pond rebuild

Almost finished and the plants are doing well. The liner is so much better than the trough. I can see it from my kitchen door and it's adjacent to my little patio. So much joy from a muddy puddle!
I do have a question though. Does anyone know the best way to re-paint my flamingos? Should I sand or just wire brush? Is there really a paint that can be used over rust? They are old and somewhat delicate so I don't want to break them. Still they need some paint and some protection to last a while longer.
C

What are the flamingoes made from- metal? You can repaint with metal paint, but you need to smooth/remove any large flakes- buff with a water type sandpaper grit 400/600 and do the whole bird you intend to paint so the new paint has a surface to stick to. ...
You can use a clear acrylic spray to seal the rust spots before you paint as well.

What is water type sandpaper?

If you check at Home Depot or other hardware stores like Ace even, there is a wettable- reusable sandpaper used for metal. It is very much like an emory board in black feel. The grit 400/600 is very fine and used with running water if you wish.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/9-in-x-11-in-600-Grit-Ultra-Fine-Silicon-Carbide-Sand-paper-5-Sheets-Pack-9084NA-20/203783590/ does that link work?

The newer Rustoleum will prime and paint at the same time. ....and cover rust. I have used it on everything that doesn't run away from me.

Did you do any prep at all? I was thinking of those but haven't used them and wasn't sure how well they adhered to a rusty item.

Depends on if there are any oils in the old paint not allowing them to stick..

I've had good results from Rustoleum's Rust Reformer. Home Depot carries it and I've only seen it in black, but it can be painted over. Rick and I restored some old cast and wrought iron items of my mom's. We used a putty knife, wire brush and sand paper to remove flaked paint and prep the surface. No need to remove the rust, just spray the entire surface with Rust Reformer. We did a cast iron bell over a year ago - no top coat, just the Rust Reformer. It's been in the sun and rain ever since. No rust and no peeling so far. We also used it on an old stove - same method, but covered with a top coat. A year later, it still looks great sitting under my potting shed.

Love your pond!

http://www.rustoleum.com

More information than we could ever need. Love this stuff.

My MIL has big metal (cast iron?) Christmas trees that look similar to your flamingoes. A few years ago she wire brushed them and spray painted, they look great. I say, if they're just going to be outside, it doesn't have to be perfect :)