Breathe new life into old gym equipment

Maybe you pulled them from storage in the shed, or perhaps you found a second hand bargain. Whatever the case, rust and flaking paint aren’t just unsightly; it can be hard on the hands too. Let’s fix that up with some hammer finish paint.

Slip on your eye protection and begin with the wire brush. Go over each weight and rough up the surface a little, paying extra attention to any surface rust and loose or flaking paint.

If after this any stubborn rust remains, apply some rust converter to the affected areas and allow that to do its magic for the time recommended on the bottle.

We’re almost at the painting stage now, so give each dumbbell a good clean with a cloth and some wax and grease remover.

Applying the paint

One of the best things about working with hammer finish paint is the ease of application. It won’t show brush strokes and has quite a quick dry time.

Apply your first coat as thin as possible and go back over it lightly to even out the finish. Allow the first coat to touch dry (usually 30-60 minutes) before applying a second coat. If you need a third coat; this should be done within 2 hours.

Wrapping your paint brush in plastic wrap between coats will save the paint from drying out, meaning you don’t have to clean up until the end. When it comes to that; a splash of mineral turpentine in an old can or jar will do the job!