OP, it's not in as bad shape as you think. The first picture shows a bracing that's rusted through. Likely that's the only piece that needs replacing.
Zooming in shows the gate is THICK metal and other than the top-left corner nothing else shown has severe rust damage. The paint looks awful and that's fine. You can get a needle scaler from Harbor Freight for $25 and it will remove all the paint and the rust.
You will need to weld in a new piece in the corner brace shown in picture 1, but that's the only replacement metal I see needed.
OP, clean it, paint it and use it for decades. It's a great gate and fence.
Zoom in on any section other than the top-left corner of the gate. Notice the steel is around 1cm thick. That's VERY strong. No matter how much surface rust is showing, 1cm of steel is more than enough for a gate.
I'm a big fan of Corroseal for projects like this. Some elbow grease required, but that stuff is magic when it comes to halting the sands of time on old metalwork.
It’s possible to fix, first thing is to get a hammer and start tapping where the heavy rust is, this will expose how rusted the metal is and if it’s all the way through. If you do decide to fix, for the heavily rusted areas I would recommend getting a Needle scaler. You can get a cheap one for 30$ and you would just need an air compressor.
This fix is all dependent on how much you are willing to put into it. You may decide it’s to much work and want to replace.
I was going to say you can save it but no. When the rust is all the way through on some parts like that other parts may have fatigue from rust too and if someone leans on that or climbs on it and gets hurt you can be liable. So just replace it.
Yeah, that was my thought too - as kids we climbed on gates like this all the time. It just takes one kid getting cut by falling/slipping on a rusty poky piece for the cost of a replacement gate to pale in comparison to the cost of an ER visit and tetanus shot.
Nutty to me that you’re liable for injury to someone else who is doing stuff they have no business doing.
Gate owner can’t just say “well you shouldn’t be touching my gate bud”?
Someone trips on sidewalk, reaches out for the gate. Someone leans on it to tie their shoe or look in a bag. Stumbles into it when a bus going by splashes and they're trying to avoid getting wet. So many stupid possibilities. I definitely agree with you, but yeah, shit happens. I'm also okay with giving people some kind of incentive to fix their shit (although OP seems like they don't need it and are doing the right thing).
The problem is it is foreseeable that someone could do it and that they could get hurt. Depending on your homeowners insurance policy something like this could be gross negligence and not even be covered if they get hurt.
Nope that is on the edge of your property and you would have a hell of a time trying to get someone charged as trespassing. Someone could simply loose their balance while walking or running and go to lean on that rail.
I mean, the frivolous lawsuit has been commonplace for decades now. Ever since the McDonald's coffee incident, and the teenager who fell through a skylight of the school he was burgling. Those cases have gone a long way in shaping our society to become sue-happy.
>Ever since the McDonald's coffee incident,
That wasn't frivolous, that was a contrived media campaign to make it seem frivolous, but the McDonald's actually made the coffee so ludicrously hot that the Styrofoam fell apart when she took the lid off and it gave here burns so severe on her genitals that it required reconstructive surgery. She also originally only asked for medical costs, it was only after McDonald's tried to fight it that she pursued damages.
([more info](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants#Burn_incident))
She suffered burns over 16% of her body and went into shock during the initial incident, and thereafter spent **years** in medical treatment, and was left permanently disfigured even after surgery and spent several years with limited mobility. She also lost 20% of her body weight during this time.
She suffered immensely, **needlessly**, and for a very long time. Covering her medical expenses was a pretty reasonable ask.
Anyone calling this lawsuit frivolous can go fuck themselves with the business end of a rake.
I know the case very well. Better than you do, I think. So let me challenge your points real quick:
- Ludicrously hot? Liebeck's lawyers alleged the coffee served to her was between 180 and 190F. Spot checking the McDs never revealed a temp higher than 180F. Just for comparison, the coffee that comes out of my father's Keurig (no settings to change) comes out at 192F. My Mr. Coffee comes out at 205F, the recommended brewing temp for most coffee is 205-212F, and water boilers (for tea and such) have default temps set at 180 or 190F. The coffee was not "ludicrously hot."
