So, I found this old red watering can the other day. It was just sitting in the back of the shed, covered in cobwebs and dust. Honestly, my first thought was to just toss it in the bin. Looked pretty rough.
The bottom edge was all rusty, you could see the metal was thin there. And the paint, well, most of it was flaking off. Handle felt a bit wobbly too. Just looked neglected, you know? Like something nobody cared about for years.
I was about to head out and buy one of those cheap plastic ones. They’re like five bucks, right? But then I picked this old red one up. Felt solid. Proper metal. Not like the flimsy stuff they sell now. So I thought, okay, let’s give it a shot. See if I can bring it back to life. Waste not, want not, or something like that.
Getting Started
First thing, I took it outside. Needed a good cleaning. Got a bucket of soapy water and a stiff brush. Scrubbed off all the grime and dead spiders. Took a while, but it started looking a bit better already. At least I could see the actual metal underneath the dirt.
Next up was that rust. That was the main problem. Grabbed some sandpaper I had lying around. Started with a coarse grit for the really bad spots on the bottom, then went over it with a finer one to smooth it out a bit. Made a right mess, rust dust everywhere. Had to do the inside edge too.
While sanding, I found a tiny pinhole leak near the seam at the bottom. Great. Didn’t have any fancy welding gear or anything. Rummaged through my box of tricks and found some waterproof sealant, the kind you use for gutters. Figured it was worth a try. Cleaned the spot real good and just put a decent blob of sealant over the hole, inside and out. Smoothed it down best I could. Crossed my fingers it would hold.
Checked the handle again. Found the bolts were just a bit loose. Grabbed a wrench and tightened them up. That was an easy fix, at least.
The Paint Job
Then came the painting. The old red paint was peeling all over. I scraped and sanded off the really loose bits. Didn’t strip it completely bare, though. Honestly, couldn’t be bothered with all that effort. Just wanted it to look half-decent and be protected.
Found a can of red metal paint in the back of the cupboard. Probably years old, leftover from some long-forgotten project. Shook it up really well. Probably should have bought fresh paint, but I just wanted to use what I had. Put on a coat. Let it dry. Looked okay, a bit streaky. So I gave it a second coat the next day. The waiting for paint to dry part is always the most boring, isn’t it?
All Done
And well, that was pretty much it. It’s finished now. It’s not perfect by any means. Still got some dents and bumps. The paint job isn’t factory smooth. But it’s bright red again. And the important thing? It holds water. No leaks from that patch job, surprisingly enough.
Used it yesterday to water the veggies. Felt good. Carrying this solid old thing, something I actually spent time fixing with my own hands. It’s got character, you know? Not like grabbing some plastic thing that’ll probably crack after one season. Makes you think. Everything’s so disposable now. Click, buy, use, throw away. Sometimes just fixing something old, making it useful again… it feels right. Slows you down. Anyway, there it is. My little project with the old red watering can.
