restoring an old cage I got for free.

Blue_star

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Dec 16, 2011
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I am restoring an old cage I was given. it has some rust spots but nothing too bad. the worst is on the pan at the very bottom. I have heard that I can use rustolium paint and it be safe for the birds but I wanted a few more opinions first. also does anyone know if I would need to sand it down to bear metal or if I just need to scratch it up some before I paint it?
 

Greenwing

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Mar 8, 2013
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GW , BG , DYH , YN, CAG
If you don't want the rust to come through again you need to remove it all..you can buy a small wire wheel that you can put on a drill to make short work of it.. You can then either paint it with bird safe paint , powder coat or leave as is and just rub some cooking oil on it to encapsulate it so it doesn't start to rust again
 
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weco

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Nov 24, 2010
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Years ago, rustoleum paint was made with fish oil, that helped it coat & seal rusted surfaces.....today's product dose not have that ability, so if you want it to stay, the rust needs to be sanded off and a suitable primer used before painting.....

Whenever dealing with rust, think of the rust as your skin that has been sunburned.....your old/burned skin eventually flakes off & is replaced by new skin from underneath.....to get your new paint skin to adhere to the steel underneath the rust, the rust has to be removed or it will keep rusting under any type of paint you use...and flaking off your paint.....

Good luck.....


Sorry GW...looks like I was typing while you were posting.....
 
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Pinkbirdy

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Feb 26, 2013
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macaw,LS2,congo grey,2Blk Hd caiques,Hawkhead,yellowstrk lory,Blue frnt amazon,sun conure ,Yellow sided greencheek ,Goffin ,Rosebreasted Cockatoo,Greenwing Macaw,Blue and Gold Macaw,Nanday conure,Ecle
I did just that for the cage I got my macaw. It worked out great and saved me alot of money.:)
 
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Blue_star

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thanks. thuds cage is the biggest iv ever seen and the last gave it to me. she was going to put it at the street for the garbage to pick up. with a little work it can be good as new. :)
 

ShellyBorg

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Apr 8, 2013
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TAG Spirit,RLA Danny,Senegal Damon, Parrotlet Opal, B&G Paris
I am getting ready to refurbished a cage to. Post before and after pictures please.
 

WeimerHeimer

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Sep 11, 2012
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Finches, Conures, Amazon Parrots, Cockatoos, & Macaws
If the tray is too far gone and/or you just get into too much work to restore the tray, google "sheet metal fabricators" in your area where you live. These guys can whip up a tray in no time. You can even elect to go stainless steel, it will NEVER rust. Then, you have a FRESH rust free tray to start with whether you decide to paint it or powder coat it.

If you need powder coating services, google "auto restoration" places or "metal finishing" places.

Good Luck!
 
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Blue_star

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is paint or powder coating either one safer than the other? most importantly I just don't want to hurt the babies.
 

Jtbirds

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Mar 6, 2013
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I'd say powder coat would end up being safe IMO. I just go with powercoates instead of paint because I've heard varying things about paint. Although if you use nontoxic when dry paint it is supposedly ok.
 

ShellyBorg

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Apr 8, 2013
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Redding, CA
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TAG Spirit,RLA Danny,Senegal Damon, Parrotlet Opal, B&G Paris
House hold use spray paint has been safe since 1972. I would not trust a cheap brand. You also have to let it cure for about a week before bringing it in and using it.
 

djdancer

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Jan 7, 2013
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Did anyone ever end up painting the cages? If so, what did you use and did you do the bars too?

I was given another cage because it's very cold in our downstairs at night and so I needed a smaller cage for sleeping upstairs at night and hanging out sometimes in the morning until it warms up downstairs.
 

Greenwing

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Mar 8, 2013
179
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Parrots
GW , BG , DYH , YN, CAG
I restored a cage I picked up.. I washed it and bleached it to remove any germs... Then I used a wire wheel on the rust areas..I then scuffed everything up using a scotchbrite pad.. I was able to get a decent match on a low voc /child safe paint at Homedepot.. and I had a little self etching primer from some other project..

Remember with paint it's always best to use as little as neccessary.. The thicker you put it on the more prone to chipping..

First I primed (dust coat)only the bare metal areas...then I painted.. Two coats on the repairs... And one light coat on the bars... After 24 hours I washed it with mild detergent.(careful not to rub to hard) let it sit in the sun for another day .. Then put it to use... ( bare in mind time it takes to cure paint depends on temp , humidity and thickness of paint) All in all 3 hrs to restore.... A little less than 72hrs to cure..

My macaw used it for 3 month no issues.. Just retired it when I found a bigger new cage on CL..

Hope this helps.. Good luck
 

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