Fabrication Finishing....

Ok so I make something out of metal. After its all welded up, how do you guys finish it? what do you prep the metal with? Prime with? Paint with?

For little things, I've cleaned the part with brake cleaner or acetone and primed with spray primmer and then painted. But I always have a problem with the paint being easy to scratch. It just does not seem to get hard. I try to get good spray paint from Tractor Supply (is there such a thing?) I've just not been happy with my painting results and now that I can actually make stuff out of metal, I need to be able to paint it.

I made a cart/table for my metal bandsaw/ drop saw/vice. What about using some of the bedliner to paint it with? Would that work better?

What do you guys do?

 

Not sure what type of parts you are talking about but POR 15 is great. My son has finished the entire underneath of his 68' Nova with it. Super tough and looks really good. I don't know if it comes in spray paint.

 

Your doing all the right things but the real problem is the EPA..........you just cannot buy good paint in a rattle can anymore.........If your lucky enough to be in an area that still allows a catalyzed two part paint that would be much better. The other option on something that will show is of course powder coating.

 

If possible, I sand blast what I'm working on. If I am painting the part with a spray can, I use Epoxy enamel appliance paint. That stuff is tough. It takes longer to cure, but it is very tough.

 

That helps. I can sandblast most things and I've one that in the past but it seems like an unnecessary step. I assumed the metal had a coating on it from manufacturing that prevented rust and that coating just needed to be removed.

As far as two part paint, that is fine for large things but what a bout for small little bits. Right now I'm working on some military light housings and just need to paint those few little parts. IS there even a good way to do a good job painting them without a two part paint? Bedliner? At least that stuff can be used on small parts without mixing up a large batch.

 

Perhaps there is a good Automotive or Industrial Paint supplier in your neck of the woods............I would go there and ask those folks. Most are pretty smart!
As far as small batches with these new small HVLP guns and throw away plastic liners it really is not that hard to mix and do small things. I even have used the Harbor Freight cheap air brushes with a glass cup.......great to paint small things with minimum cleanup.

 

I've found that with the big box store spray paints, they become more scratch resistant the longer they cure. If you're in Florida, the humidity isn't helping the cure time. I've had the same problem here. When painting and installing soon afterwards, you don't have the time to wait. Tractor and implement paint is more scratch resistant than Rustoleum or Krylon and seems to cure quicker. If you're going satin black on parts, get some John Deere Blitz Black. That's what I painted my hardtop with and it came out great and durable. When I bought it, I believe it was $7 an aerosol can and $20 a quart.

 

I normally use the Tractor Supply implement paints. I always use primmer.

I have owned a woodshop for over 10 years and that is all I did for 10 years. I have sprayed gallons and gallons of lacquer using HVLP. Using a wood finish, there are lots of options for a pre-catalyzed finish that get real hard and stick real well. They are easy to use and I can set up to spray in about a minute. Pour it in the gun, set gun and spray pressure and finish volume and go to it. But anytime I paint anything with automotive paint, it seems very difficult. I can take a part out of sandblasting, spray it off with air, sometimes I wipe it down with acetone, sometimes not, and spray it with the Tractor Supply red primmer. I have also used the Rustolium Rusty Metal Primmer. THen when it is dry, sand with 220 or so so it is smooth, then paint.

IT just seems way more difficult to paint using non-wood products than I ever had with wood specific products. And I can get automotive paints form the same guy that sells me the wood stuff. He did sell me some stuff one time the Navy uses to paint buoys with but it only came in limited colors.

 

i personally use all catalyzed products including primer. never been a fan of air dry auto paint.its all about the prep (clean dry no oil)