how to prep metal for paint?

[Whiterabbit]

hi guys,

make no bones about it, I'm not asking about QUALITY finishes, just "wham, bam, thank-you-ma'am" finishes. I will be using rattlecan sandable primer (IMO it's as good as it gets without using 2-part though a spray gun), then a rattlecan paint I have laying around.

It's my press stand.

No weld grinding, nothing fancy. I know the paint will wear off quickly in some areas, and I'm OK with that.

Thing is, this thing is COVERED in oil from the hole drilling. I ran a quick IPA wipe to get most of it off, but the metal is not smooth. It has lots of oil still in there.

I don't want to use a gallon of paint stripper, paint thinner, acetone, or IPA just to clean this thing. I don't have a media blaster.

Is there a down-and-dirty way to get this prepped for paint without consuming so much solvent?

[foesgth]

For "high quality" projects like this I get carb cleaner from Walmart. The store brand is under $2.00 a can. It will strip off the oil and evaporates quickly.

[oldred]

You could spray it with a solvent like starting fluid (either) or maybe brake cleaner, but this would of course need to be done outdoors, or you could dunk it in a small tub of cleaner and scrub it clean. Either way if you don't get the oil off of it the paint simply will not stick very well and will most likely "Bullseye" (small craters) on the surface when it is sprayed. Actually spray can primer will not help adhesion unless it's the self-etching type but it will make for a smoother surface that will take less top coat to cover, if adhesion is the goal then you need something like "Bulldog adhesion promoter", sometimes found at Walmart but also at any good paint supply. If you really want the paint to stick then get the surface clean and oil free then spray it with the adhesion promoter followed by the primer and paint, that Bulldog (or similar brand) adhesion coat will make the paint stick to the surface like ugly sticks to an ape! However if you don't get all the oil off of the surface nothing is going to make the paint stay on.

[theperfessor]

What about hot soapy water? All you need to do is get the oil off.

[nhrifle]

Another vote for carb cleaner. It's cheap, easy, works well, and you get a free buzz when using it!

[AviatorTroy]

I would wash it as good as you can with hot Dawn dish soap and water, and then a once over in problem areas with brake cleaner. I thought carb cleaner leaves a residue which would certainly make the paint "fisheye"

[oldred]

"fisheye"


Until I saw your reply I did not realize I said "BULLS"eye! Of course "Fisheye" is the painting term used for the small craters that result form an oil contaminated surface and "fisheye" is what I meant to say, I must have gunpowder on the brain!:veryconfu

[Bren R.]

Hot water and dish detergent to start... use a brush to get in the nooks and crannies, then chlorinated (usually labelled "pro strength") brake parts cleaner (have they made that illegal down there yet?)

Let it flash off... tack it off and spray.

Bren R.

[Whiterabbit]

Followed your advice. Hot soapy water followed by carb cleaner. Funny, I worked in a machine-shop in college as an assistant (monkey) and worked the hot soapy water tank all the time. Strange how one can forget important things given sufficient time.

Worked well, primed using my favorite rattle-can primer and my favorite paint, chalkboard black. In case I want to write on the stand in chalk? (dunno). Anyways, forgot to snap a picture when I mounted it to the bench this morning. Final coat is curing, ready for presses tonight.

Thanks guys!

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Put in the dishwasher, give it a blow with the compressor and paint away

[W.R.Buchanan]

I would either shoot it with brake cleaner, or wipe it down with Acetone. Preferrably acetone.

As long as you get the oil of it you will be fine. :mrgreen:

Hot tip on rattle can finishing is to use Rustoleum and actually follow the instructions on the can. A few light coats are better than one big heavy coat. I have Jeep parts painted with Rustoleum that were painted 20 years ago and rode hard and still look good.

Another tip for painting tools is to use Rustoleum "hammertone finishes" The Hammer tone finishes hide alot of imperfections in your work, and just ends up looking better.

Also with most all enamel spray paints you have about 2 hours to apply overcoats. If you wait til the next day your new coat will lift the previous coat. you must wait 6 weeks if you miss the window.

I paint all of the little bits and pieces on my Jeep Project as they are made with this paint. It's pretty good paint.

The pipe hanger in the pic is painted with Hammertone Gray Rustoleum. The axles were painted with Rustoleum Gray because they can be touched up easily, another advantage of the paint.

Randy