Mild steel tables

njl

Over the years, I've seen a handful of threads here on people welding custom BGE tables from mild steel.  I decided to give it a try and now have this:



I'm trying to decide how to "finish" it. The original plan was to spray it with primer and then spray paint it. A few people have suggested powder coat, but it seems that between the cost of that and the steel, I could have just bought a nice metal table. For those who've done this and painted it themselves, I'm curious exactly what you used and how it's held up. Mine will live under the roof on our screened patio...so it won't get rained on constantly, but it will occasionally, and it's awfully humid out there.

WeberWho

Whatever you decide it's going to be sweet!

SonVolt

I like the look of raw steel that's polished then lacquered. 

njl

SonVolt said:

I like the look of raw steel that's polished then lacquered. 

I thought about leaving it like that, and had read about a product called Penetrol Flood.  I even bought a can of it, but the friend who helped me do this convinced me that it would be an awful lot of work to clean up the steel to the point that it wouldn't look like crap.  I've also read mixed reviews of how well Penetrol holds up outdoors.
I don't want the table to rust, but I don't really want to spend another $400 to have it powder coated.  I'm already close to $250 in materials for the steel, tile, and casters.  

njl

BTW, one of my goals for the table was "no wood" anywhere in it.  The tiles are held up by flat bar.  Here's a pic from a little earlier in the process before I was quite finished with welding and before grinding.

SonVolt

Where do you get something powder coated? An auto-body shop?

njl

SonVolt said:

Where do you get something powder coated? An auto-body shop?

I'm not even sure.  The friend who's shop we built this in knows of two nearby businesses that do powder coating.  He got a price from one, and is about to get a price from the other.

fishlessman

i would wash it down with soap and water, dry it with a leaf blower, wipe it down with alcohol until all dirt/oil is removed, prime and paint it with a rustoleum spray can. pick a color that doesnt show rust.  automotive paints last longer but now you need a spray gun and someone that can paint. powder coating isnt cheap and to get the price down they want alot of pieces

sheetmetalpete

My low cost suggestion is to use automotive spray paint.  You can get 2 stage paint (base & clear) in rattle cans.  Give it a couple good coats of clear.  But first wipe it down with lacquer thinner and a rag.

WeberWho

SonVolt said:

Where do you get something powder coated? An auto-body shop?

You should be able to find a company that works exclusively in powder coating. I'd trust them before finding someone who does it on the side. 

WeberWho

sheetmetalpete said:

My low cost suggestion is to use automotive spray paint.  You can get 2 stage paint (base & clear) in rattle cans.  Give it a couple good coats of clear.  But first wipe it down with lacquer thinner and a rag.

Is 2 stage paint relatively new to the market for a rattle can? I remember my dad mentioning something about it a couple years ago. 

fishlessman

WeberWho said:

sheetmetalpete said:

My low cost suggestion is to use automotive spray paint.  You can get 2 stage paint (base & clear) in rattle cans.  Give it a couple good coats of clear.  But first wipe it down with lacquer thinner and a rag.

Is 2 stage paint relatively new to the market for a rattle can? I remember my dad mentioning something about it a couple years ago. 

touch up cans have been around for a while now

MGStheWolf

I restore old coke machines as a hobby.  I have had a lot of luck finding a powder coat company and offering them cash to just put my items in with a larger batch when they are doing the color you want.  works out well for both of us  

Tspud1

Your size may be an issue for a powder coat line. My bet is running one part will be expensive. Polish down your weld marks and spray primer and than a rustoleum like fishlessman said. There are many colors to choose from. You wont have much cost doing it this way. I made a couple of tables like this but decided to stay away from this
type of build. Good luck

Corv

Eastwood paints makes a two-part epoxy primer that seems pretty tough. Their two-part topcoat seems less so. Both are one-use-only rattlecan paints. You mix the paints and then spray them. Not cheap but a lot cheaper than powder-coat.

