what paint for aluminium

[TF_wildinguk]

have bought a couple of second hand rive alu side trays recently, and was thiking of repainting them black, but what paint would I need to use and what process would I have to take to get a good hardwearing finish?

Or is it more hassle than it’s worth?

[TF_GLEBE1]

I did the same recently and just sprayed it with Smooth Hammerite, finished product looks good but it takes weeks to cure properly and even longer for the fumes to die off.
How much bare ali is exposed?? if there is alot the paint wont take to it unless you use something called “etching” beforehand

[TF_toby b]

If its for the one you had off me mate dont bother unless you are gonna get it sand blasted and properly painted or powder coated, believe me i have been there and done it with the hammerite and the finished product is pants. There is a chap round the corner from me who does powder coating said about £15 – £20 to do but would have to put in with another order to make it worthwhile needs it back to bear metal tho.
Personally I wouldnt bother, if you wanted to get it blasted i would happily take it to him for you but i am sure there is someone more local to you, steel fabricators ususlly know someone, honestly dont go down the hammerite route you will regret it mate

[TF_GLEBE1]

I wouldn’t say the finish on mine is pants, it’s actually quite good it’s just the fact that it took an age to harden off and to stop stinking.!!!!

[TF_ChavenderParticipant]

ultimately anodising would give best results ,no flacky paint and no smells and you wouldn’t have too have black .

http://www.theanodisingco.co.uk/16253.html

[TF_Cutnut]

For decent finish on aluminium you do need to get back to base metal and use an etchant primer which usually is a two part solution of an acid base with a primer. This ensures that the aluminium will ‘hold the paint’ otherwise using a simple spray paint will result in an orange peel effect and large flakes of paint will eventually come off.

There are some paints about that are made for painting Ali and either have the etchant in the mix or have a two part primer and top coat.

[TF_wildinguk]

toby, is more for the small one I bought a while ago that has really bad chipping, and if it had worked on that I’d have had a bash at the big one. But by the sounds of it, is really not worth the effort.

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