How To Clean and Paint Weight Plates That Last Forever 

that is insane!

Dang man how did you find that deal

@@Aidans_Mx Guy’s granddad or dad was cleaning out his garage and shed. His weights have been there forever and they just wanted them gone.

I’m getting 1600 pounds for 500 this Saturday

Whenever someone has good fortune, they often pay a little tax to the lotto companies.

Sorry my friend. I'd never price gouge. Sold a bunch of "extra" stuff last week to help people where I could, and didn't do what others are doing. Good luck!

@East West This is America buddy...home of capitalism. If you want socialism and handouts go back home. People have the FREEDOM to ask whatever the F they want for THEIR property. You can't afford THEIR property don't buy it. What makes you so entitled to think that you can tell them what they wanna ask for THEIR property. Prices are high coz people who can afford it ARE paying whatever the market rate is. Bet you wouldn't be complaining if for some reason there was an oversupply of weights and sellers had to sell for 10cents a pound. Dumbbells aren't masks or medicine or gas or food or anything even remotely "essential" or critical to life. They are recreational sporting goods for crying out loud. Instead, you screwed over your friend by paying him half of market price. Geez what a friend you are. Where's all your outrage when a hospital charges $12000 for 1 quick ER visit, or like $15 for a tylenol pill or $53 for a pair of gloves? Btw I don't need to buy or sell weights, but I can recognize that the marketplace & its pricing is demand & supply based (for NON-essential NON-lifesustaining items).

@Man Man Him ripping off his friend pissed me off tbh. Also, "gouging" refers to essential goods (and is wrong imo). It does NOT refer to recreational stuff, so its incorrect to say that prices are being "gouged". Expecting a seller's listed prices on their property to be lower than market prices is definitely a form of entitlement. Prices are what they are as determined by the free market. Don't bitch and moan about it. Take it or leave it. Also don't screw over your friend

@@thearcher1740 as strongly worded as your reply is, I agree with you. Weights are a luxury and a person with weights can name his price. As the consumer, we don't have to buy, that is our choice.

I just got 460lbs of used plates for .65 a pound! Idk how I stumbled upon such a good deal during this pandemic but I couldn’t pass it up! A little cleaning up, some new paint and they look brand new 👍

Yeah, I've got most of my plates over the years for between $.50/lb and $.70/lb. 100's for that price was just too good to pass up. They'll weigh down my Powertec for now, but get used in the near future.

new Leaf This video is three years ago... good luck with that

I just got almost 250lb for just $30 and I couldn't be more excited 😊

That is killer. I've heard good things about people digging around scrap yards and stuff.

Daaaaammmmnnnnn

Where are you located?

JGBLADES Where are you located? I want some of those plates. I need 45lb plates.

What a steal!

Excellent! Yep, it's not ever a one size fits all approach. Different plates are casted different, painted different, and in various forms of disarray. So you gotta use a little judgement and so what works for you. Sounds like yours are on their way!

That's killer right now. Nicely done.

Charlie MMAFAN thanks man! Yeah, I've done the wire wheel, brushes, etc. Vinegar seemed to be the least amount of physical labor, and the best results. I've tried painting on bars before. Worked for small amounts like handfuls of tens, but with 100lb plates and tons of 45s, it always got weird and never worked as well.

Hi Charlie, quick question! Would I really need to put clear coat at the end (or after the 2nd/3rd coats of paint) or would I need to put clear anti corrosion spray? I heard is optional on both ideas. Reason why I'm asking is I already sprayed two coats of Dulux Enamel Paint over it. I was told Enamel has rust protection.

Damn!!! As long as nothing is pitted, should be good to go!

I mean, cars can be left outside and don't rust. So its certainly doable. They make paint meant for harsh conditions, enamels and stuff. Id take a look at that. Keep in mind, that the metal touching metal of the plate holes, the lips, the fronts and backs... no matter what you paint it with, that is going to wear down. And as it wears down, it rusts. So you are going to have issues, no matter what. You could do what they do with bare barbells. Bring the plates down to bare steel, coat em in oil, and let em patina over time. Just give em a run of oil every now and then, don't scrub them or anything, and they'll get a brown hue to them that should be a natural protector for the plates without you worrying about rust and paint etc.

The center hole DEFINITELY scrapes off. Metal on metal, especially with some gravity added in, is going to do that. I've seen people tape off the hole before to avoid that. Wouldn't bother repainting just that section.

Appreciate it. The paint pens I bought off Amazon. I think in the description there's a link to a written write up, should have more details too. But they are Sharpie Paint Pens.