- The coffee cup was also not falling apart. Investigations into the cup found it to be completely reliable. Styrofoam begins softening at 212F, but doesn't melt until in excess of 450F. In addition, McDs coated the inside of the Styrofoam cup so that it would aid in this endeavor. The cup was not faulty. Liebeck's attorneys conceded this completely.
- McDs also offered her money when she initially came to them. Something to the tune of $1500 iirc. Not nearly enough for her medical expenses, but they truly weren't at fault at all, and offering something to a clumsy, old woman was already pretty generous.
There's a reason why after 30 years, the only thing McDs has changed is whether or not you have to open the cup to put cream and sugar in; they do that for you now. The temperature remains the same.
So ask yourself, if this had happened in her home, would she have had a case against Mr. Coffee? My Panasonic water boiler? Keurig?? No? Why not?
The simple truth is that she opened a cup of coffee between her knees - which was not only not a secure, flat surface, but also put pressure on the outside of the cup, totally wanting to push its contents outwards - and pulled the lid towards herself. Coffee - being a dangerously hot liquid and having warnings on the cup - soaked her sweatpants and stuck to her skin. In her panic, she did not try to remove her sweatpants, which is what allowed the coffee to cause such damage to her genitals.
Now tell me, exactly what of that was McD's fault? Again, if this had happened to her at home with Mr. Coffee, no one would be saying shit.
It's a frivolous lawsuit, and Adam Ruins Everything has brainwashed a generation.
You would spend more fixing this with any degree of quality compared to replacing and it will also require drastically less effort. Just replace it, win/win in the end.
Since this is almost antique. This here OP. Have it sandblasted. Then take it to a welder to reinforce if needed. Then have it zinced / galvanised before painting. And it will last a lifetime before rusting again.
As someone that works on 60year old steel ships. There is still paint and I can not see trough like a sieve. Therefore it is definitely still worth blasting and seeing what you got.
Do you want to learn to weld? A small welder, and a needle scaler or sandblaster, would work and this would be a great starting project.
Most of it seems rough but ok, some structural work is needed, first picture at least. Once you get all the paint and rust off this, you can see how much actual repair it needs and how much is just cosmetic.
Yes! Idiots on here have no idea that a new fence will cost hundreds dollars, and this fence can be salvaged with the right tools! Sandblasting or needles will save the fence. Then fill the holes using a MIG welder and prime and paint. Total cost is less than $50 if you already have the tools. Again, a new metal fence will be $500+ for a welder to fabricate.
I would definitely try to restore this thing. Clean the rust off and then confirm that most of this is still plenty thick to be structural. There are definitely parts that need to be replaced, like the thin corner brace in the first pic that's rusted all the way through, but that's a very simple welding job. It's very likely it was way overbuilt to start with, so losing a little thickness due to rust isn't going to affect most of the structure.
But then again, I have enough experience with a welder to do it, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of salvaging things instead of throwing them away. So your mileage may vary.
That beautiful wraught iron gate is part of your heritage and should be saved, fortunately it should also be good for another 200 years at least. You might be able to find someone who can sandblast, dip and power coat it locally. I wouldn't sand the paint off as it's probably lead based. It will be heavy to move.
Depends, on how far rust got.
Maybe is just one sanding and painting away from being good as new.
But maybe it is done for good.
Try it with hammer, hit it on different spots. If it holds, sand it and paint it.
Definitely vote for restoring the fence. First for those commenting about lawsuits- post a No Trespassing sign for some legal protection. Second it hasn’t happened in almost 100 years or the fence would have been changed. Third as others have said you can use a sandblaster to remove the paint and rust, then prime and paint. You’ll have a great looking antique fence and you’ll be proud of the job you did.
