Fireplace advice

I can now give you the benefit of my hard learnt advice.

Here are the two ways you can restore an antique cast iron fireplace.

Method 1:

1 - Appraise the fireplace. Take a good hard look. Image how much better it will look without those 3 layers of black gloss paint on. (remember this stage – we will be going back to it later on)

2 – Purchase a small bottle of Nitromors and a wire brush. Read the label – it says “Will eat through up to 15 layers of paint”. Wow 15 layers! Shame they don’t do an even smaller bottle.

3 – Carefully apply the Nitromors as directed. Pay scant heed to the warning about ventilation and taking a break every few minutes to minimize your contact to the fumes.

4 – Go and lie down in an effort to get rid of the fume related headache.

5 – Inspect the bubbling paint, apply more nitromors.

6 – Whilst excitedly anticipating the shiny metal beneath, use a wire brush to remove the Nitromors/paint goo.

7 – Apply Nitromors to the freshly revealed white gloss paint.

8 - Repeat steps 3 to 7 several times buying an ever larger bottle of Nitromors each time.

Second Weekend.

9 – Go and buy wire brush attachments for your electric drill.

10 – Start wearing down layer 12^* with the different shaped wire brush attachments.
^{*this is the special paint applied in 1967, developed by NASA to be resistant to all paint strippers, especially Nitromors}

11 – Borrow a drill from your neighbour to replace the burnt out one you were using earlier.

12 – Return the neighbour’s now burnt out drill.

Third Weekend

13 – Buy an angle grinder with a wire brush attachment.

14 – Stare in amazement at how quickly the remaining paint comes off.

15 – Buoyed by the success of the angle grinder, apply Nitromors to the bits it was unable to grind.

16 – Without waiting for the Nitromors to dry, use the angle grinder to attack the bits you missed.

17 – Without taking off your underwear, quickly get under the cold shower to wash the now burning Nitromors off you neck, sprayed there by the angle grinder.

Forth Weekend

18 – Re-Appraise the fireplace – it looked better before you started didn’t it.

19 – Paint the fireplace black with a heavy-duty gloss paint.

Method 2:

1 - Remove fireplace
2 - Take fireplace to a fireplace restorer
3 - Collect fireplace
4 - Re-fit fireplace, stand back, admire.

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NEXT WEEK: Living with chemical burns

Written by exmonkey on February 26th, 2005 with 6 comments.
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