Painting/Powder coating aluminum

[Love Life]

Hello all. I hope this is the right section to post this.

I ordered an aluminum chassis system from Mcrees Precision. It was cheaper to get it unpainted. The material is 6061 Aluminum. Do I need to use a special paint or am I good to Joe-Billy Bob paint it with a rattle can of desert tan paint?

What do ya'll use for painting or coating aluminum?

Does anybody here offer painting/coating services?

Thank you in advance,
Dick

[fecmech]

I'm no painter but any aluminum that ever got painted on aircraft had zinc chromate primer on it first. I think it has to do with the oxide layer on aluminum.

[bstarling]

Be careful spraying zinc chromate. It's not real bio-friendly when inhaled.

Bill

[David2011]

There's a reason it costs more painted. Aluminum really needs to be treated with an alodine treatment and then primed. I prefer a zinc chromate bearing epoxy primer. You do not want to inhale the primer wet or dry. I dry sanded some zinc epoxy primed parts dry one time and the dust made me sick with flu-like symptoms. With proper precautions, it's the preferred base for aircraft that have to sit out in the weather so it's pretty good stuff and will tolerate your sweaty body pretty well. The epoxy primer can be overcoated with pretty much any room temperature one or two part topoat. Something like a 2 part polyurethane or Duracoat would give very durable finish. All of these materials are, as Bill said, not bio-friendly when inhaled. Two part polyurethanes are unfriendly even if you contact the vapor and CAN be fatal if inhaled. I knew a guy in Houston who ignored the warnings for polyurethanes and sprayed a giant scale Corsair in a small room. The paint coated the inside of his lungs and catalyzed, essentially coating them in plastic. He was in the hospital for a while and survived. He's now Mr. Safety when it comes to protective gear.

It could also be anodized which is within the capabilities of most people on this forum and far safer than painting aluminum. There's lots of info on anodizing on the net.

David

[W.R.Buchanan]

Or you could take it to a professional plater and have them Chem Film it which is now the preferred method of surface prep for aluminum to be painted. This is what we do for all NAVY work.

By the same token for what you are going to do with it, just cleaning it with acetone and spraying it with Rustoleum would work just fine. You can always touch it up if needed.

No need to big deal this process.

Randy

[Love Life]

After researching it I called the company and coughed up the extra dough to have it done right. IME little money saving things like this usually end up costing me more than having it done right by the professionals.

[BRobertson]

I have had good results, either painting or powder coating 6061 alum, by soaking in a strong solution of simple green.

I usually let it soak for a couple of days.

It actually etches the aluminum, and leaves it grease free, and very clean.

Bob