Painting Steel

[sandra]

Question

In the book you mention a zinc based primer which is not that hard to find.
but for the color you mention a Oil Based Paint.

are you talking a spray can type paint or is this a brush on paint?
can you give an idea of brands of paint to either use or avoid?

Thank you
Sandra

[cncmazing]

I dont have much experience painting metal either. I would like to know as well

[msimpson]

As long as it is oil based it does not matter.

The primer I used was spray based. For the paint I used rustolium and it was brushed based.

Some things to keep in mind.
The longer the paint sets, the harder the finish. The better you clean your steel the better the paint will stick to the steel.

Im not an expert metal painter by no means. The KRMx02 was the firt time I ever painted metal in my life. I just did some research and went for it.

Dont freak out if you nick or chip the paint. It is going to happen. Just touch it up. You should see my litttle demo machine, it is all banged up and chipped after each outing. I just touchup.

[msimpson]

Be sure to check out this video as well
Painting Steel

[alamorobotics]

That is a great video, specially since I'm getting ready to paint my 3x3 angles tomorrow.

I asked for a Zinc based primer at Home Depot and they showed me "Cold Galvanizing Compound" from Rust-Oleum which make sense so I bought a couple of cans. The can is very heavy for it's size by the way.

For the paint I got Sunburst Yellow, "Gloss Protective Enamel" from Rust-Oleum, however I forgot to ask if the paint is oil-based.
Reading the label say to use mineral spirits for cleanup so I guess it is.

Looking forward to start painting tomorrow.

[msimpson]

Yes it's oil based. Dont thin it though, unless you are going to spray it. The key is giving both the primer and main color a chance to cure. That said dont freak if you scrape some off later. Just touch it up.

[greg5552]

OK, dumb question:

I'm just about to the point where I'll be painting the steel angle when something struck me. I was thinking about painting the rails, and understand the reason for taping off the edges where the bearings ride, but how do you keep those edges from rusting? I wouldn't think you'd coat them with something because you'd want the bearings to retain good contact. Are you priming the edges, but not painting them? With the humidity in the east as high as it is, and the machine will have to live in my garage, I'm concerned about rust issues there.

/G

[msimpson]

Dont prime the edges. Tape them, then prime and paint the rest of the rail. Place a couple drops of oil on a rag and lightly coat the edges.

If your machine is in a likly place where rust may develop, You may have to clean and coat the edges more oftain.

[kono0014]

I would suggest using POR15. It is some tough stuff and most higher end auto parts stores carry it. You must prep the metal properly but it is very simple and they sell kits.

http://www.por15.com/

No affiliation. Just used it on my Chevelle and was pretty happy with it. There were a few places I wasn't terribly happy with but that was all metal prep and there isn't many paints that will hold up to brake fluid.

[msimpson]

Just to reinforce.

Don't paint, prime, or use a coating of any kind on the rail edges. Nothing you can do will hold up to the wear of the bearings on this surface.

To keep the edges from rusting I put a couple drops of oil on a rag and coat the edges.

[kono0014]

Can someone please share what they paid to have their steel powder coated or provide an estimate on what the 50x50 would cost?

[sandra]

I had gotten a quote for the 30x27 at $200 if I prepped the parts
$320 for them to prep the parts

for them they sand/soda blast the parts to give the powder a good adhesion plus any thing else that might need to be done

I only got the one quote, the other place never answered my message (probably because i'm a woman)

[kono0014]

Thank you for the fast reply!! That is in line with what I was thinking. Rustoleum is sure looking like a nice option at this point.