It won't transfer as long as you give it time to fully cure. In the summer, 48 hours would be solid. In the winter I'd at least double that. Pay attention to the instructions on the can of paint you use around temperatures and overall conditions. Should be good to go

Thank you for the info!

When you say bad, what do you mean? Thin? Chipping? Feel free to send me some pics and I'll help you out... graymatterlifting@gmail.com

Your thinking is pretty spot on. Loose paint will chip and lead to poor results. That said, it really depends on how loose. If we are talking bubbled and falling off daily, you have two options. Attack with a wire wheel on a drill or angle grinder... OR, use a chemical paint remover. I've used the citrus ones before with decent results. Put it on there, let it sit out of the sun for awhile, rinse and repeat as necessary. In my experience, that typically works the best, and has the least amount of effort required. If however it is pretty good only chips occasionally, I'd take a copper metal handle brush and just go over the plates a bit to get anything loose off, wipe them down really well, and then paint.

Joe Gray Thanks for taking the time to respond Joe, appreciate it. I would say the chipping is barely much, just on some minor spots in the weights. I think maybe the chemical stripping might be overkill but I’ll definitely try brushing all them with a copper brush, washing and then trying the paint. Thank you and subscribed!

I have two sets of plates I've refinished that I've kept. These Hundos, and then my daily use plates. The daily use ones show some wear. Regular metal on metal contact, being bumped, dropped, banged, and otherwise used and abused for 5+ years. They are still probably 90% as good as new, but they aren't perfect. The Hundos look almost brand new. They sit a lot since I only bring them out for special occasions. If I was back to square one and had to do it again for both my sets of plates, I wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Choose whatever you want man, they are your plates lol. I've seen a lot of different custom work, from lettering to match IPF specs, to full on plates to match IPF specs, to American flag plates, and more.

You can check the write up here: issuu.com/garagegymlife/docs/spring_2020_first_draft/24 I believe in the video I cover the coats and the pens... I just go by how many I NEED to do. No consistent number. Paint Pens are the Sharpie pens.

I've never done that, so I can't fully comment on that. My best guess... No. My plates look great several years in after regular abuse.

Sharpie Paint Pens. If you check the description of this video, should be a link to a full write up that has additional details.

Flakey as in, the old paint is flakey? Or legit the metal itself is flakey? Regardless, anything loose, the paint will adhere to, and then fall off. Not ideal. Let me know which, I can try and give a recommendation

@@GrayMatterLifting I took some pictures if you need a reference. Im not sure if its the actual metal or a coat they were produced in.

@@noledge887 Send them to GrayMatterLifting@Gmail.com I'll take a look.

Nope. Let them bake in the sun when you paint and they should be solid. After use l, metal on metal wears, nothing you can do to be "perfect"... But they'll last a long time with a lot of abuse.

This was the ratio for a big kiddie pool "If using a kiddie pool, fill the kiddie pool up as high as you can. Use one gallon of white vinegar with normal hose water for the rest". In a smaller tub, it's probably 25% vinegar... In the larger tubs you don't have to maintain that 25% ratio...

I've done a few recently in a plastic kiddie pool, and do about half a bottle of vinegar, rest water. So its way less than 50/50, 25/75 is closer.

The flash rust isn't an issue, assuming you plan to paint. If you don't, you need to oil. Don't be afraid to paint over a little bit of rust. What we don't want is to paint on anything that falls off easily. Then the paint will chip, and you have issues.

I've done a few larger mixes... in one of those small blue kiddie pools, I used a full bottle of vinegar. In a smaller batch like this, maybe half or a quarter bottle. And thats a gallon bottle. If you are a little heavy or light, its not likely gonna be a huge deal, especially if you are leaving them overnight.

I did not. I bought these way before COVID and it's only me and my family using them. It would probably depend on what you are wiping with. If it's an alcohol wipe, it'll likely bleed unless you wiped em down then immediately wiped em down with a towel to get it off...

That said... You really shouldn't be handling the lettering, right? Just the lips and holes of the plates?

Any chance you are part of the Vintage Weights group on Facebook? They'll have your answer

That's awesome! Mine after regular use just have some spots that have worn down with metal on metal contact. Otherwise, they are fantastic

Overnight

Muscle Motivation some guy near my house was getting rid of a bunch of random equipment. He had hundos and he had some 140lb dumbbells, and then a trailer full of old tv's, etc. Not sure what he was doing, but it worked for me.

Feel free to link it (or I'll add it to the description) when we get it

Joe Gray it’s available now. I will text you the link.

