Painting Bare Aluminum?

ManCave said:

The powder coating shop I was going to use wasn't going to sand the aluminum or acid etch it or anything. They were only going to degrease and paint. They had no idea how to paint aluminum, apparently.

I DA'd the aluminum with 80 grit. Found a new powder coating place that does know how to paint aluminum. Just waiting to hear back from them on a price quote. Even though I DA'd it they said they would hit it again right before painting. These guys apparently know about oxidation so I like these guys. The first shop was clueless.

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Just a few things off the top of my head ...

If the shop has no experience with aluminum, you should run out the door rather than walk. It's one of the most common metals to powder coat and it turns out spectacular.

You should be able to get the "right" color from a powder supplier (my main one offers over 6,500 colors in stock and has the ability to custom-match your sample too if by some small chance they don't already manufacture it). Don't feel like you have to choose from an industrial coater's 6 or 7 "stock" colors because there is no limit ... powders can be mixed or layered to create any color you can dream up.

You can get high temp vinyl decals made per your specifications. They can either be permanently embedded between powder coats / colors, or used as a stencil to reveal a base coat color underneath. They will not discolor, shrink or lift if the job is done right and you start with proper high temp vinyl (your cutter will know what to use). This is a Harley gas tank decal my customer snagged on eBay which I applied over a base coat of light blue and top-coated with a candy blue on his control arms ...





A powder clear coat will provide extra shine, seal the colors and lettering, and provide the UV stability you need for the sign to last, not corrode or oxidize over time.

As long as you retain a qualified shop and are explicit with your instructions, you should get exactly what you had in mind. Keep shopping around until you find the right place who can turn your vision into reality. It may cost a bit more than you want to spend right now, but doing it right the first time will provide many, many years of beautiful, maintenance-free service and be the perfect representation of your business.

Just a few things off the top of my head ...If the shop has no experience with aluminum, you should run out the door rather than walk. It's one of the most common metals to powder coat and it turns out spectacular.You should be able to get the "right" color from a powder supplier (my main one offers over 6,500 colors in stock and has the ability to custom-match your sample too if by some small chance they don't already manufacture it). Don't feel like you have to choose from an industrial coater's 6 or 7 "stock" colors because there is no limit ... powders can be mixed or layered to create any color you can dream up.You can get high temp vinyl decals made per your specifications. They can either be permanently embedded between powder coats / colors, or used as a stencil to reveal a base coat color underneath. They will not discolor, shrink or lift if the job is done right and you start with proper high temp vinyl (your cutter will know what to use). This is a Harley gas tank decal my customer snagged on eBay which I applied over a base coat of light blue and top-coated with a candy blue on his control arms ...A powder clear coat will provide extra shine, seal the colors and lettering, and provide the UV stability you need for the sign to last, not corrode or oxidize over time.As long as you retain a qualified shop and are explicit with your instructions, you should get exactly what you had in mind. Keep shopping around until you find the right place who can turn your vision into reality. It may cost a bit more than you want to spend right now, but doing it right the first time will provide many, many years of beautiful, maintenance-free service and be the perfect representation of your business.