best spray paint (and primer) for exterior steel ?

Best thing would be to get them powdercoated. Too bad you're kinda short on money. Perhaps you could go to a powdercoat shop and see if they'll donate/discount the work. Our robotics team wanted to get the robot powdercoated bright blue (our team color) and the guy was willing to discount a $200 job to $50. And your project is much more community service oriented!

I get good results with the basic tractor supply paint. I thin both primer and paint pretty hard with acetone.. I've tried lacquer thinner but I think the enamel doesn't like alcohol..

John

Look for hammerrite paint. That stuff is pretty good for ease of application and needs no primer. It will even overcoat tightly adhering rust.

Wipe the steel down with lacquer thinner, Give them a coat of zinc rich primer, then top coat with truck bed liner coating. You can buy it in spray cans or gallons at the local Wal~Mart. Put on clean primer it dries to a TOUGH coating that should take almost any abuse that comes along.

I like Imron but it's nasty to work with. How about pick-up bed liner?

Thanks for the ideas people -- I think I will get a couple of cans of stuff that has been suggested and give them a try to see which works best. The good primer with pickup bed spray over it sounds interesting. Time to go shopping !!

thanks, mikey

I used it on a set of wheels for one of my cars. About ten years later it's starting to thin in places. What actually removes it is the Castrol Super Clean I use to get the brake dust off. I'd use it again in a heartbeat, and have several cans in my flammables fridge.

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| >> Thanks | >> mikey | >>

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If you have spray painting capability why not use some automotive enamel. Valspar makesa a very good economical line of paint, as do other companies, which is as good as any automotive finish would be........and its made to be outside since its automotive paint. Its just a plain alkylyd based (sp?) enamel paint.

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