Yes... I have some notes in the description, but for a kiddie pool I did 1 bottle of the gallon vinegar to the rest water. For a smaller bucket like this, maybe 25% vinegar. It doesn't have to be too accurate. And yes, you could reuse.

Trevor Crane thanks! Yeah. Th sheen seems to go away a bit after some use. Especially chalk.

Roy Stephens I redid about 800lbs of plates with a corded drill and wire wheel. That took me months of combined weekends to get through. While I would have needed a lot of bins and vinegar, I still think it would have been worth it lol. This was the easiest, cleanest, simplest solution, and it worked amazingly well.

Gray Matter Lifting I'm going to have to try it. I like the red and white paint too. That adds a nice touch.

Yes. You can either tape off the hole and just wipe down with 3-in-1 oil, or deal with the paint chips for a few uses (it comes off fairly quick).

The inside of the hole, yes. Not much you can do with metal on metal. Good news is, just lube it up a bit and they stay rust free. The plates themselves are fine, and no issues with paint rubbing off on my hands or anything like that

Letters are pretty much perfect. No issues since they don't get touched or come in contact with metal, etc.

Called paint pens. From sharpie. Check Amazon or your local hardware store... Should be a link in the description to the written write up that would have links to exact products.

That's a very solid price, especially right now. Well done.

Amazon, home depot, whatever...

Btw sold them for 200

Kali Fortnite yeah man, anything under $.50/lb is typically a screaming deal, considering most used equipment stores do .50-.65/lb .

Nicely done!

Haze s really well. I have about 1k lbs of other plates that I use daily, and after 2.5 years there's very minor wear that could easily be touched up with a foam brush in a few minutes. As long as you take your time and do it correctly, it's a great solution.

The hundos only get dragged out for the big 1rm PR sets... so they basically look brand new. My daily plates look really solid except on the hubs, lips, and backs. So metal on metal contact is where they start to rub down. The lettering looks fantastic, and the majority of the paint is intact

It is a sharpie PAINT PEN. Little different than just a basic sharpie. Works really well.

@@GrayMatterLifting thanks for answering. Where did you bought it?

@@Belkisdecorations www.amazon.com/s?k=sharpie+paint+pen&adgrpid=51489906210&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqYCyuNPQ9QIVvj2tBh0RbQ3wEAAYAiAAEgLaqPD_BwE&hvadid=274696343007&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9032481&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15664572647240068405&hvtargid=kwd-302196748315&hydadcr=15373_9862855&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_854gp07rkg_e

@@GrayMatterLifting you are the men. I click on it and they have metallic and classic. Which one you got?

@@Belkisdecorations almost positive mine was classic. I've seen some guys do some cool stuff with gold lettering though... just depends on the color scheme you want. But mine are the oil based paint pens, classic, red.

Nope! The metal, since it's cast iron, isn't exactly SUPER smooth like other materials. Plus, with the little bit of oxidation that takes place before painting, it seems to add just enough grip for the paint.

@@GrayMatterLifting thank you.

Hundos pop up every now and then in my area. No idea why, and they typically sit for awhile.

I typically use a plastic kids pool now, and it's a full bottle of vinegar, and the rest water. If using smaller containers, aim for maybe 25% vinegar or something like that... You don't need a lot.

Joe Gray cool thanks man! I’ll be starting mine today!

Amazon, Home Depot, Staples....

I would personally choose a Power Rack over most options. So it should be essentially a full rectangle with 4 posts.

Overnight. I typically set it up during the day, let it soak over night, get to it the next day, take step 2...

I'm about 4 years in on my main plates, and where the metal touches metal, you have some chipping and surface rust peaking through. If I either did some touch up, or oiled those spots, I'd be good to go. No way to keep anything you bang up five days a week for years on end in perfect condition. Even the commercial plates so signs of wear and tear. I have restored bars before, but I never paint them. I always 3-in-1 oil them and call em a day.

Now that we’re in this damn quarantine I’m on this video lol my weights are from FB too

You fukin liar.

Not a fucking chance

Gtfaoh lol no way

Lol why would I get on here to lie. Guy was having his shed torn down and was gonna scrap all the weights. Went from bodybuilding to long distance running. I showed up just for the hack squat/ leg press cause that's all he had listed for 100.00. He asked if I wanted some "extra" weights he was gonna scrap. Ended up being a couple grand worth of free shit

When I do a full plastic kiddie bath... It's a gallon of vinegar. In a smaller batch, maybe 25% vinegar. Not too much needed.

Yep! I've seen basic nothing plates go for 2 and 3x retail brand new price.

