Weekend Projects 101...

More like 'weekends, weekdays, any chance I get'...rolleyes

We salvaged this mantle from my mother-in-law's music room (Belle Musique), which burned several years ago...minor heat damage, so the only thing to really worry about is the paint - I'm not going to try to get it to any staining stage: the boss wants it painted black...

So - the pic is after about a half hour of scraping, which, with some power and hand sanding, should do the trick....but man! - my carpals are tunneled already...

Any advice, hints, suggestions and/or tips will be appreciated...

...

 

Yeah, if it gets cooler, I might go the chemical route later, but right now, it's too damn hot to wear anything 'cept shorts...hardware store for the phosphate?

Wish I had a sandblasting rig - but I wished for a pony when I was 9, and I didn't get that, either...

 

There are also some chemical strippers that you brush on, leave for a few minutes, then come back with a putty knife.

 

@hrlow2: Yep, there are - I'm probably going to have to do some chem work eventually, anyway - too many nooks and crannies on this thing...

That's a good idea, Halo - seems like there's a guy in town that does cars for a hobby at his heating and air place, might be receptive to a little side job - I'll use that as a last resort...

Thx, guys - keep 'em coming...

 

Ok - here's another one.

We had a small fire in a window box on our deck, which took out one section of banister and left some holes and spots on the floor. I'll replace the railing, no problem, but the damage to the floor is not enough to justify a rebuild. The largest hole is about 1" by 3".

I plan to hit everything with a wire brush before painting, but having trouble deciding how to repair the holes. I don't think Liquid Wood will work in this situation. Any tips will be appreciated.

 

Yeah, I'm tending to agree - cleaning and sanding is probably all I'm going to do with it before painting. We usually put a table and chair in that corner, anyway.

I hate fires - finding myself walking around the place sniffing for smoke.