Anyone letter on galvanized metal?

[custom sign center]

A customer wants me to letter a galvanized culvert. 30" in diameter x 14 feet long.
It's going to be stood upright and a "cap" put on it to look like a grain tower.

It's a new culvert so there's no corrosion on it but I've also read that there's special steps in preparing the surface for paint adhesion.
Has anyone lettered anything like this before? Paint or vinyl?
Need some input and tips if you have any.

It's nothing fancy, just one color (black) block lettering on one side but I don't want to take something on if it's not going to last very long.

Thanks in advance.

 

[visual800]

slap some high performance on it and be done with it. if painting I would make a mask roll some 2 part epoxy on it and then my topcoat

 

[klmiller611]

There is specific primer for galvanized metal, you need to clean it first, if it is factory fresh, then prime. Otherwise, the paint really does not hold.

I only did this for to repaint my galvanized metal running boards on a caboose, not for lettering, so your actual mileage may vary.

Ken Miller

 

[signpronfl]

Of course you can!

You must pickle the galvanize metal first with Vinegar. Once pickled you can paint on Galvanized with no problem.

I grew up priming tons of billboard panels with this method. Never had a sign peal.

 

[Billct2]

Back in the day I did the vinegar wipe to prep it, and used a primer called "GalvaGrip" by Sherwin Williams then painted.