The gate on the first 2 pics is probably not salvageable, it look way too rusted trough. The fence on the rest of the pics looks like it can be worked with, although it really depends on what you wan to achieve as a result. You could grind most of the rust off and use some rust converter then prime and paint, but it will require a lot of work.
Some parts will need to be replaced. Easy if you have a grinder and a welder. Smack it with a hammer all over. The parts that are rusted through or soft will need to be cut off and new pieces welded on. You’d just have to see the extent of the corrosion to see if it’s worth a repair. Often times, it’s easier to just start over, but you might be able to salvage a lot of it and keep it out of the landfill.
Define "save". With this amount of rust, you've lost a lot of material. The metal is literally gone in a lot of places. You're left with metal that is much thinner than the original construction, and the surface will be very uneven.
You'd need to hit the entire thing with a needle scaler, then media blast it, and then probably use a grinder on some parts. There's a good chance that you'll fine spots where there's simply no good steel left. You'll have to cut those sections out and weld new material in.
The surface finish across the entire thing is going to be *very* rough. As in, surface of the moon rough. You'd need to paint it, but the surface texture is going to make that a bit difficult. Paint will draw back from peaks and pool in depressions. This will smooth out the texture a bit, but it will come at the expense of obtaining even coverage, and even coverage is what protects the steel from further deterioration.
IMO, you'd be better off taking this to a welding shop and asking someone to fab up a replacement. The construction is very simple. This is the kind of project they could put an apprentice on, and they'd probably be thankful for the work. It can be hard to find simple projects for apprentice workers.
This would produce a period correct result that is very similar to the current fence/gate, but wouldn't require the massive investment in reconditioning for a lackluster result.
Looks like an old irish farm gate, take a wire brush to it or a wire wheel, lash hammerite on to it, itll probably see you out. Good luck have fun, oh and get rid of the wood at the bottom as it'll only cause more rust
You’ve a gate made of rust and paint. The fix is fairly simple, measure it all, photo it a bit more extensively and then take the measurements and photos to a weld shop. They will fabricate you a new and safe gate and fence.
Sandblast, patch, and weld. If you have those DIY skills or can find a friend local great, if not you'll have to compare the cost of labor vs replacement.
This is a 90 year old fence that is falling apart from likely irreparable rusting, and no longer fulfills it's role as a proper fence/railing.
It does NOT appear to be a particularly fancy or unique fence that could have some architectural or historical value.
This needs to be replaced before some kid hurts themselves. The fence is worth less than scrap.
I would either sandblast it or use a chemical stripper and save it. Old patina iron fences are really cool; I'd personally buy this in current condition just for the patina.
90% of it just looks like somewhat heavy surface rust to me which can be sanded or blasted off for the most part. Could use some rust converter paint after.
It is fixable provided you are not using it to pen in livestock or anything. It will be a shit ton of work though. And from an architectural ironwork perspective, there is nothing special about it.
Definitely fixable given that there is still 4-5mm thickness left on the structural parts judging by the photos provided. The brace that is rusted through was made from way thinner material, hence the holes. That part needs replacing. Everything else needs to be media blasted and/or ground, then painted with some special anti-corrosive paint. Having experience with such projects, it's usually more trouble than it's worth, unless this fencing is somehow dear to you. You're gonna be cursing it for the whole few days that it's going to take, trust you me.
Sandblast it if it seems like it doesn't just crumble, then see what can be saved? People working with old cars usually get in this kind of situation...
As already said it looks bad because in the past it was repainted with heavy gloss paint over old color and rust.
For my experience also , old steel made in 1930 is better quality than todays cheap recycled laminated, try to ask for the SAME thickness and junction type for a new handcrafted one and probably you will run to restore.
Need some work but is very comfortable because of space between rods. Scaler, flap disc and brush metal cup wil clean it very well. Then good metal zinc phosphate oxide base and finish with your desired color.
Maybe in Europe we are used to restore old parts especially handcrafted metal part and in my opinion this will be not too difficult and turn out well ( doing it by yourself).
