My return to blogging is a good one. For as long as I have been working at my current job there was a rusty stand alone ashtray outside. Because you can't smoke anywhere even remotely near a building in Arizona this ashtray had seen its last days. Rust everywhere, twigs, leaves, you name it. I knew that eventually this relic would go to the big dumpster in the sky, but I knew it had such potential!
Take a peek at the lovely before images below.
Fact: This is also what your lungs look like after smoking
Hope you have your tetanus shot!
Yum
When dealing with rusted metal (in this case rust that may have some metal in it) it is easiest to just paint the whole thing with Rustoleum. Rustoleum is amazing stuff really. It is spray paint that magically paints beautifully over rust and also stops it from progressing.You can get it at any hardware store and it comes in all sorts of colors. I went with a leafy green color.
The key to working with rust is that you have to cover all the surfaces well with paint. Any exposed rust will continue to develop and eat away at the metal under the paint. My helpful spray painting tip is keep the can at least a foot away from your project. Any closer and too much paint will dispense and create drips. You will be pretty sad. Be sure to shake the can often. A little shake and spray wrist action also works really well. Do a coat and let it dry before applying additional coats for coverage. Please also work outside or in a well ventilated area and cover your work surface because spray paint does just that- sprays.
After just a little spray paint here is what I got.
Maybe a little better
Fancy
And now to solve the mystery of WHAT I was creating out of this nasty old ashtray...
A Lovely Bird Feeder!
I am happy to report that all the birds in my area really enjoy it. The quail especially love the treats, and I need to refill it every single day. Greedy birds.
