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He Started A Lawn Furniture Refinishing Business
After retirement, Jim Deardorff switched from sandblasting and painting farm equipment to refinishing metal lawn furniture. He says it’s a low-cost business that almost anyone could start.
“I use a system I perfected for farm machinery to paint antique lawn furniture and collectibles,” says Deardorff. “Every town has homeowners with old metal lawn furniture. My hometown has a population of 10,000, and I never run out of work.”
Deardorff emphasizes the low cost of getting into the business. He has a Deere air compressor that cost about $1,000. Blast media costs him about $20 for a 55-lb. bag. He notes that with a simple containment system around the blasting area, media can be reused as many as 20 times. While he has the professional sandblasting equipment from his previous career, he recommends a small blaster from IBIX priced at $2,560 (www.ibixusa.com; ph 727 322-4611).
“A friend brought over his IBIX EasyBlast 6, and we used it on a wooden desk chair,” says Deardorff. “We used garnet beads that took the finish off but didn’t affect the wood at all.”
Deardorff recommends following his procedure when refinishing metal lawn furniture. “First, I sandblast to remove old paint and rust,” he says. “Second, I apply an extra thick coat of oil-based primer. Third, I top coat the primed metal with an oil-based finish coat with a urethane hardener. Finally, I apply a coat of Permanon, a German nano-coating, for extra protection.”
Deardorff advises his customers to reapply the Permanon yearly to maintain shine and prevent rust. He says it waterproofs paint when used on an annual basis.
“You can buy Dustless Blasting Equipment for $46,000 and get into that business for around $100,000,” says Deardorff. “Or you can do what I’m doing and set up a lawn furniture business for under $5,000.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jim Deardorff, Superior Coatings Co., 205 McCormick St., Chillicothe, Mo. 64601 (ph 660 646-6355; info@classicblast.com; www.classicblast.com).


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2021 - Volume #45, Issue #5