As seen by some on Facebook, I decided to restore my 1920s(?) cast iron directional sign from New Providence Township (present-day Berkeley Heights) NJ. I used a couple of applications of Soy Gel, a lot of scraping, and some sanding before finally painting. Skipping all the interim photos, here's the original then FFWD to painting and done. I'm delighted with the result.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4553/23993244967_3096613a6e_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/CycDPn)1920s NJ Directional Sign (https://flic.kr/p/CycDPn) by chesk (https://www.flickr.com/photos/37685461@N00/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4602/25701863287_662f0c859c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FabLvV)resto_08_lettering (https://flic.kr/p/FabLvV) by chesk (https://www.flickr.com/photos/37685461@N00/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4742/25701862947_15da7596c1_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FabLq4)resto_10_lettering (https://flic.kr/p/FabLq4) by chesk (https://www.flickr.com/photos/37685461@N00/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4695/39677846665_4ee9ddda28_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23scksz)resto_11_pretouchup (https://flic.kr/p/23scksz) by chesk (https://www.flickr.com/photos/37685461@N00/), on Flickr
That looks wonderful! What did you use to sand and scrape?
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 02, 2018, 08:29:15 AM
That looks wonderful! What did you use to sand and scrape?
Thanks. I started with a wire brush before the Soy Gel. I used a small paint scraper and an awl for the scraping. For sanding, I had access to a vibrating (as opposed to rotating) electric sander. I did not sand every last bit of paint residue off, but I made it smooth while being careful not to over sand for fear of blunting the edges of the embossing.
Quote from: spitball on March 02, 2018, 08:37:01 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 02, 2018, 08:29:15 AM
That looks wonderful! What did you use to sand and scrape?
Thanks. I started with a wire brush before the Soy Gel. I used a small paint scraper and an awl for the scraping. For sanding, I had access to a vibrating (as opposed to rotating) electric sander. I did not sand every last bit of paint residue off, but I made it smooth while being careful not to over sand for fear of blunting the edges of the embossing.
Definitely sounds like you had quite a project, but the results are fantastic!
I cannot describe in words how cool that is. :-o :clap:
Thank you very much for your hard work restoring that, and for sharing it with us. :nod: :thumbsup:
That looks like a beautiful sign, and I am glad it is still here with us in a rehabilitated form. You have really made it shine. :clap:
Thank you both for the kind responses. This sign was too far gone, IMO to leave as-is, though I do like to preserve the patina of (reasonably) weathered signs and signals. This was mostly loose chips of lead paint and a very muddied look that was hard to read indoors.