Bar Cart: Part 2 - Painting Prep

I'm pleased to report that progress continues on my bar cart project! Luckily we've had some very nice, calm days lately so I decided to start spray painting. Too bad Bailey, my spray painting buddy, is away for the summer. I'm on my own with this one, although Spouse has a bit more interest than usual in this project since the word "bar" is in the title!

 Aside from taking apart the cart, I've been planning what I want to do with it. I decided to paint the cart to match our other metals using Rust-oleum Metallic spray paint in Oil-Rubbed Bronze. We've used this for other projects around the house with great results.

 With that "big" decision out of the way (whew!) my next task is to find some mod/funky/retro type contact paper to cover the two shelves. I've found several fun patterns online but of course nothing local, so it looks like I'll be ordering it. That makes me a little nervous because there's always a possibility that I won't like it when I see it.

While I'm thinking about color and pattern, I decided to go ahead with the painting. As I took apart the cart, I noticed that two of the screws were missing, so I purchased all new hardware to match -- screws, washers, and nuts. The screws are silver so I'll paint the heads to match the handles.

After disassembling the cart, I sanded it down and washed it again. I wasn't happy with the wheels so I scrubbed them with a Goo Be Gone product and washed them again in Dawn. This time the shop grease came off completely.

Next I taped off the wheels with blue tape. I decided to paint the silver part the same color as the rest of the metal, so I covered up everything else with tape. Good thing I got a new roll because it seemed like I used most of it on the first wheel!

By the time I got to the last wheel, I had figured it out!

At first I thought I'd have to tape off the center part of the trays but then I realized that all of that part will be covered up with contact paper or such, so no additional taping was necessary. Good thing! Taping is NO FUN when you're excited to get to the painting!

I consulted with Spouse about the best way to prop up the handles for painting. I didn't want to place them flat on the floor and have to turn them to paint the other side, because I was afraid that would create a paint line between the two sides. Spouse had the smart idea of propping up the handles against old yard sticks so that I could reach all sides at once. 

Here's a sneak peek of this great idea! Wish I'd thought to put newspapers on the grass. I may or may not have painted blades of grass onto the wheel brackets. :)

 Next post: Spray painting!