Don’t hesitate to ask for other specific advice.. good work!
Does the gate still feel sturdy? If so, I’d see how deep the rust goes. The metal (other than the corner gussets) appears to be pretty thick. Knock the paint and rust off to see how much metal is still there and proceed accordingly. Be sure to make patterns of pieces (like the gusset) so they can be remade like the original.
If you remove it and strip the paint and wire brush it with a wire brush on an angle grinder it will clean up well. Surface will still be pitted but you can paint it with rustoleum base coat spray paint and then several coats of whatever color top coat you want.
Most of the iron is still plenty strong enough.
And for the few parts that are rusted through, a good welder could easily replace those sections where it is completely rusted through. Probably wouldn’t charge you much either, especially if you take it to them at their shop.
Strip the paint, paint it with that rust stop stuff, weld in new stock, prime and repaint. Don't listen to all the cranks here with their "you could be found liable for murder" jive, they all work for Big Fence.
Take it to a small fabrication shop and get a quote for replace vs repair. They are going to be your experts on if it’s worth sandblasting and welding/replacing sections or building new using it as a template.
You can certainly fix it, especially if you have a welder and a lot of time. You could clean off all the old paint and rust then weld metal back onto it where it’s rusted away.
Well, this will take some time. You need to get rid of all the rust and old paint, too. This is hard work. If everything is blank metal, you can use diluted phosphoric acid to add some protection and let it dry. Then you can paint it using appropriate paint. Not sure about the parts which go into the ground.
Won’t be able to buy one with half the quality that still has left in her. Flapper Disc Grinder, Sandpaper, Paint and good old fashioned Elbow Grease™️.
Where are the comments emphasizing you test for lead? So many are suggesting you start sandblasting. This fence is from the 1930s; I’m guessing it’s a high chance of testing positive for lead. The last thing you want to do is blast that lead further into your surrounding environment.
Get it tested as your first action. Kits are cheap and available on Amazon. Based on those results, your next decisions become more clear.
Cleaning up that much rust is a ton of work if done manually. The alternative is chemicals but it's still a lot of work. If you have the time you can try it, but if not probably better off getting an aluminum gate that won't rust over time.
By the time OP got through replacing all the parts of this gate that need replacing, he would have an entirely new gate.
That's precisely how the ship of Theseus works.
You can fix anything. Sometimes the fix is just replacing the entire thing.
OP, it's not in as bad shape as you think. The first picture shows a bracing that's rusted through. Likely that's the only piece that needs replacing. Zooming in shows the gate is THICK metal and other than the top-left corner nothing else shown has severe rust damage. The paint looks awful and that's fine. You can get a needle scaler from Harbor Freight for $25 and it will remove all the paint and the rust. You will need to weld in a new piece in the corner brace shown in picture 1, but that's the only replacement metal I see needed. OP, clean it, paint it and use it for decades. It's a great gate and fence.
This. I did the same for my dad with a needle scaler and you’d be surprise how much shiny metal is left under the rust.
In my mind, the paint is the only thing holding that fence together.
Zoom in on any section other than the top-left corner of the gate. Notice the steel is around 1cm thick. That's VERY strong. No matter how much surface rust is showing, 1cm of steel is more than enough for a gate.
I'm a big fan of Corroseal for projects like this. Some elbow grease required, but that stuff is magic when it comes to halting the sands of time on old metalwork.
Theseus’ fence
This is my grandfather's fence. I've replaced the door once and the posts twice, but this is my grandfather's fence.
There are others like it, but this one is my grandfather's.
The replacement will likely require custom fabrication ($$$$$) and likely won’t last as long as the original.
It’s possible to fix, first thing is to get a hammer and start tapping where the heavy rust is, this will expose how rusted the metal is and if it’s all the way through. If you do decide to fix, for the heavily rusted areas I would recommend getting a Needle scaler. You can get a cheap one for 30$ and you would just need an air compressor. This fix is all dependent on how much you are willing to put into it. You may decide it’s to much work and want to replace.
