint removal methods that don't alter the finish of the metal somewhat. If you're really concerned about surface finish, I'd get after it with a DA sander and some progressively fine paper. I did this on a tool box and the metal looked very nice. Kind of a matte, semi shiney finish.

CaminoKlng71 · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

So to keep the raw metal from rusting what do you use to protect it?
I have heard spray on clear coats will work, but also that there are waxes and things that may work better. For example Penetrol I have seen used, however we can't get any of the good stuff in CA, so we have the wimpy version called Floetrol. Would polishing with Floetrol work?

y'sguy · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I'm thinking that if you strip it to bare, it will oxidize even under a clear coat. Sure you could attempt to wax it or oil it. And yes use Penetrol. But it will continue to turn, I think.
If it were me (cause I just did a similar thing to some metal cabinets) I would clean them up with some light sanding and shoot them again with a hammertone finish.
I do have a bare metal steel top workbench and love it. It has lots of patina -but it's surface gets enough use that it seems to stay in good shape. But it's not like that stuff with all the corners and nooks and crannies.

BTW you **** for getting that workbench. It's awesome. If that vise was with then I'm never speaking to you again.

R.Anderson · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

y'sguy said:
BTW you **** for getting that workbench. It's awesome. If that vise was with then I'm never speaking to you again.

nice

----

I like the looks of the bench as it is, but that me

Now why is it just about every part organizers pictured on GJ are missing one or more drawers :headscrat

CaminoKlng71 · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I've thought about painting them again with a vintage looking hammertone, But the bare metal stuff just looks too cool to pass up, at least as a trial run. I think I'll give the Penetrol a try, Floetrol in eco-friendly CA, and see how well it works. if it's a bust I can always paint it later with more minimal prep.

And at the risk of cutting this conversation short...I actually got 2 of them. But when I found out what they were I cleaned one up and told him he should keep it.

OccupantRJ · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

Penetrol is an additive for oil and alkyd paints. Floetrol is an additive for latex paints. Are you saying use these products by themself as a finish?

Richard D · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

Nothing ill keep raw steel from rusting. Except maybe paint.

dr_clyde · Dec 27, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I've put clear over bare steel and it's worked well for preventing rust. Just gotta keep oxygen off it.

bullnerd · Dec 28, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

Wow, that is really cool bench! Congrats!

I think Steevo posted somewhere what he used on his bare steel top.

CaminoKlng71 · Dec 28, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I believe I had seen on a post about tanker desks that Penetrol will protect the raw steel. But I can't find that use listed online, so I wasn't sure how accurate that was, or if maybe I have just mis-understood.
What I'm going for is a finish similar to the one below.

http://www.retro.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/WWE-3-1.jpg

bullnerd · Dec 28, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

BTW...what brand is that work bench?

Found it...not sure if this helps but...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224914

EdT · Dec 28, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I recently repurposed some point of sale counters from OLD NAVY. They were discarded when the store was remodeled. They were, basically, MDF cabinets clad with raw steel panels. They were, for the most part, unmolested CRS surfaces that had clear coat on them. I presume it was just automotive clear coat. It was not fun to remove. Any kind of wax or oil coating will work for a while, but it will fail where you touch it or brush by it and be an ongoing maintenance headache. In addition, you will have to get it all off should you decide to paint or clear coat the surface later. It might be worth a call to the firm that makes the cool retro furniture and see if they'll tell you what they put on it. They must put something on it or it'll rust while you watch. Whatever you choose, I'd sure do a test piece before committing to the whole lot. You will be surprised at how much paint it takes to repaint that kind of stuff.

CaminoKlng71 · Dec 28, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I Haven't found a brand stamp yet, I'm assuming it's under the hammertone somewhere.
Thanks for the link, that is an epic work bench and I found a local ACE Hardware that has that Sheila Shine. I'll give that a shot today.

sberry · Dec 28, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

Sand and paint.

RivennHewn · Dec 28, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

Penetrol is a great product for rust control on unfinished steel.

It is not a 'once and forget it' product, and depending on your environment, you may need to do follow up coats.

http://www.duspec.com/DuSpec2/document/DocumentDisplayController.htm?documentId=664736

You could also just clean it up, and apply a coat over the existing paint.
Makes for a cool, old look.
Takes awhile to dry.

bullnerd · Dec 28, 2013

If anyone recognizes that bench and knows the brand please post it.

CaminoKlng71 · Dec 29, 2013

I stripped the top section today and there was no manufacture stamp. It maybe elsewhere on the unit, but haven't found it yet.
I do know the bench came out of a Ford Areotech facility in Newport/Irvine CA.

CaminoKlng71 · Dec 30, 2013

Re: Restoring My Vintage Steel Shop Equipmet

I like the looks of the bench as it is, but that me Now why is it just about every part organizers pictured on GJ are missing one or more drawers

Yea It's missing a drawer and I have no idea how to go about finding that. I did get some work done on it this weekend. Sanded, primed, and painted. I also came across a button that really sums up the guy who used to work at it. We also found a 3" think 3 ring binder full of photo copies of dirty ******* jokes.

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