This is one of those projects that I thought was going to be easy and that I could get done in a weekend or two.  As with many projects, It has taken longer than anticipated, but I wanted to give you an update.

First off, I had the great fortune of finding this antique cast-iron crib.

 

 

I was happy to find it because it had all its pieces and it can be taken apart for traveling.  This is perfect for shows because I can break it down into 5 pieces that are flat and then re-assemble it.  The idea is to use this for displaying my linens and pillows.  The crib is the perfect size for this, and the side rails move up and down – which allows for easy access to the interior.

Now for the update –  first off I had to clean this beast.  Truthfully, it probably had not been cleaned in 50 years.  Ewww.  So each piece had to be washed and scrubbed with a wire brush.  I also used a green scotch bite pad to scrub down each rail. Let me tell you – the residue that was left behind . . .yucky.   At least I knew that my scrubbing and cleaning was working.

Then, after all the pieces were cleaned, I sanded them.  Using 150 grit paper, I went over each metal component and rail to remove any loose paint and just clean it up a bit.  I did not sand all the way down to the metal.  After sanding the metal, I repainted each side.

So here are some photos of the cast iron sides. This photo shows one of the end pieces repainted and the original condition of the unpainted, but clean and sanded, side rails.

 

 

Here are some in progress photos of the rails being painted.

 

 

 

It took three coats of paint to finally get the coverage that it needed.  I laid each of the four sides of the crib down flat on a drop cloth and applied a coat of paint.  I waited for it to dry then I applied another coat. Once the second coat dried, I applied a third coat of paint. Then I flipped each side over and repeated these steps for the unpainted side.

So, you can see why this took more time than anticipated.  I do have a paint sprayer which would have really made the process go faster but alas, I have to work inside. Hello February weather with temperatures in the teens.

The paint sprayer is reserved for outside use when the weather is warmer.

Anyway, I feel so inspired by seeing how a good cleaning and paint is transforming this antique crib.  It’s amazing how it really gives it a new life and makes it shine.

Stop by the blog in a few days and I will post “after” photos with the entire crib re-assembled.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today.  I am always happy to know you all are interested in these projects.