My Next Project-Any Ideas?

This is my next project. This is my 100 year old road cart purchased on Ebay. I use it to train in and I have another cart to show in. I have had it for a year and a half and I would really like to get it refinished. It is a solid and sturdy cart for its age. It is hard to find a work cart with the 96" shafts that my horse requires. It also has a really smooth ride because of those big wheels even though they are steel rimmed.

I was thinking of either painting it or sanding it down, staining it, and putting a clear coat on it. If I paint it I would like to paint it a dark green or a burgundy with a gold pinstripe. I am also scared that if I paint it and it looks bad I will have to completely resand it. I am also thinking of the work I will have to get it ready to stain. I have sanded off most of the old red lead based paint with there is still a little left on it. Also I would need to find a paint or clearcoat that is weather proof and I would like the paint to be shinny if that is what I choose.

Another dilema is what to do with the metal on the cart. It is completely surface rusted. Should I try to get the rust off and paint it or just leave it be? I cannot remove any of the pieces as it will never go back together. If I paint the wood I think I need to paint the metal. If I stain and clear coat the wood I don't think the rusted metal would look to bad.

What do you guys think? Do any of you have any experience with cart refinishing?

This is the cart that I get all of those great butt shots out of!

Can't you use a tremclad paint on rusted surfaces. I would just make sure that there were no loose rust particles and paint it with tremclad. It comes in quite a few different colors. As for the wood, go to a home hardware store and see what they suggest for outdoor paint.

Thanks, I will look into the tremclad. I think I have decided to go with a minwax stain in Cherry color and use the protectant for outdoor wood. It is supposed to give uv and rain protection.

Cleaning off surface rust is easy, just spray the area down with a rust remove or similar product and rub the area with a rag to remove the rust.
I think as a 100 year old cart, it would look better stained vs painted.

I much rather paint.

I hate stained vehicles. We have a couple of stained sulkies which are over 100 year old, and even though the wood is much better prepared then my painted ones when they are stained, the painted ones just look so much better IMO.

You will have to post pics of it all reconditioned when your done.