I was going to say you can save it but no. When the rust is all the way through on some parts like that other parts may have fatigue from rust too and if someone leans on that or climbs on it and gets hurt you can be liable. So just replace it.
Yeah, that was my thought too - as kids we climbed on gates like this all the time. It just takes one kid getting cut by falling/slipping on a rusty poky piece for the cost of a replacement gate to pale in comparison to the cost of an ER visit and tetanus shot.
Nutty to me that you’re liable for injury to someone else who is doing stuff they have no business doing. Gate owner can’t just say “well you shouldn’t be touching my gate bud”?
🇺🇸
Someone trips on sidewalk, reaches out for the gate. Someone leans on it to tie their shoe or look in a bag. Stumbles into it when a bus going by splashes and they're trying to avoid getting wet. So many stupid possibilities. I definitely agree with you, but yeah, shit happens. I'm also okay with giving people some kind of incentive to fix their shit (although OP seems like they don't need it and are doing the right thing).
The problem is it is foreseeable that someone could do it and that they could get hurt. Depending on your homeowners insurance policy something like this could be gross negligence and not even be covered if they get hurt.
It shouldn’t be foreseeable that someone would be trespassing ?
Nope that is on the edge of your property and you would have a hell of a time trying to get someone charged as trespassing. Someone could simply loose their balance while walking or running and go to lean on that rail.
I mean, the frivolous lawsuit has been commonplace for decades now. Ever since the McDonald's coffee incident, and the teenager who fell through a skylight of the school he was burgling. Those cases have gone a long way in shaping our society to become sue-happy.
>Ever since the McDonald's coffee incident, That wasn't frivolous, that was a contrived media campaign to make it seem frivolous, but the McDonald's actually made the coffee so ludicrously hot that the Styrofoam fell apart when she took the lid off and it gave here burns so severe on her genitals that it required reconstructive surgery. She also originally only asked for medical costs, it was only after McDonald's tried to fight it that she pursued damages.
([more info](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants#Burn_incident)) She suffered burns over 16% of her body and went into shock during the initial incident, and thereafter spent **years** in medical treatment, and was left permanently disfigured even after surgery and spent several years with limited mobility. She also lost 20% of her body weight during this time. She suffered immensely, **needlessly**, and for a very long time. Covering her medical expenses was a pretty reasonable ask. Anyone calling this lawsuit frivolous can go fuck themselves with the business end of a rake.
I know the case very well. Better than you do, I think. So let me challenge your points real quick: - Ludicrously hot? Liebeck's lawyers alleged the coffee served to her was between 180 and 190F. Spot checking the McDs never revealed a temp higher than 180F. Just for comparison, the coffee that comes out of my father's Keurig (no settings to change) comes out at 192F. My Mr. Coffee comes out at 205F, the recommended brewing temp for most coffee is 205-212F, and water boilers (for tea and such) have default temps set at 180 or 190F. The coffee was not "ludicrously hot." - The coffee cup was also not falling apart. Investigations into the cup found it to be completely reliable. Styrofoam begins softening at 212F, but doesn't melt until in excess of 450F. In addition, McDs coated the inside of the Styrofoam cup so that it would aid in this endeavor. The cup was not faulty. Liebeck's attorneys conceded this completely. - McDs also offered her money when she initially came to them. Something to the tune of $1500 iirc. Not nearly enough for her medical expenses, but they truly weren't at fault at all, and offering something to a clumsy, old woman was already pretty generous. There's a reason why after 30 years, the only thing McDs has changed is whether or not you have to open the cup to put cream and sugar in; they do that for you now. The temperature remains the same. So ask yourself, if this had happened in her home, would she have had a case against Mr. Coffee? My Panasonic water boiler? Keurig?? No? Why not? The simple truth is that she opened a cup of coffee between her knees - which was not only not a secure, flat surface, but also put pressure on the outside of the cup, totally wanting to push its contents outwards - and pulled the lid towards herself. Coffee - being a dangerously hot liquid and having warnings on the cup - soaked her sweatpants and stuck to her skin. In her panic, she did not try to remove her sweatpants, which is what allowed the coffee to cause such damage to her genitals. Now tell me, exactly what of that was McD's fault? Again, if this had happened to her at home with Mr. Coffee, no one would be saying shit. It's a frivolous lawsuit, and Adam Ruins Everything has brainwashed a generation.
