Restoring metal garden furniture this Autumn

At the Summer's end, while it's still warm enough to eat outside, make sure that your old cast iron garden seats and table are still looking their best. Restoring them is easy and a new lick of paint gives you a whole new set of garden furniture to enjoy meals outside during the last of the Summer and early Autumn weather. All you have to do is to check out the items listed below and then follow our instructions. It's sure to stretch out your Summer eating for an extra couple of months!

Step One

Brush over the entire surface of the chairs (and table) using a coarse hand wire brush in order to give the new paint a proper key. Alternatively, if you have a big power tool with large abrasive brush head to do this, it will make the job much faster. This will also help to cause loose paint to flake off, identify any areas of rust around bolts, for example, and allow you to brush away any green moss or mould that has been growing.

Step Two

Next, take the cordless Dremel 8200 multi-tool and attach the SpeedClic mandrel - plus either the fine/medium/coarse Abrasive Buffs (for sanding across a flat surface) or the Detail Abrasive Brushes (which glide over a carved or patterned surface sanding gently). Carefully sand down the surrounding edges of the little chipped areas where paint has flaked off. 

Check for rust, then smooth and clear it using the multi-tool and the aluminium oxide grinding wheel. This will give you a perfectly smooth surface to paint over.

Step Three

Prime the affected areas using a metal paint primer.

Step Four

Paint or spray-paint in a lovely colour - we've chosen a gorgeous teal blue to fit in with the new 'bright' colours trend in the garden this year. Lo and behold, you have a 'new' set of garden chairs and table for your long weekend meals in the mellow Autumn sunshine.

Materials used:

Dremel 8200 cordless multi-tool
SpeedClic mandrel (SC402)
SpeedClic Detail Abrasive Brushes (471S, 472S, 473S)
(or SpeedClic fine/medium/coarse Abrasive Buffs)
Aluminium oxide grinding wheel (541)
Wire brush - or wire brush attachment for drill
Metal paint primer
Metal paint topcoat
Paint brush - or spray paint gun, if you have one

For more information, visit dremel.co.uk.