How to repair cast iron bath?

Hi team,

I have a clawfoot cast iron bath tub where the cream paint has peeled off in a section. It was caused by a very slow drip from the tap and developed into a crack and now pieces of paint have come off. The rest of the bath is in excellent condition.

How do I go about repairing and painting this section and ensuring it is watertight? Photo is attached.

Thank you in advance!

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EricL

Hello @Sasha4

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your cast iron bath.

One way to patch the damage on your bath is to use Selleys 50g Knead It Aqua Epoxy Putty. Please note that the epoxy putty cures in an off-white colour and will need to be painted over to match the baths colour. Just be aware that the paint is for cosmetic purposes only and will need to be touched up when it peels or fades away.

The general steps are to sand the sides of the paint damage to level them out. Wipe away all the sanding dust and mix only what you need in your hand. Make sure that the putty is fully activated before pushing it into the damaged section. Flatten it as best you can and feather the edges with your thumb to blend the putty into place. Once the putty cures you can lightly sand the surface to lower its height, wash off the sanding dust before painting over it.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Sasha4

Thanks very much EricL - I'll give that a go.

chtiven

Hello there.

i have the same problem on an old cast iron bath tub that I use as my outdoor bathtub.
Did you try the epoxy resin? Were you happy with it ?
I would love to hear about your experience.

chriscam82

hi Sasha
so good news is its not cracked which is lucky cause cast iron cant be repaired
The coat has just come off, which is not the original coat fro the tub anyways
so the question is how seamless do u want he repair ?

because u wont match the color by doing a patch u would have to resurface the whole tub

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @chtiven. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing bathtubs.

Let me tag @Sasha4 so they are alerted to your question. As @chriscam82 has mentioned, paint flaking away can be resolved by preparing the area and repainting it. I would stay away from fillers unless there is physical damage you're repairing. It would be better to sand and smooth the area, bearing in mind that it is likely lead-based paint and you should wear appropriate PPE, and then re-coating the bath with tub and tile paint.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

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