Scavenger Chic

Upcycling a Rusty V8 Hubcap

• By Joan
• July 14, 2017
• 9 Comments

Three years ago I picked up a couple of rusty hubcaps at a yard sale. They were part of a bigger haul which included some of what you see below.

The hubcaps are sitting on the table, but besides those, here is a reminder of some of my flea market flips.

• The table is still a table but it now has a round clock face on top.
• Those hoops on the right are now an orb chandelier.
• The spindles now form the legs of a bed tray.
• The rusty cans in the front…those are actually maple syrup cans…they became lanterns.
• The dartboard, also on the table, now sits inside a reclaimed  pallet wood cabinet.
• On top of the hubcaps sits a wheel.  That wheel and a couple other metal pieces from the same yard sale , are now candlesticks.

If you forgot any of the projects or would like to see how I transformed this rusty junk make sure you click on the links.

I might be missing a project but a lot of the other treasures are my sister’s.

One of the hubcaps was from a Ford V8, circa 1936.

In it’s former life my hubcap may have looked like this.

Mine…not so shiny.

If my hubcap had been in good shape it may have been worth something.  Mine was not in good shape.  There were dents and rust on the outside of the hubcap and rust had totally taken over on the inside.

When I bought the hubcap I envisioned some kind of ceiling light, but once I got it home my vision faded.

So now it’s been three years and I spy this lamp in a local thrift store.  It’s not your normal lamp…it would have held a bowl or dome on top, not a regular shade.

Eureka!  I have a dome, it just happens to be a hubcap.

Now I had to give the hubcap a good cleaning.  My grinder and an Electric Sander did a great job in getting rid of most of the crusty rust on the inside of the hubcap.

The goal was just to get it back to a flat surface for painting.

The black part of the hubcap also had some rusty parts so that had to be sanded down as well.

Taped off the silver part of the hubcap so I could spray the bottom portion with black spray paint.

With a metal drill bit,  I drilled a hole for the lamp nipple.

I was going to spray the inside of the hubcap with some shiny metal spray paint but opted for Rub ‘n Buff Silver Leaf instead.  I’ve used the gold silver leaf on a couple other projects and wanted to try the silver…it did not disappoint.  Just put a little on your finger and rub away.

The top still has a few dents and dings, but we’ll just call that character.

I have one more hubcap to transform and hopefully it won’t take another three years for me to come up with a project.

Have a great weekend.  Stay inspired.

Need more upcycled lamp ideas,  make sure you stop by my gallery of lighting… I’m sure you’ll find your inspiration.

Shared at Salvaged Junk Projects, Metamorphosis Monday,

Wow us Wednesdays, Talk of the Town,

I was featured at

DIY Salvaged Junk,

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