Painting - Clawfoot - paint exterior?

I've hunted through old threads, but haven't found anyone asking *exactly* this question, so sorry if everyone's sick of DIY clawfoot people...

I have an old tub which is in pretty good shape. The inside is fine, and I'm not looking to reglaze it. What I want to do is fix up the outside of the tub, which some moron painted mustard yellow. I've flipped the tub, removed the feet, and started sanding the nasty old junk off--but I want to make sure that I'm doing this properly and don't over- or under-sand. There's a little bit of rust, the yellow, and then a slightly powdery white coating under the yellow. I know I want the thing smooth (I'm going to prime it and then paint with enamel), but at what point of surface removal should I stop?

If it is an original clawfoot tub, it is made of cast iron. There will normally be a quite rough surface on the outside from the casting method used to make it. You may never get it smooth without a heck of a lot of grinding. I would remove the rust area and loose paint, wire brush it, remove any dust and prime and paint. Good luck.

Will do. At this stage of renovation, I know better than to expect perfection. ;)

Sorry I didn't stress this enough before, but while I understand the surface texture issue, I'm still not certain about the rust. How important is it for me to remove all of it? (I'm more used to working with wood--where you definitely get rotted parts all the way out.) I'm going to use a metal primer and an enamel paint; should I also be using something specific to combat the rust if I'm not going to sand it all off?

Thanks.
Kate

A wire brush should remove all the loose stuff. Your metal primer would probably protect and stop the spread of any future damage. Once sealed, moisture will be unable to promote rusting.

You're awesome. Thanks.

I'm going to use a metal primer and an enamel paint;



Make sure it is an oil base primer and finish. There are some latex paints for metal but they are not appropriate in this case.

Per the rust problem, I would consider a rust "converter" product. There are a number of rust treatment products on the market.

I have an antique car and have used "Rass-O-Nil" with some success. However, there may be other products more appropriate for your situation.