Treating and old iron bench

[DIY67]

Agree, I did a pair of old rusty drive gates with Aldi metal paint 8 years ago and still good now
Edit: sorry it was Baufix from Lidl

I did see some metal paint in Lidl but it was a spray can so didn't buy it as probably not the type spoken about here.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Agree, I did a pair of old rusty drive gates with Aldi metal paint 8 years ago and still good now
Edit: sorry it was Baufix from Lidl

Sounds like the same (black) paint I used on my own gates, several years ago. It's been absolutely fine, apart going dull, due to UV. It's on both my garden gate, and my two big drive gates, which are galvanised, then originally black painted.

 

[Odds]

mild steel (even with its low carbon content) will still have a higher carbon content and will be stronger but less workable. than wrought iron, I thing wrought iron can have a lot of impurities/slag mixed in with it.

The chances are the decorative finials are wrought iron while the bars used for the seat are cast.