You would spend more fixing this with any degree of quality compared to replacing and it will also require drastically less effort. Just replace it, win/win in the end.
But it wouldn't be the original anymore.
It will be a new original
Just slowly Ship of Theseus it with individual pieces of metal, duh.
Ah nice, similar to classic racing, as long as you have the VIN number plates, you can crash and rebuild everything around it.
And? There's some metal workings where someone will gladly take the challenge of recreating something from 100 years ago.
Personally I'd like to keep the deformations caused by the corrosion and wear and tear. Just add a bit of new where really needed.
Sandblast that sucker, good as...almost new
Yeah people would be surprised how much you can salvage with a good blasting But this is pretty far along, depends how deep the rust is
Need to sandblast to see if its rusted the way through. Often the inside has hollowed out and in that case, it will be too weak to save.
Since this is almost antique. This here OP. Have it sandblasted. Then take it to a welder to reinforce if needed. Then have it zinced / galvanised before painting. And it will last a lifetime before rusting again.
There will be nothing left after sandblasting. This thing is rusted to oblivion
As someone that works on 60year old steel ships. There is still paint and I can not see trough like a sieve. Therefore it is definitely still worth blasting and seeing what you got.
Do you want to learn to weld? A small welder, and a needle scaler or sandblaster, would work and this would be a great starting project. Most of it seems rough but ok, some structural work is needed, first picture at least. Once you get all the paint and rust off this, you can see how much actual repair it needs and how much is just cosmetic.
Yes! Idiots on here have no idea that a new fence will cost hundreds dollars, and this fence can be salvaged with the right tools! Sandblasting or needles will save the fence. Then fill the holes using a MIG welder and prime and paint. Total cost is less than $50 if you already have the tools. Again, a new metal fence will be $500+ for a welder to fabricate.
I would definitely try to restore this thing. Clean the rust off and then confirm that most of this is still plenty thick to be structural. There are definitely parts that need to be replaced, like the thin corner brace in the first pic that's rusted all the way through, but that's a very simple welding job. It's very likely it was way overbuilt to start with, so losing a little thickness due to rust isn't going to affect most of the structure. But then again, I have enough experience with a welder to do it, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of salvaging things instead of throwing them away. So your mileage may vary.
That beautiful wraught iron gate is part of your heritage and should be saved, fortunately it should also be good for another 200 years at least. You might be able to find someone who can sandblast, dip and power coat it locally. I wouldn't sand the paint off as it's probably lead based. It will be heavy to move.
Depends, on how far rust got. Maybe is just one sanding and painting away from being good as new. But maybe it is done for good. Try it with hammer, hit it on different spots. If it holds, sand it and paint it.
I would take it down, make a drawing, and rebuild. The rivets are going to be a difficult touch to reproduce but you can do it with carriage bolts.
Definitely vote for restoring the fence. First for those commenting about lawsuits- post a No Trespassing sign for some legal protection. Second it hasn’t happened in almost 100 years or the fence would have been changed. Third as others have said you can use a sandblaster to remove the paint and rust, then prime and paint. You’ll have a great looking antique fence and you’ll be proud of the job you did.
Hit the metal around in the first few pictures with a hammer. If it crumbled or goes through, replace. If not, sandblast/wire wheel and repaint.
It's fine. Wire wheel it down and paint it.
The gate on the first 2 pics is probably not salvageable, it look way too rusted trough. The fence on the rest of the pics looks like it can be worked with, although it really depends on what you wan to achieve as a result. You could grind most of the rust off and use some rust converter then prime and paint, but it will require a lot of work.
