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View Full Version : Painting the Outside of a Clawfoot Tub?



Matt Meiser
03-12-2007, 10:20 PM
Almost 2 years ago we bough an antique clawfoot tub for our master bath. We are finally planning to start the remodel and I need to get the tub ready. The inside of the tub is virtually perfect porcelain. The outside is unfinished cast iron. We'd like the outside of the tub white. I'm wondering what would be good to use to paint the outside? In my mind the top choice would be a quality automotive paint or perhaps Rust-O-Leum which would be softer and have a little more "give" when dinged. My plan would be to clean the tub then treat the outside with a phosphoric acid to neutralize the surface rust (typical untreated cast iron, no scale or anything like that.)

Jason Roehl
03-13-2007, 10:01 AM
Matt, I've used this with good success before:

http://www.krudkutter.com/mustrust.asp

As I recall from the smell, it was acidic to some degree, possibly even phosphoric acid-based.

Matt Meiser
03-13-2007, 9:22 PM
Thanks for the link Jason. My dad used to buy some stuff called Metalprep which was phosphoric acid-based. I was going to get some when I repainted my brush hog for the parts I had sandblasted, but found some stuff at Lowes that was phosphoric based and worked great. Lowes sells crud cutter so I'll check for that there too. Any advice on the paint?

Jason Roehl
03-13-2007, 10:25 PM
For the paint, I might be inclined to go for either an epoxy (tough to work with), or I would think that something like an exterior gloss acrylic (with some extra mildecide, good paints already have some). Some possibilities offhand are Sherwin's SuperPaint High Gloss or their MetaLatex (I only am suggesting them because I know their products the best right now). Good moisture resistance, easy to fix, good resistance to hot/cold cycles, too.

Jeffrey Fusaro
03-14-2007, 7:39 AM
matt--

this might be way out of the budget, but have you thought about powder coating?

Matt Meiser
03-14-2007, 8:14 AM
I hadn't thought of powder coating. I know there is a PC place not too far from me so I'll have to give them a call to get an idea on price.

Norm St.Onge
03-14-2007, 10:16 PM
I hadn't thought of powder coating. I know there is a PC place not too far from me so I'll have to give them a call to get an idea on price.

I hope that quote includes moving the tub! I dragged one up a flight of stairs (and then we finished the stairs) and I don't care if I ever have to move that thing again. Told the bride that if we ever get tired of it I'm cutting a hole in the wall and pushing it out - it is NOT going back down the stairs. Ever.

Sorry, can't help you with the finish selection. Ours was in good shape.

-Norm

Matt Meiser
03-14-2007, 10:35 PM
Luckily we have a ranch. With 4 people it is actually pretty easy to lift, and two furniture dollies make moving it around a snap. To get it in the house we'll have to carry it up 2 steps onto the deck and then 1 through a sliding door. From there it can move on the dollies.