[sdiy] DIY Aluminum panel painting

[Tom Arnold]

On Wed, Jul 26, 2006 at 12:42:26PM -0400, Altitude wrote:
> I'm looking for a good process to finish some raw aluminum panels.  I am
> aware of alodine but was wondering if there are more DIY friendly methods
> for getting paint to bond well with aluminum.

Although normally I dont paint, I did a bottom cover for a project just
recently on 6061-T6 aluminum sheet.  Standard Rustoleum primer for metal.
Sanded and wirebrushed the metal right before painting to remove oxidation.
Two coats of primer.  I finished it with a pretty nifty paint I hadnt tried
before, rustoleum textured finish.   A single coat since the textured finish
paint is fairly thick.  This looks like 50's military gear, not crinkle
finish but just a textured finish.

Marhyde primer by Bondo is an etching primer that is probably an even better
choice.  You'll still want to be fast between your final sanding/steelwool
and when you shoot the primer.

Another option that could be cheap is check your local powder coaters.  If
they are doing a run of the colour you want, it can be quite cheap.  I've
gotten a dozen Fracrak panels done for $10 when it was done along with
another batch.

-- 
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