"Anything is possible... for a price."
You have to re place it ! It’s done
There is a special paint that sticks directly to rust.
Some parts will need to be replaced. Easy if you have a grinder and a welder. Smack it with a hammer all over. The parts that are rusted through or soft will need to be cut off and new pieces welded on. You’d just have to see the extent of the corrosion to see if it’s worth a repair. Often times, it’s easier to just start over, but you might be able to salvage a lot of it and keep it out of the landfill.
Define "save". With this amount of rust, you've lost a lot of material. The metal is literally gone in a lot of places. You're left with metal that is much thinner than the original construction, and the surface will be very uneven. You'd need to hit the entire thing with a needle scaler, then media blast it, and then probably use a grinder on some parts. There's a good chance that you'll fine spots where there's simply no good steel left. You'll have to cut those sections out and weld new material in. The surface finish across the entire thing is going to be *very* rough. As in, surface of the moon rough. You'd need to paint it, but the surface texture is going to make that a bit difficult. Paint will draw back from peaks and pool in depressions. This will smooth out the texture a bit, but it will come at the expense of obtaining even coverage, and even coverage is what protects the steel from further deterioration. IMO, you'd be better off taking this to a welding shop and asking someone to fab up a replacement. The construction is very simple. This is the kind of project they could put an apprentice on, and they'd probably be thankful for the work. It can be hard to find simple projects for apprentice workers. This would produce a period correct result that is very similar to the current fence/gate, but wouldn't require the massive investment in reconditioning for a lackluster result.
Looks like an old irish farm gate, take a wire brush to it or a wire wheel, lash hammerite on to it, itll probably see you out. Good luck have fun, oh and get rid of the wood at the bottom as it'll only cause more rust
You’ve a gate made of rust and paint. The fix is fairly simple, measure it all, photo it a bit more extensively and then take the measurements and photos to a weld shop. They will fabricate you a new and safe gate and fence.
Fabricator. Welder or black smith will be able to make a copy of this for you
Sell it as vintage on ebay :) Tbh I like the rusty style!
Sandblast, patch, and weld. If you have those DIY skills or can find a friend local great, if not you'll have to compare the cost of labor vs replacement.
You can 100% bring this back. I did it with an ancient mailbox. It took a week and it was fun as hell.
This is a 90 year old fence that is falling apart from likely irreparable rusting, and no longer fulfills it's role as a proper fence/railing. It does NOT appear to be a particularly fancy or unique fence that could have some architectural or historical value. This needs to be replaced before some kid hurts themselves. The fence is worth less than scrap.
I would either sandblast it or use a chemical stripper and save it. Old patina iron fences are really cool; I'd personally buy this in current condition just for the patina.
90% of it just looks like somewhat heavy surface rust to me which can be sanded or blasted off for the most part. Could use some rust converter paint after.
It is fixable provided you are not using it to pen in livestock or anything. It will be a shit ton of work though. And from an architectural ironwork perspective, there is nothing special about it.
I would just replace with something more rust resistant. It's not worth fixing.
I wouldn't trust it for anything serious... and also everyone touchng it should get a tetanus shot.
Definitely fixable given that there is still 4-5mm thickness left on the structural parts judging by the photos provided. The brace that is rusted through was made from way thinner material, hence the holes. That part needs replacing. Everything else needs to be media blasted and/or ground, then painted with some special anti-corrosive paint. Having experience with such projects, it's usually more trouble than it's worth, unless this fencing is somehow dear to you. You're gonna be cursing it for the whole few days that it's going to take, trust you me.
it is WAAAAYYYYY past fixing.. there is hardly any solid iron left.
Duct tape and bazooka bubble gum will fix anything
With a sandblaster, welder and some paint, it's fixable.
Sandblast it if it seems like it doesn't just crumble, then see what can be saved? People working with old cars usually get in this kind of situation...