Other than that, the Rustoleum line seems decent enough and easy to touch-up. With the two-part rattlecans from Eastwood, you'd need a new can for touch-ups.

nolaegghead

Almost doesn't matter what finish you use if it's designed for outdoor steel applications.  A finish on steel is only as good as the prep and the first coat.

You can get the whole thing abrasive blasted and primed for fairly cheap (at least around here you can).  Then take your time and spray or brush whatever you like on there.

nolaegghead

The other alternative for super-weather resistance is galvanized.  That an be expensive, more you do the cheaper.  However, you can't have any closed in pipe or cavities or it will literally blow up the dip tank.  And they will be total dicks to you if you try to slip something by.

Nothing wrong with just cleaning up the steel yourself from all rust, rust, oil/grease and dirt.  I recommend using a metal prep after cleaning and before painting or a self-etching primer (one made for bare metal).

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/outdoor-projects/how-to/a24028/how-to-paint-bare-metal/

njl

nolaegghead said:

The other alternative for super-weather resistance is galvanized.  That an be expensive, more you do the cheaper.  However, you can't have any closed in pipe or cavities or it will literally blow up the dip tank.  And they will be total dicks to you if you try to slip something by.

Nothing wrong with just cleaning up the steel yourself from all rust, rust, oil/grease and dirt.  I recommend using a metal prep after cleaning and before painting or a self-etching primer (one made for bare metal).

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/outdoor-projects/how-to/a24028/how-to-paint-bare-metal/

Funny thing about your galvanizing warning, my goal with this design was to have no open tubing, so if I were to go that route, I guess I'd have to drill or cut a bunch of holes.

I'd actually found that same article earlier today, and am planning to pick up a few cans of primer, top coat, a can of acetone, some rags, and something to use as a drop cloth.

One other thing I hadn't fully thought through is, this design calls for the egg to sit directly on 3 tube sections.  I know the bottom of the egg can get hot enough to burn wood, so I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy one can of high heat paint, use that on those 3 tubes (skipping them with the primer/filler), and then use primer/filler and top coat on the rest of the table.

nolaegghead

Sounds like a good plan

nolaegghead

Buddy of mine has a metal shop and makes lots of industrial and residential metal projects to custom order.  If there's no paint specified, he sprays everything with a rust-colored primer.  He recommends to everyone to paint it the same color as rust, as the rust stains don't show up and look as bad. White is the worst color.

bobroo

What’s wrong with letting it rust???

njl

bobroo said:

What’s wrong with letting it rust???

Everything.  Would look crappy.  Would eventually weaken it structurally.

fishlessman

njl said:

nolaegghead said:

The other alternative for super-weather resistance is galvanized.  That an be expensive, more you do the cheaper.  However, you can't have any closed in pipe or cavities or it will literally blow up the dip tank.  And they will be total dicks to you if you try to slip something by.

Nothing wrong with just cleaning up the steel yourself from all rust, rust, oil/grease and dirt.  I recommend using a metal prep after cleaning and before painting or a self-etching primer (one made for bare metal).

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/outdoor-projects/how-to/a24028/how-to-paint-bare-metal/

Funny thing about your galvanizing warning, my goal with this design was to have no open tubing, so if I were to go that route, I guess I'd have to drill or cut a bunch of holes.

I'd actually found that same article earlier today, and am planning to pick up a few cans of primer, top coat, a can of acetone, some rags, and something to use as a drop cloth.

One other thing I hadn't fully thought through is, this design calls for the egg to sit directly on 3 tube sections.  I know the bottom of the egg can get hot enough to burn wood, so I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy one can of high heat paint, use that on those 3 tubes (skipping them with the primer/filler), and then use primer/filler and top coat on the rest of the table.

use white rags with the acetone, its amazing how many wipe downs you do before dirt/oil wipes clean with fresh steel.

njl

Here it is, done, just waiting for me to put a LBGE into it.

nolaegghead

nicely done!