What's the best way to paint steel?

Question

I have built an engine stand (for a school project). I used A36 steel and would like to paint it black for looks and for rust protection. What is the best way (and best products) to do this? I'm using a degreaser to clean the oil (from the cutting) off now...and do I need to prime before painting? Thanks!

Answer 1

Surface preparation is the key. An alcohol based degreaser works well, Acetone, denatured alcohol etc. Also be sure all of the welding by products/residue are removed. Scuff the metal with fine sandpaper or scotch brite pads. This helps the primer mechanically bond to the steel. After that just follow the directions on the can. Clean prime paint.
I always spray a very fine tack coat on first. Then I follow up with the color coats. This helps prevent runs.

Answer 2

1. Clean and degrease surface.
2. Apply a vinyl-wash primer. A MUST.
3. Apply a primer.
4. Sand with soft sandpaper.
5. Apply paint.

You must do this process step by step or the paint will NOT hold!

Class B car painter for nine years.

Answer 3

1. clean & degrease with a water based cleaner that leaves no residues.
2. treat with a zinc phosphate metal etch to ensure good paint adhesion.
3. coat it with 2 thin coats of RustSeal, a nonporous moisture cured urethane made by KBS Coatings. Their black paint is really deep & rich in color. Black comes in gloss (wet look) or satin (low luster) finish. Both sheens flow out uniformly. The paint is self-leveling so brush marks flow out as if sprayed too. It's some tough stuff.

Answer 4

It is probably best to prime first but I think that spraying paint, not like the ordinary couple dollar spray paint, but if you have some money get a cheap spray paint for auto body. I found them as cheap as $50 and they work really well.

Answer 5

clean and degrease surface.
coat with primer
if you wait for all primer to dry sand lightly with 400 grit sand paper then apply your black paint

you dont want it smooth cause its harder for paint to adhear to a smooth surface rather then a surface that has lots of small groves in it (im talking on a micoscopic scale)

Answer 6

clean it very good with degreaser . rub with steel wool until it feels like glass . clean it again and then you should prime . something like this you can use spray can and i prefer rustoleum. dont use cheap paint

Answer 7

Use an antirust undercoating, likely with zinc in it. then paint to your hearts content.

Answer 8

Sandblast it, prime it, paint it.