Sanding a bathtub. Possible?

[Michael Weber]

We have an old house with an ancient bathtub that is scratched and stained enough to make cleaning it impossible. Could I use my ROS with fine grit paper to smooth the finish? Maybe start at 600 or finer grit on up to micron paper if necessary. I'm not talking about refinishing the tub, just trying to smooth and polish the existing porcelain. Bathroom is in otherwise acceptable condition for now and I would prefer not to have to remove this old and very heavy cast iron tub.

[Dan Hintz]

Be very careful you don't sand through the porcelain finish... but yes, it should be possible. I would still consider the refinishing option over the sanded tub for additional protection.

[Prashun Patel]

Dumb question alert: Is the bathtub painted? And if so, is there a chance that paint is lead-based?

[Michael Weber]

Prashun, it's not painted. But good point.
Dan, I was assuming the sanded porcelain would be more durable than a refinish coating.

[Dan Hintz]

The porcelain will be relatively durable, but as you thin it out it may chip more easily down the road. Because of that, I would feel more comfortable putting a coating over it... but the decision should come down to how you think the tub will be treated over the long haul.

[Jason Roehl]

...and I would prefer not to have to remove this old and very heavy cast iron tub.

You'd be surprised how easy it is to remove an old cast iron tub. A Sawzall and/or a sledgehammer quickly turns them into much more manageable pieces.

[Harold Burrell]

You'd be surprised how easy it is to remove an old cast iron tub. A Sawzall and/or a sledgehammer quickly turns them into much more manageable pieces.

Dude...I like your style.

[Matt Meiser]

When we remodeled our master bath we wanted a clawfoot tub and found a nice one at an antique place that was dirty but cleaned up nice with a lot of scrubbing with cleanser and in some places scotchbrite. However over time it proved to be a cleaning nightmare as the microscopic scratches left by the cleanser would trap dirt. And I think in some places the porcelain was thin/porous enough we were getting some rust under it. After 2 years we broke down and spent big money to buy a brand new one and ended up scrapping the old one. Luckily we "only" has about $150 in it, and swapping out a clawfoot tub is easy other than rounding up 3-4 people to help you carry them! I'd look into professional refinishing or swap it out.

[Jason Roehl]

Dude...I like your style.

Sadly, I've not had the chance to undergo this particular type of therapy. I've only seen someone else's aftermath, and he showed me the tools he used with a grin on his face.

[Frank Drew]

Well, a followup then... does anyone have experience with a professionally re-finished tub, and, if so, are the results reasonably acceptable both in appearance and durability over time? Do you get 75% close to new porcelain? 50%?

[Dan Hintz]

If they remove the faucet/drain so it's strictly the tub they're coating, it will look quite nice and hold up quite well. If they want to spray over the drain, look elsewhere.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

are the results reasonably acceptable both in appearance and durability over time? Do you get 75% close to new porcelain? 50%?

Shines for about a year. Chips very easily. Needs to be resprayed every 3 or 4 years to keep a nice look

[ray hampton]

before you break the tub into small pieces , try to sell the tub to a antique dealer

[Joel Goodman]

I'd like to biggyback on this thread with a related question -- I have a cast iron tub with one chip in the porcelain which doesn't go all the way to the metal but which I'd like to fix. Any ideas as to what might work? Has anyone tried the commercially available products?

[Dan Hintz]

Shines for about a year. Chips very easily. Needs to be resprayed every 3 or 4 years to keep a nice look

That hasn't been my experience, at least so far. My parents had their tub done a good 10 years ago and it still looks shiny, no chips.

[Bill Cunningham]

My wife liked the look, so I bought a nice new fiberglass one.. About $800 plus a tap/handshower unit for $250.. and a drain unit $100 bucks or so.. I wanted a nice power jet tub, but the wife wanted this, so..... I even explained the benefits of therapeutic jets that range from low to 'who needs a man', but nope she wanted a tub that looks like the one she used as a kid in Nova Scotia.

[Kevin Bourque]

Well, a followup then... does anyone have experience with a professionally re-finished tub, and, if so, are the results reasonably acceptable both in appearance and durability over time? Do you get 75% close to new porcelain? 50%?

I did a job recently where the client had the tub "professionally" refinished. When the professional was done the surface was noticeably gritty and it didn't look like porcelain at all, it looked like a lame paint job. All this for $400.

[Kevin Bourque]

she wanted a tub that looks like the one she used as a kid in Nova Scotia.

Those wacky Canadians!!!!.....oh wait, I'm Canadian too:D

[Dan Hintz]

I won't quote you, Bill, for fear the comment would get booted... but your range of benefits cracked me up. :D

[Bill Cunningham]

I won't quote you, Bill, for fear the comment would get booted... but your range of benefits cracked me up. :D

Along with the Tub, I installed an angled corner shower unit. The shower get far more use than the tub. The only time the tub seems to get used is if you get sore, and just want to soak in hot water..I just have trouble getting out of the darn thing..Their slippery, and I'm not nearly as flexible as I used to be.. It sucks to get old!!

[Myk Rian]

Any time you use a grit to clean porcelain, it creates small scratches that will never stay clean. That's why we use a non-grit cleaner on anything porcelain.
Don't even think of using a ROS on it.
Try Bar Keepers Friend liquid on it. Keep the room well ventilated.