How to restore an old painted garden lamp?

[David4321]

Hello Workshop

The old garden lamp (Gas?) was found on the property when purchased.  It has been painted in what is now an old and hardened green paint.  

1) Lamp Post: We have managed to remove some of old paint with Emery Paper/steel wool but have decided to halt this pending restoration advice.

2) Lamp base: This appears to be a much stronger steel.  Drill based soft brushes have managed to remove the green paint cover to expose a reddish undercover.  The brushes and steel wool, with vinegar and salt additave have managed to remove some of this to expose what appears to be a stronger steel.

We thought it best to stop here and get your very experienced restoration advice.

Thank you - David4321

David4321

[Jason]

Looks like a great project @David4321.

Let me tag some helpful members to get the discussion started on how they would tackle the restoration: @Noyade, @AlanM52, @R4addZ and @TedBear.

Jason

[AlanM52]

Hi @David4321,

WOW... what an amazing find!

I am going to 'chicken out' because I don't have the required know-how for something like that.

Our energy retailer is AGL so I did a search and found this.

I also did a 'Australia I want to restore an old gas light' search with plenty of results.

I agree... put a hold on the DIY thing and gather as much info as you can.

I would be looking for a dedicated restoration group or forum.

Did you notice any manufacturer identification likely embossed and maybe inside the base.

I would really like to know who & where that was made.

Cheers

[David4321]

Thank you Alan

My son Chris checked out the base today and found it had turned into a beautiful RUST colour.! When we saw this originally we thought it might even be a copper base but it is steel.  We will revisit and try and find a manufacturer/date.  Interesting what you found!

Refer Pic.

Really appreciate your interest Alan.  Merry Christmas

 Chat later as we progress.

David4321

[SteveC]

Try a sandblasting company. Only problem is it might damage the lamp housing due to thickness.

[EricL]

Hello @David4321 

Have a quick look at this guide - How To Paint Metal. It's a nice simple guide that will let you protect your metal garden lamp. 

Happy Holidays!

Eric

[R4addZ]

Hi @David4321 

Unfortunately that is not a gas lamp and likely never was. There is no valve for turning it off and on and the big giveaway is the electric light "globe" seen in the picture (in my experience a gas mantle does not look like that). The restoration comes down to how far back to the metal you want to take it or that it can take. You can get catalytic rust converters to stop any rust but bear in mind it may also be rusting on the inside.

You will also need an Electrician to make sure it is safe for you to work on as it could be live but with a burnt out "globe". Also to rewire it when you want to put it back into service

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @David4321 

That is a beautiful lamp post I would defiently get a sparky out to have a look at it and also how its actually connected and if its been done properly. Yeah My grandfather use to bury old extension cords (vulcanised rubber back then) directly in the ground so I generally think its wise to find out.

The other thing is I would suggest to wear breathing masks for lead based paint when removing the rest. The age of the lamp post and your description plus how good a nick it is in all lead me to a lead based solid coating.

Would love to see it once you have restored it back to working condion, and yeah I reckon its worth the effort

Dave