From: Richard Notton (Richard@fv623.demon.co.uk)
Date: Tue Feb 05 2002 - 00:17:11 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: <SETOYOTA@aol.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 12:25 AM
Subject: [MV] PAINTING ALUMINUM?
> My question is should this area be primed? and if so with what? Would it be
ok to just paint the bare metal since it is aluminum?
>
Painting untreated aluminium is largely a waste of time and paint, it'll all
fall off again in short order.
>It does not appear that there ever was any type of primer. I know aircraft
have a zinc chromate under coat.
>
Quite often it seems the factory paint job on MVs leaves a lot to be desired but
maximises the makers profits.
Zinc chromate is the stuff, if you can get it. Having seen the hassle your end
to even strip old lead based oil paint it seems unlikely that anyone is going to
sell this stuff to a non-certified person. The watery greeny-yellow chromate
etch is totally effective but comes (here) as a two part product and is, of
course, stuffed with cyanide. Unless you are only doing a small item, outside
in a remote area on a breezy day standing up-wind, then air-fed breathing kit is
needed unless you want to be very ill or worse. To keep the private dabblers at
bay this is normally supplied here in 25 litre drums at a huge price, unless you
just happen to know the odd, tucked away, supplier who will decant it in single
litre quantities. . . .
We also have a somewhat less evil motor trade two part etch which is a grey/fawn
colour, this is effective on alloy and face-treated steel sheet (Zintec) too.
Then there are domestic one part etch primers which cannot hope to equate to the
professional stuff.
If you can get it and are happy to handle the stuff, go for the zinc chromate.
Richard
Southampton - England
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