Prepping and Painting Mild Steel

[timcosco]

Last weekend, a friend and I welded up a rack for anchoring dirtbikes in my trailer. It is made from mild steel 1" square tubing and 4" channel.

The surface rusted up pretty good this week and I plan to sandblast and paint it this weekend. I do not care about color or quality of finish, only that it protects the steel.

After blasting, what's the standard method and materials for painting? Do I really need a primer? I'll be using my HVLP sprayer, so what kind/brand of paint? Would it be cheaper/easier just to buy a few cans of spraypaint?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Tim

 

[ygmn]

for industrial they use a 3 coat system...zinc primer and then a two part epoxy and then a urethane for topcoat shine.....

will last long time but not have the smooth and shiny look of car paints.....It is what is used on offshore platform equipment......


now automotive use a primer and then a ecoat then a color then clear......

It all depends...I would at least use a primer and color coat.....

 

[flynhigh]

I think I would sand plast it and then buy some primer in the form of spray can. Primer than paint it using your paint system. You just need to make sure to primer the metal and seal it from the outside air.

 

[pdxkevin]

I am a firm believer in KILZ by Master Chem. This stuff has worked ofr me where others have failed.

Their Hammerite Rust Cap is a no BS, no primer required paint. You can literally paint right over the rust - bamm job done. I have done several metal patio chairs over the years. Just cleaned off the surface with soap and water.... painted it and that's it.

If you are going to be banging around with the piece, have you considered a spray/paint on bedliner?