Re painting metal bistro garden set

To be fair I’d take it to a car shop and get it sandblaster back to the metal, possibly not the cheapest way, but it will give you the best finish

I have a set over in France I use a wire brush to get any bits off wipe it all down and then use Hammerite metal paint. It takes time but worth it and look like new.

I too assume it is best to clear all rust and flaky paint off carefully with a wire brush either an old-fashioned one, or an attachtment for an electric screwdriver.

Then paint outside on a dry, windless day, either with car paint or Hammerlite.

If forced to work indoors by rain or cold weather remember to wear a mask that fumes cannot penetrate, and while sanding either indoors or out protective glasses.

There is something very satisfying about bringing life back to old, treasured things. So I hope you won't dispose of your bistro set. Perhaps you would put a photo on Gransnet if you decide to restore it.

I have to tackle a wrought iron fence that separates two parts of our garden when the weather gets better. I’ll go over it with a wire brush and then apply matt hammerite. I don’t like the fence but don’t want to go to the expense of getting a new one fitted. Last time DH did it, it took him days, but he was happy doing that sort of thing.

All good ideas here, I suppose. But if it is intricate metalwork the time, effort and expense… is it really worth it? You’ll be making a mess in the meantime till it’s done.

Unless you do a proper job of removing all old layers first you may not be happy with the patched up job.

We all know nothing in today’s market is built to last like the goods from old days (built like a brick sh!+house, as the saying goes) so if the metalwork is iron and really solid (you can always replace cushions) maybe hanging on to it is the solution. A professional would do it justice and you may have it for years to come.

(Store it or cover it every winter!)

If you fancy sandblasting ask around you never know who has one then all it will cost is the sand
And a bottle of something
We did that then got our own when found how easy it was On stone not tried metal but a chair we found in our undergrowth is waiting for my attention

If you have a karcher that will remove the flaky paint.

Rust remover (I like Rustins) and then hammerite

My daughter in law spray painted a small garden table and chairs so I thought I'd do ours - only our table is considerably larger and has 6 chairs. I spray painted with gusto, then decided to also paint a small garden table and 2 matching chairs. My forefinger was stiff that evening and rather sore. This was pre Covid. My finger is still grossly swollen so I can no longer bend it properly......Spray paint with caution 😬

Agree with Pinkrinse, try a jet washer.
We used a Karcher jet wash on our flaking iron downpipe then coated it with Hammerite.

Very effective though very messy! But mess can be cleared up.