cb34
Rear Admiral
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- Oct 31, 2011
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Anyone have any good experience painting aluminum? Looking to paint my gin pole and being told that paint holds up better than powder coat. thanks...
Surface prep with #80 Alum oxide, Alodine, Epoxy primer, Epoxy topcoat.
IMO, paint in some forms is 100% better than powder coat. Once the powder coat begins to peel, and it eventually will, it's game over. You can't repair it. Contrary to popular belief, the ONLY reason powder coating is so popular is because it meets the strict standards for air quality when being applied - no solvents or chemicals go into the atmosphere - so fed and state regulators love it. Personally, I hate it. I once worked for a company that manufactured powder coating equipment. Think they didn't do product testing? It's all wonderful when it's new. Give it a year or two or three. I am not a paint expert so all I can tell you is to use a U.V. resisting paint and a self etching zinc chromate primer. I have had much better luck with a rattle can paint job than powder coat. Hard to believe, I know. Just be sure that whatever paint you choose, it can be repaired from damage if need be. That gin pole can see some abuse if you really use it. I'm sure there will be some good paint suggestions popping up here. Good luck!
My experience with paint of all types is the key to a long lasting finish is surface prep, surface prep and more surface prep. Although if you accidentally spill some of the paint on an area where there's been no surface prep...it's there forever...lol
Alodine, it's flammable and hazardous, it must be good stuff. I have not used either one of these products but they appear to be made to do just what you want to do before painting and after removal of the existing paint and corrosion products. I would sandblast that puppy and use the metal prep and alodine solutions and paint with a two part poly paint.Can you expand on the Alodine step? Im painting a Aluminum Radar mast.
I don't have a sprayer so I'm planning to use brushes and rollers.
Will probably use Inter Lux Perfection, but I'm open to suggestions.