The hundos specifically look brand new. Since they don't get used daily (maybe weekly?) They get significantly less wear and tear. My full set I refurbed with a similar process still looks solid. Wear and tear starts to show where metal contacts metal (hubs, rims, lips)... But the lettering is perfect, everything else is just slowly getting a dulling patina to it. Most could be brought back to original refurb look with a little wipe down process and some touch up paint. And those have been in use for almost 5 years.

@@GrayMatterLifting That's awesome, thanks! and howmany coats of rustoleum did you use? just one?

@@letrasherfou just one coat.

I typically use a kiddie pool at this point, and I do a gallon bottle and the rest water. For smaller tubs, you could aim for somewhere around 25-50% vinegar...

Appreciate it! Yeah, the white seems to work differently depending on the style of lettering. The fatter lettering it doesn't seem to cover the black as well. Thinner lettering, good to go.

@@GrayMatterLifting dont forget,the genius of having a black base means a black marker can clean your edges and over flow! Thanks again!

@@GrayMatterLifting uploaded a video showing my results bud! @Joe Gray "Olympic Weight Cleaning & Refurbishing "

It is an oil based paint pen

I just finished mine. Sad to say i cannot send it here.

I spent HOURS with the wire wheel. If you are painting, this is so much easier.

I've thought about it before, but I'm not sure its worth it. You'd have to have a REALLY heavy duty clear coat to make a big difference. I've had my main plates for 5 years. They get used daily, sometimes multiple times a day. The only spots with any wear, are where the metal touches other metal. I'm not positive that a clear coat is going to do anything there. The lettering is still perfectly intact, since it doesn't get touched at all. If you do it, let me know how it goes, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it personally.

Are you trying to remove the paint? What is your end goal, to repaint? To leave bare iron?

​@@GrayMatterLifting I want to repaint.

@@stephenmehallow k, the key for repainting is just to get whatever loose crap off first, it doesn't need to be bare steel or anything. So if the paint is on there and solid, leave it and paint over it. If it is loose and flaky, then take a brush to it (something metal) and go at it. If it is kind of bubbly and chipped but won't come off with a brush, you can step it up to a drill or angle grinder with a wire wheel. Essentially, try the least amount of effort necessary, and ramp it up as needed. Paint will adhere to everything. So if that "everything" is well adhered to the plate, you are fine. If it isn't, you are gonna have a bad time.

@@GrayMatterLifting Thanks for the advice. That's the key: least amount of effort...

@@GrayMatterLifting Just finished putting two layers of black on six 45ers and some smaller denominations. They turned out nice and I'm glad I put in the time. One question though... do your plates ' black paint wear slightly around the center ring with each use? I see a little paint rubbing off every time I slide the plates onto a barbell.

Beans you got it! And yeah, I did black for awhile. Once I did the lettering the first time, I never went back to no lettering.

Awesome! Keep me posted.

Back in the early 80s, refineries in the US would often make weights to fill the gap between jobs. So these were likely small batches made for local gyms, without any real intention on being a "brand name"... The refinery did a lot of other stuff, and weights wasn't even listed, so I'm not sure you can find these specific ones.

Thank you

Joe Gray oh also how did you get so lucky finding cheap used weights . I can’t find any after a months search. I’ve been using fb marketplace , let go, offer up , and Craigslist

@@_jonathanguerrero right now is a terrible time to find stuff. Pair COVID-19 with new year's resolutions, and it's nasty. In a few months the markets should be flooded

Joe Gray I’m a powerlifting trying to get my gains up. In what time frame do you give for plates being available. I feel like I’m getting weaker

Jon Weber thanks! I can't comment on how long they NEED to soak. but mine was overnight. I only did that, because I got them in the bath at about 6pm and didn't feel like getting dirty again after dinner lol. If you try a few hours, let me know how it works.

I've never done more than one coat, and never done a clear coat. My plates are good to go after years of use.

@@GrayMatterLifting Ok thanks so much for the quick reply. Cos with this pandemic lockdown going on, we're really trying to be on a budget here & we can't keep going hardware stores day after day with police stopping us. Thanks again. Stay safe

@@mr8883 you got it.

Not sure what you mean?

@@GrayMatterLifting hey, thanks for the quick reply. What I meant is, the beating the plates may receive, eg. dropping on the ground. Would the paint come off easily?

@@GrayMatterLifting how did your paint job hold up to the constant picking up and resting down.

@@tdk3713 I don't set them down on concrete, they rest on weight pegs in various fashion. If you had to lay them down regularly on an abrasive material like concrete, im sure the paint would wear down, makes sense. For mine, they basically look brand new, outside of a little fading from oxidation and time.

