Re: Removing Paint

Home Forum Ask A Member Removing Paint Re: Removing Paint


shane-r13


Replies: 125
Topics: 21
#77023
quote NJ-boatbuilder57:

Just a thought: “be careful what you wish for”

If you strip the old paint (chemically or mechanically), you’ll have bare aluminum, and aluminum is a VERY difficult metal to paint. The idiosyncrasy of aluminum is that it oxidizes immediately on contact with air, forming an aluminum oxide surface to which almost all paint will refuse to adhere. It just doesn’t “stick”. The tried & true answer is a zinc-chromate primer (that puke-green color you see on airplanes), but it’s very hard to find in rattle cans, it’s toxic as hell, and needs to be applied “just so”. EPA has pretty much made it go away for all but professional metal finishers. You can buy zinc phosphate prime in a can, but in my experience it’s just not as good.

If the original paint is in tact, you may be able to clean it, then degrease / prep it with naphtha and use it as an acceptable base for a modern rust-o-leum primer.

Just something to think about before you begin stripping. This may be a journey you don’t want to take….

You have a very valid point. I never really thought of having trouble painting the stripped Aluminum.