Paint for steel bars

[tropey]

Ok, I've just about finished my new rear bar and it primed ready for painting, my only problem is what paint to use for it. I want it in normal boring black. I've tried 3 different paints and they all scratch off with your fingernail (without a lot of pressure) I've tried hammer tone, cheap enamel rattle can and expensive acrylic (rust guard epoxy enamel) rattle can and they all just scrape off.
Can anyone give advice on what paint you've used previously ? (and before anyone mentions it, I dont want to get it powdercoated)
Cheers.

[stokedapollo]

tropey
you say u used hamer tone
how was it applied etc
if from a gun somethings wrong as we used the hammer finish on trailers we built
how long you letting it dry before you try and scratch it and is your undercoat/primer compatible with thte paints ya using
dun mean to make it sound like a silly statement but it couldbea factor

[tropey]

The hammer tone was applied with a paint brush. I'm presuming it's compatible with the primer as they are both the "rustguard" brand.
I left it for about 5 hours before scraping it.

[GeeUte]

Hey mate.

Acrylics primers with acrylic top coats.

Enamel primers with Enamel top coats.

2Pack primers with 2pack top coats.

Mix any of the two together and you will have : delamination, frying, solvent boil, resoftening etc.

Have a look at what you primed them with and then use that type to topcoat them.

Another option for doing it at home could be to prime, stone guard, then colour. Or use engine enamel for durability.

Before you can topcoat a primer it needs to be keyed up ie: lightly sanded so there is no shine to it. Or if you are applying wet on wet with your primer and topcoat, check the window time for the application. The primer needs the solvents to evaporate before you can apply the colour.

Short of this you could take it to your local Smash repairs and get them to paint it in 2pack. Which is the toughest of all paint finishes as it wont resoften because it is cured via a catalyst (hardener)

Sorry about the novel mate, but i hope this helps !

[rockcrawler31]

preparation, preparation, preparation.

then use the right primer for the job.

Now that you've got three different paints on the steel, go back to bare metal, get it blasted and get rid of every trace of paint. Then PROPERLY clean with prepsol before painting and make sure your surface is totally sterile. Use an appropriate primer and then hammertone (i used a gun) or your choice of paint. Do it in warm weather, preferably after the steel has warmed in the sun for a little. Don't do it on a humid day.

Basically make sure everything is in your favour.

[badger]

5 hours is no where near enough drying time for any decent paint, it may be touch dry but it wont harden for a few days

[money_killer]

just get it powder coated in hammer tone. it is soo durable better then ur normal paint

[coopster]

you might need to use edge primer so it stick to the primer

[azzad]

you might need to use edge primer so it stick to the primer

etch primer?

[tas80]

Just pay the $100-150 and get it blasted and powdercoated, I had my barwork done in ripple black on the last car and finish was very durable, never had dramas with stone chips. Prior to this I was repainting the bars every 6 months when the stone chips started rusting and looked a mess, a couple of hours prep each time and a few cans of spray paint at $15 each suddenly makes the extra cost of powdercoating look very attractive.

[coxy321]

I use Metal Armour. You dont need to prime the metal before painting, but i always etch it first, then top coat it. I space my painting out to one coat every 4 days, and sometimes (if i can), i'll stick it out in the sun for a few hours to help dry/cure the paint. I NEVER put painted gear on my cars until at least two weeks after my final coat of paint - mainly cause i'm slack, but also for the extra drying time. It makes all the difference.

[Mick.]

I use Metal Armour. You dont need to prime the metal before painting, but i always etch it first, then top coat it. I space my painting out to one coat every 4 days, and sometimes (if i can), i'll stick it out in the sun for a few hours to help dry/cure the paint. I NEVER put painted gear on my cars until at least two weeks after my final coat of paint - mainly cause i'm slack, but also for the extra drying time. It makes all the difference.

With any Enamel or 2 Pack you should only be putting a medium coat down then a wet coat with about a 10 minute flash off depending on weather and no more. To much film build does nothing but cause problems. If you where using any paint other then Enamel (no hardener) that would delaminate.

The one point a couple of people are missing is that Enamel NEVER EVER dries even after 10 years you can still fingerprint it unless you use a hardener which is impossable with spray cans of coarse.

Another thing is you can put Enamel over anything, any primer, any paint and it wont play up. BUT you can not put anything else over Enamel otherwise it will fry up and delaminate. However if you put 5 to 10% enamel add or 2 pack hardener with Enamel it will not play up and when cured it will go hard.

If you scratch it at a later date or deside to repaint it for some reason it can be rubbed down and repainted over, even with 2 pack if you like. If you try and rub down Enamel with sand paper that didn't have hardener in it all it will do is clog up the paper and the only real option is sand basting or chemical stripper.

Cheers Mick.