best way to paint aluminium?

[patrolla]

i have a aluminium tube snorkel that i now want to paint. what's the best way to prep it and then paint it and what sort of paint would be best?
any ideas?
cheers

[chimpboy]

Etch primer then paint to suit..? 2K best but acrylic for diy? But I am not a paint expert.

Of course you could get it powder coated.

[clm434]

etch primed and then hammertone gets scratched just touch it up with a brush. Simple

[chimpboy]

I did a snorkel, bullbar, and roofrack in hammertone and it didn't age well although it did look good when the paint was fresh.

[netpro2]

you need an etching primer designed to work with non feris metals,thats the main thing to get right.
chimps right hammer tone is shit paint but there are good and bad versions of it as well,just make sure if you use a enamel etch primer you use an enamel top coat.

Personally if I was going to do a can job I'd use a product called bullbar paint by K&H its a polyurathane semi gloss black its hard wearing and will last well and will go over a spray etch primer. give it a good scothbrite and wipe down with pepsol too.

[Gutless]

i have a aluminium tube snorkel that i now want to paint. what's the best way to prep it and then paint it and what sort of paint would be best?
any ideas?
cheers

Get it powdercoated. Should be $70 or less.

[love ke70]

powdercoat it

or

buy a tin of penetrol, and paint it with whatever you want

or swap me your aluminium one for a mild steel one, then we will both be happy

[ferrit]

Annodise it!

Not TOO hard to do at home with a little care and preperation- Google for more info!

[Mick.]

Annodise it!

Not TOO hard to do at home with a little care and preperation- Google for more info!

And where do you get the start up kits in Australia???

The only ones I could find where in the US and they wont freight to Aus. It still a very expensive way to do a one off snorkel too.

Cheers Mick.

[Going_up]

i have a aluminium tube snorkel that i now want to paint. what's the best way to prep it and then paint it and what sort of paint would be best?
any ideas?
cheers

Get it powdercoated. Should be $70 or less.

espically if your going to do it hammertone!

i just did my tray in hammertone (aka antique silver)

they will acid dip the ally, the it will be etched with a chemical called chromate(spell wrong i think) this stops oxyidisation.

then paint.

[ferrit]

Annodise it!

Not TOO hard to do at home with a little care and preperation- Google for more info!

And where do you get the start up kits in Australia???

The only ones I could find where in the US and they wont freight to Aus. It still a very expensive way to do a one off snorkel too.

Cheers Mick.

The chemicals required arent too hard to aquire, neither are the dyes. I looked into it for my body lift blocks, but decided sod it- it was easier to just install them shiny!