cabinet painting

[Chuck W4MIL]

Hi Mike.......

A couple of thoughts here.  I had a BUD aluminum box that I wanted to 
paint before housing a homebrew amplifier.  I prepared the bare 
aluminum by cleaning it with 0000 steel wool, wiping with a soft cotton 
rag (being careful not to get fingerprints and oil on the surface) and 
then priming with aircraft frame grade Zinc Chromate.  The green 
looking stuff. Afterward, the paint went on nicely, no fish-eyes or 
runs.

Almost always, I use the Zinc Chromate when painting aluminum.

In the case of steel cabinets and panels, I've found that after 
sanding, bead blasting or whatever is used to prepare the metal, a good 
washing with TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) and rinsing with distilled 
water is necessary.  After drying (the Florida sun makes quick work of 
that process) I shoot with automotive primer.  BTW, I'm unsure if TSP 
in it's original form is still available today, but there is a 
substitute under the same name.  ACE hardware carries it locally.

YMMV.  Hope this is helpful.

73 de W4MIL
Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: mkx at SYMPATICO.CA
To: HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Sent: Sun, 7 Jan 2007 4:46 PM
Subject: [HEATH-TEMPE] cabinet painting

  Hi, Im starting to get frustrated painting an aluminum radio cabinet.
  Here's the problem. I sanded the old paint surface down... I primed 
it, light grey primer.... Then I paint it with Tremclad semi-gloss 
paint. _The primer went on great, a perfect paint job._ Every time I 
try painting on the final colour, it goes fish-eyed (bubbles on the 
surface of the metal) I later sanded the surface, prime then 
paint..prime goes on perfect...same thing. I even used rubbing alcohol 
to clean the surface before painting.... same thing - fish eyed.

 Any thoughts??

 73 Mike

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