Experiments In Aging: Industrial Casters

Immediately after I bought (and briefly dated) this old chicken coop, I started scouring the internet for some big industrial vintage casters. Let me tell you this, vintage casters are commanding a premium these days… turns out I’m not the first person who tried to turn a chicken coop, old chest, or some pallets into a coffee table.

Fine.

The universe is always trying to make me do it myself. So instead of buying vintage industrial casters at $40 a pop, I bought brand new ones for half the price.

I tested them out on the old and if we’re being completely honest here, still somewhat poop-covered chicken coop.

Two things became immediately obvious. First, my coffee table is going to be awesome. (Picture less poop and all kinds of books stacked inside.) Second, those new casters stand out like a sore thumb. However, if there’s one thing I’m good at after living in a garage for a year, it’s premature aging.

I recommend the kind you can do with spray paint instead of the kind that you do by not sleeping for an extended period of time.

I started by masking off the bracket so the wheels could be painted flat black. (Which I did under the Christmas tree so that it felt like I was making some headway on wrapping presents… which, actually, I may just have come up with the 245th way to use painters tape.)

This was a vast improvement over the bright metal, but the brackets were still looking a little young.

Good thing I was aces at construction-paper crafts when I was a kid.

I started with a light coat of the dull gold. Since this was an experiment I went a little darker on one bracket than the other. I also added some bronze to the one on the left, but both brackets got a dusting of “rust”.

I’m not sure which one I like better. I wish I could get the gold metallic paint without the actual metallic.. it’s got a little more sparkle than I was hoping for. I also considered using the torch to heat up and discolor the bracket metal, but I have no idea where that thing is at right now and if I wait until I find it, this table will enter the no-man’s land of unfinished projects.

Here’s the “darker” version…

And the lighter version…

I may try to do one strictly bronze as well, but either way I’ll be painting the bolts on the brackets flat black as well.

What do you think? Are they looking older than their age?

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Comments

Guerrina

Thursday, 22 December, 2011 at 14:55

Like the darker one better! You could always pick up a can of Oil Rubbed Bronze for the brackets…might look cool, too! Wishing you a joyous Christmas with much chocolate & beverage!

Sarah

Thursday, 22 December, 2011 at 15:02

I like the darker one better as well. They both look great though!

Sarah @ The Ugly Duckling House

Thursday, 22 December, 2011 at 15:12

If you really want that patina look to age them, consider one of those American Accents (Rustoleum) kits you can pick up at a craft store. They have a base spray coat and then you spray this other can on top (while the paint is still wet on the first coat) to age it. They have copper, pewter, and other kit types depending on the look you want.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KEU3BM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=theblogfortaw-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000KEU3BM

jacqui

“However, if there’s one thing I’m good at after living in a garage for a year, it’s premature aging.”

Hilarious!

I second the suggestion of oil rubbed bronze, but I’d only do it sparingly to let the bronze come through a bit. I did this with some light fixtures and the gold coming through worked beautifully to age it.

Kristen

Friday, 23 December, 2011 at 18:56

At the risk of muddling up your choices even more, I would consider going entirely black with the wheels. But given everything you’ve done to date, whatever you choose is going to look fantastic.

Katie in Como

Monday, 26 December, 2011 at 0:55

Love your DIY spirit( and sense of humor…).
They sell “rusting” kits at craft stores you know…it’s basically powdered iron filings in an acrylic base you paint on first, let dry, and then paint on the rusting solution ( some kind of mild acid, like vinegar…comes with the kit). I did this to blend in a new piece of metal I had to add to repair an old bird bath…worked like a charm.