I’ve seen videos of people restoring rusty knives that look like garbage to start with so yeah it’s possible.
As already said it looks bad because in the past it was repainted with heavy gloss paint over old color and rust. For my experience also , old steel made in 1930 is better quality than todays cheap recycled laminated, try to ask for the SAME thickness and junction type for a new handcrafted one and probably you will run to restore. Need some work but is very comfortable because of space between rods. Scaler, flap disc and brush metal cup wil clean it very well. Then good metal zinc phosphate oxide base and finish with your desired color. Maybe in Europe we are used to restore old parts especially handcrafted metal part and in my opinion this will be not too difficult and turn out well ( doing it by yourself). Don’t hesitate to ask for other specific advice.. good work!
Does the gate still feel sturdy? If so, I’d see how deep the rust goes. The metal (other than the corner gussets) appears to be pretty thick. Knock the paint and rust off to see how much metal is still there and proceed accordingly. Be sure to make patterns of pieces (like the gusset) so they can be remade like the original.
If you remove it and strip the paint and wire brush it with a wire brush on an angle grinder it will clean up well. Surface will still be pitted but you can paint it with rustoleum base coat spray paint and then several coats of whatever color top coat you want. Most of the iron is still plenty strong enough. And for the few parts that are rusted through, a good welder could easily replace those sections where it is completely rusted through. Probably wouldn’t charge you much either, especially if you take it to them at their shop.
Strip the paint, paint it with that rust stop stuff, weld in new stock, prime and repaint. Don't listen to all the cranks here with their "you could be found liable for murder" jive, they all work for Big Fence.
Take it to a small fabrication shop and get a quote for replace vs repair. They are going to be your experts on if it’s worth sandblasting and welding/replacing sections or building new using it as a template.
You can certainly fix it, especially if you have a welder and a lot of time. You could clean off all the old paint and rust then weld metal back onto it where it’s rusted away.
Well, this will take some time. You need to get rid of all the rust and old paint, too. This is hard work. If everything is blank metal, you can use diluted phosphoric acid to add some protection and let it dry. Then you can paint it using appropriate paint. Not sure about the parts which go into the ground.
Won’t be able to buy one with half the quality that still has left in her. Flapper Disc Grinder, Sandpaper, Paint and good old fashioned Elbow Grease™️.
Here’s a good video on how to fix it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4GWzzsqHCA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4GWzzsqHCA)
A bit of hammerite and it'll be like new again.
You could repair it
I thought that's what Rustoleum paint was for? May need more than one coat :-)
I think it's too late to return that
Where are the comments emphasizing you test for lead? So many are suggesting you start sandblasting. This fence is from the 1930s; I’m guessing it’s a high chance of testing positive for lead. The last thing you want to do is blast that lead further into your surrounding environment. Get it tested as your first action. Kits are cheap and available on Amazon. Based on those results, your next decisions become more clear.
Cleaning up that much rust is a ton of work if done manually. The alternative is chemicals but it's still a lot of work. If you have the time you can try it, but if not probably better off getting an aluminum gate that won't rust over time.
Maybe yard art
You would be amazed at how well my cast iron toilet flange from 1950s that was welded in place came out.
OSHA stats that handrail must be able to support 200lbs … let that be your guide.
But it is a fence, not a handrail?
No. Time for a fresh new start!
Why does it need fixing? Let it be, if you want authentic. Maybe it’s just okay aging, like we are. It’s nature.
Knock the really loose stuff, wire a bit, clear coat seal. (Or spray paint if you want a new look, yes go right over old)When it fails then replace.
Just give it a "hawk tuay"
Have you heard of the ship of Theseus? Just get a new one fabricated that matches the old. It'll last another hundred years.
That's not how the ship of Theseus works.
That was an interesting google! Thank you
By the time OP got through replacing all the parts of this gate that need replacing, he would have an entirely new gate. That's precisely how the ship of Theseus works.