signguy 55
New Member
I worked with my dad 15 years painting from '75 - ' 89. In the late 70s and into the 80s galvanized aluminum gutters were the rage and a lot were being installed. We would wash the gutters down with vinegar, let dry, and then put a latex primer over them, usually two coats followed with a top coat. The test would be to scratch the metal with your fingernail. If the paint came off the primer was not cured enough.
We used Kilz 2, water based primer. It had just come out around that time. I still use a ton of it for wood, metal, it'll bond to almost anything and can be topcoated with oil or latex and dries fast. I've got an MDO sign thats 20 years old that still looks good, not a single hint of paint peeling.
There are other brands of latex primer now, and they should work just about the same. Oil based Kilz plainly states it's for interior only, but I know a lot of guys here use it for exterior priming. Still nervous about doing that though.
So when I have a bare piece of metal, I follow the steps above, finishing by rolling with an alkyd enamel and foam roller. If you do it right it looks like you sprayed it.
We used Kilz 2, water based primer. It had just come out around that time. I still use a ton of it for wood, metal, it'll bond to almost anything and can be topcoated with oil or latex and dries fast. I've got an MDO sign thats 20 years old that still looks good, not a single hint of paint peeling.
There are other brands of latex primer now, and they should work just about the same. Oil based Kilz plainly states it's for interior only, but I know a lot of guys here use it for exterior priming. Still nervous about doing that though.
So when I have a bare piece of metal, I follow the steps above, finishing by rolling with an alkyd enamel and foam roller. If you do it right it looks like you sprayed it.