Giving Your Metal Stool an Aged Look

Hammer, Nails, and Phillips head Screwdriver (if your stool is brand new)

Newspapers, or Tarp, to protect your work surface

Medium and Fine Grit Sandpaper

Damp Cloth or Paper towels

Small Tote (for carrying all of the supplies)

Metal Spray Sealer (outdoor or all purpose)

Spray Paint enough for the job, and you choice of color

Dust Mask

Paint Scrapper

Old or New Metal Stool

The Protecting You Work Area:

First you will need to set up your work area, make sure this is a place that it protected from the rain, and is a well ventilated area. To set up a good work area you will need a small table or place a large tarp on the ground, to protect the area in which you will be working.

Next, gather up all of the supplies you will need for this project, place all of these items into the small tote making it easier to transport to your work station. Here are the items you will need for the first step of the project, medium grit sandpaper, paint scrapper, hammer, screwdriver, nails,damp cloth, spray paint, dust mask, and metal stool.

Getting Started:

Now that you have your work station all protected and ready to go, let's get started our project. First, with a damp cloth and wipe off the dirt and dust from the metal stool, do this step even if you stool is brand new, let stool dry completely. Next put on your dust mask to protect you lungs from all of the dust in the next step. Take your medium grit sandpaper and start sanding, making sure not to remove any of the paint if this is an old painted stool, just smooth out the ruff edges of the pilling paint. If this is an brand new stool, you will want to remove the shine from the surface.

If this is a brand new metal stool, here is what you need to do before moving on to the next step. Take metal spray primer, with light strokes spray on your first coat of primer, you should see some of the metal showing through your first coat of primer, let this first coat of primer dry completely. After, the first coat of metal primer is fully dry, should not be sticky, when you touch the primer. Next, using the fine grit sandpaper, lightly sand the primer coat, to ruff up the surface. Now wipe with a damp cloth, removing any dust from the sanding process, let the stool completely dry. Next, apply another light coat of primer to the whole stool, even under the seat. Let the freshly primed metal stool dry overnight.

Now, take the hammer, and make small dints, in the seat, legs, and all over the surface, to give it that dinged up look. Using the nail, make scratches, and nicks in the surface, and painted areas. Also with the Phillips head screwdriver and hammer, by carefully hitting the handle, make little X marks with the tip, do not make any holes, we are just marking up the surface deep enough, to see it though the painted layers. By doing all these things it will give your stool that worn out look that we are going for. If your stool has this wonderful character already, you can either skip this step or add a few more dings, this is up to you. Now, with a damp cloth wipe up any dust that you have just created, and let dry completely.

Next, clean up your work area, throw away anything that is not needed for tomorrows part of the project. Go ahead and setup for tomorrows part of the project, in your put these items into your plastic tote, a dry cloth, fine and medium grit sandpaper, dust mask, paint scrapper, spray paint and metal spray sealer, If your work area is not outside go ahead and replace the newspapers, not inside then place a new stack of newspapers, next to your plastic tote, doing all of this now will get you working on your project faster the next day.

Getting That Old Look:

Now, that you have let the primer dry over night, and you have once again protected your work area, you are ready to start adding the old aged look to your metal stool. First put on your dust mask to protect your lungs, grab your fine grit sandpaper, sand the primer coat, this time you will want to sand it until you seen some of the metal from the stool showing through. Now, with a slightly damp cloth wipe off all of the dust from the sanding process, let dry completely, before moving on to the next steps.

After your stool has completely dried, with light strokes apply a solid coat of spray paint, for this project even a few drips running down the legs of your stool is just fine, when you are finished with this coat, let stool dry completely. Now, you will take your paint scrapper, and scrap some or the paint off of the stool to show some of the metal. Next, using both grits of sandpaper, sand down until you start seeing a new colors, if the stool has been painted before, or until you see the primer coat. Now, using an damp cloth remove any dust that has been created.

After the stool has completely dried, apply a thin coat of metal sealer, let dry, lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper, wipe dust off with a damp cloth, let dry completely, before repeating these steps at lease two more times, do not sand on the last coat of metal sealer. After your final coat of metal sealer, let the stool dry for a full twenty-four hours, this will make sure that sealer has enough time to cure before placing it in your home.

Cleaning Up:

Now that you have finished your stool project, you will want to dispose of the primer, paint, and sealer in the proper way for your area, do not just throw these into your trash cans. Clean up your work station and all of your tools, put them away, this will make it easier for you to use them for your next project. Also throw away all of the newspapers, sandpaper, and damp cloths you used for your project.

Ideas on What to do with Your Metal Stool:

Let's have some fun finding that special place for your aged metal stool, if you used and outdoor metal sealer, on your aged stool, you can place your metal stool, on your front porch and use as a plant stand, for your favorite garden flowers. Place the stool in your flower bed, to give a small garden ornament a lift. You can also place your stool in your kitchen to hold a basket of pretty kitchen towels, or pot holders. Place you aged metal stool in that dark corner, to give it that punch of color and life.

From the Author:

I hope you had fun working on this project with me, you can help clean up the land fills by creating something new from some thing old, and for me this is the best part about crafting. You can recycle something while having fun.