Need to age a wheel barrow for a planter and can’t find one at a yard sale or vintage shop?
Here’s how you do it!
Materials Needed:
Brand-new metal wheelbarrow
Synthetic bristle paintbrush
#80 grit sandpaper or block
Modern Options Primo Primer
Modern Options Iron Metallic Surfacer (dark gray)
Modern Options Iron Metallic Surfacer (rusting solution)
Stripper (for wooden handles)
Gray stain (for handles)
Grinding wheel (to de-nub tire)
McCloskey’s Aging Glaze Asphatum (used to make color uneven)
Gloves
Newpaper (to protect work surface)
Step 1:
Take wheelbarrow apart (remove tire, handlebars, etc.)
Step 2:
Lightly sand metal portion of wheelbarrow. Apply two coats of primer (using a disposable brush).
Step 3:
Apply one coat of the metallic surfacer in dark gray. Let dry 2 hours. Apply a second coat. Let cure for 24 hours. (Don’t forget the tire! Use the grinding wheel to “de-nub” the tire to make it look a little more worn.)
Step 4:
Now it’s time for the rusting solution. Apply a generous coat, using downward strokes. You should see the metal start to “age” within about 10 minutes. For a more rustic look, apply a second “overlap” coat.
Step 5:
If you’d like to age the handles as well, strip the varnish off the wood and stain with a dark gray stainer. Apply aging gel over that.
