Should I paint old garden tools?

Question

I've got some old tools (shovels and pitchforks) that were my grandparents. The metal parts look like they were painted (a lot has worn off), I want to sharpen them and fix them up following the advice in Rodales Garden Encyclopedia - sand and reseal the handles and all (they're already in OK shape, but I want to keep them for my kids).

But, I'm just wondering if it's a good idea to repaint the bare metal because I think it would make them dull (not to mention leech into the soil).

How could I make them look good either way?

Answer 1

My guess is that painting the metal would not hold up well. Shovels and Pitchforks in use basically will run up against things which cause the paint to chip off fairly quickly. I would just try to clean the rust off. A wire brush or a wire brush wheel would probably work well to clean them up.

As far as the handles, you may want to consider just replacing the handles. Most of the shovels and pitchforks I have seen laying around my grandparents house had a bolt that was used to hold the handle to the metal. I can remember helping my grandpa replace these handles pretty regularly as we broke them over the years.

Answer 2

I'm assuming you want to keep using these tools, and not just clean them up for display. I'd avoid painting them, at least with anything you'd pick up at the local Home Depot. There are, of course, ways of applying paint to metal that are more durable (think of they guys who are painting and repainting cars using professional spray gear), but that's probably not worth the effort here. The best way I've found is just to make sure you clean them up and store them in a place that allows them to dry out and stay dry. I know people who use the oil and sand technique for over-wintering, but I've never had the nerve or space to have a large bucket of sand in my shed. I do sometimes use a little mineral oil and a rag, which probably works almost as well when you're storing tools for a few wet, winter months.

Answer 3

I wouldn't paint, it will scrape off quickly.

Standard advice on preventing rust that I've heard is to take a 5 gallon bucket, fill it with sand, and put a quart of oil in it. When you're done with a tool, shove it in the bucket to give it a coating and it won't rust.

I don't like the idea of petroleum on my food-garden tools, so I'd substitute some kind of veg oil, even at the risk of it becoming rancid over time.

Answer 4

Use wax paper to clean the metal parts. Then you can put furniture paste wax on them to prevent rust.

The handles, if they're not too far gone, can be renewed with boiled linseed oil.

Answer 5

Sure, if you want. Hit them with some rust primer every so often.

Answer 6

More for brush cleaning than tool preservation I wiped some garden tools with Hammerite and was surprised at the improvement in appearance and how long this lasted even with the tools in use.

Note this was definitely not painting the surfaces as Hammerite is intended to be used. Only drying out the brushes that had already been soaked in brush cleaner/thinners.

Both the paint and the the brush cleaner contain some nasty chemicals (at least: Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy, trizinc bis (orthophosphate), 2-butanone oxime, cyclohexanone and n-butyl acetate) but (a) they mostly evaporate very quickly and (b) the quantity used is minuscule - one 'dryish' 1" brush might cover several spades for example. Anyway, I think likely to be much the same for the paint applied (in a thicker coat) to parts at least of some garden tools prior to sale new.