Thread: Painting aluminium

Use a good quality etc primer, that the secret.
I slightly warm the Ally with a primus torch first, probably not necessary up North.
Cheers,
David

apart from the usual rub it back with some wet and dry then clean it up soapy water then a fresh water rinse the paint shop that sells you the paint should be able to sell you the right primer.

First coat is the etch primer - the yellow-green stuff.

It's sprayed with a very thin coat not a heavy coat.

Then you apply the grey primer..

I've got aluminium items I sprayed 42 years ago when I was an apprentice that still look as good as they did when I sprayed them.

Ron

With aluminium you need to prepare as any other surface, in particular making sure it is free of any grease or oil. The one coat of etch primer - which must be redone if rubbing down shows bare metal later.

After this, proceed as for any other surface.

I have found that the best way of getting etch primer is as a spray can, as you really use very little of it.

John

The Series III workshop manual, which I no longer have, has a detailed explanation of the process involved in painting the particular version of aluminium used in LRs.
From memory it's the same as people have said here about etch primer.
I don't have time to check myself now, but maybe it's on the Rave CD in the Series III manual.

I just had a look at that part of the series 3 manual. It says clean off the oxide, etch prime and paint. So is regular primer over the etch primer needed?

Try Protec 426 etch prime we use heap of it at work on aluminium. Good stuff, you should be able to get it RFU.

Originally Posted by Phoenix

......... So is regular primer over the etch primer needed?

No. But as I said above, if you cut back subsequent coats to bare metal you MUST replace the etch primer.

John