@@GrayMatterLifting okay thank you. I thought so as well.

Fantastic! Are the plates in good condition? I've seen some of those "please come take these quick" sales... fantastic way to get a good deal.

@@GrayMatterLifting They are in good physical condition. Some bonehead had painted one side of them orange for some reason. Probably good because it kept the rust away. I was planning to paint them anyway so I didn’t care. I do some metal working and have a large, cabinet sandblaster. I can make short work of that orange paint. I’m still just ecstatic about such a great deal. The bars were not even in the pics and were a complete surprise.

@@prestonkd SAAWEEEEET!!!

Nice! That's a good deal in normal times!

Thanks man! Appreciate it.

Awesome find! Let me know how it goes.

Google "sharpie paint pens" and you should see them. I believe I linked them in the article in the description.

Thanks for the quick reply !

The hundos aren't daily drivers, so they look basically brand new. I have some plates I did in almost the exact same fashion that get used daily, and the metal on metal contact areas rubs down (hub, lip, backing)... but the rest, including the letters, is solid

@@GrayMatterLifting awesome. Thanks for the reply. I will be subbing

There's a certain beauty to the patina, old, beat up look.

Thanks boss. Fairly easy process, just a little time intensive if you are doing a LOT of plates. That said, still the best and fastest process I've done.

That's solid! Nice work.

Nice score! Let me know how it goes.

OUCH!

Get rekt I got 800lbs of barbell Olympic weights like 5 pairs of 45lbs and other miscellaneous sizes such as 35,25,22,10,5,2.5 for 150 and the squat rack I got for 90 bucks not a half rack with big safety bars

vengeance11c thanks man. Let me know how it goes!

Ha! That was in the height of the California drought. Since then we've redone the entire backyard and it looks much better... no paint needed lol

If you do it, let me know how it turns out.

I don't use the Hundos regularly, so they look brand new. My main plates which are probably 4 years or so post refurb... Anywhere you have metal that touches metal, so the rims and hubs, the paint is wearing. The lettering and anything that doesn't get touched is basically brand new. There is some oxidation/build up that could probably be wiped clean fairly easily that comes from years of being used in a garage that is exposed to the elements, chalk, sweat, etc. I personally wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I had to start over.

@@GrayMatterLifting Appreciate it brother! Nice job on the weights and the video!

I didn't do an exact measure. But Id say roughly 25% vinegar.

Billiard are older plates, typically. Some of the old castings weren't done very well and tolerances were pretty shabby. There are some older Yorks that are just straight garbage.

Micah C thanks! Any questions let me know. I continue to "perfect" the process.

Nice! If you are looking for some good deals on plates, Freedom Fitness has some great ones going on for Black Friday. Close to $1/lb.

You got it. Any questions, feel free to ask.

Ha! Yeah, the splash of color just POPS!

It really does pop! I can see it it neon blue or green!!!!

Flat black. I've used satin before as well. Just depends how much shine you want.

How do you figure? Paint in itself is anti-rust. A clear coat is literally just another layer of paint. No different than if I did two layers of black. My main plates I refurbed over 5 years ago and they are still good to go. A little wear and tear where you have metal on metal contact, but that is it. A clear coat wouldn't do jack to defend against that.

@@GrayMatterLifting Clear coat isnt the same thing as paint. It does a better a job of sealing and provides a clear layer of protection and seal over the paint. Simply doing two layers of paint is just adding second layer of the same chemical with nothing over that to protect it from the elements. Leave your weights outside and Im sure they'll rust up or begin to get beat up. I guess if you have "rust proof" paint and arent really exposing your weights to the elements, shouldn't be a big deal. But adding a clear coat to cars aint just for looks.

@@BratvaTV comparing a car that spends most of its time outside in varying weather throughout the year. To a weight plate that likely stays inside all but fractions of a time, makes zero sense. Might as well have asked me if I put mustard on these plates, because they make sandwiches taste better.

@@GrayMatterLifting lol.. did I know these weights were going inside? We keep our out in the backyard. Just lettng people out there know that just spraying them with paint aint gonna protect them for shit if theyre gonna be kept outside. And throwing a second coat of paint aint adding much protection. lol but relax,. youre painting weights, who gives a shit. and this is a two year old post. do like most youtubers and just ignore comments.

That is KILLER! If you are on instagram or anything, let me know, would love to see how they turn out afterwards.

Yep! I've been lucky a few times.

@@GrayMatterLifting please grant me some of that luck cuz man I need it😰😂

@@professional_larper lol...