Getting paint to stick to stainless steel

[Rick_A]

Hello folks.
Im just about finished making a new solid sprayhood for my boat. The framework is all stainless steel with fibreglass roof. I don't want a polished stainless frame on show
and want to paint the stainless with the same toplac as the boat and roof is.
My question is as I don't have the right primers here for the stainless steel, can I thin down the polyester resin I have left with styrene and paint it onto the stainless frame,
then use international prekote and then paint with toplac? Will the resin stay on the stainless or will it likely flake off with the movement in the metal with the different temperatures?
The excess resin that got onto the stainless tube when I was glassing took a good hold.
It is just to save me waiting for the right stuff to be delivered.
Thanks
Rick

 

[rogerthebodger]

The best and IMHO the only way to prepare any steel for painting is to grit blast the steel to create a rough surface for the paint to grip to. The paint it with an epoxy primer followed with a polyurethane top coat. My boat is mild steel with stainless fittings and is all polished above the waterline and painted below after grit blasting.

 

[William_H]

Polyester resin is not in itself the best kind of paint. It does not have good adhesive qualities. Compared to epoxy or polyurethane paint. Polyester resin sticks best to itself before the base has hardened.
However many people use succesfully polyester resin on old GRP boats and other stuff with apparent success. Though I have had failures of polyester resin on wood. So it is the mechanical hold on the ss that matters so the rougher the ss the better. Sorry I can't suggest if your idea of polyester resin on SS will be a good idea in the end. I just know there are theoretically better paints. good luck olewill

 

[Niander]

Any pics of your sprayhood?

 

[Daydream believer]

Your stainless steel will not be corroded so grit blasting is a waste of time & probably impractical in your case

It needs pre-washing with white spirit first then , use a 2 pack etch primer.
When I did it commercially the the primer manufacturer sometimes required something different to white spirit for pre-washing so check instructions first I cannot recall what the chemical was ( Retired quite a few years now so I forget the exact product names I used!!!!)

I would suspect that the polyester resin you suggest will not really work as bond will not be good & moisture will get between resin & steel

 

[DownWest]

Acetone as a de-greaser?

What sort of two pack will etch SS?
The really nasty stuff I use to clean up SS welds contains hydroflouric acid and leaves the surface slightly matt.

 

[Daydream believer]

Acetone as a de-greaser?

What sort of two pack will etch SS?
The really nasty stuff I use to clean up SS welds contains hydroflouric acid and leaves the surface slightly matt.

I just googled it & came up with

http://www.plastikote.com/products/Primer/Etching-Primer.html- Have never used that one though

If the OP has a local paint stockist such as Brewers etc they will advise best product

 

[DownWest]

I just googled it & came up with

http://www.plastikote.com/products/Primer/Etching-Primer.html- Have never used that one though

If the OP has a local paint stockist such as Brewers etc they will advise best product

Thanks for that. Should have googled before asking.

 

[vic008]

Wear plastic gloves, put resin on your sandpaper and sand the resin in. So the freshly abraded ss is not exposed to the oxygen in the atmosphere. Then on with the Toplac.

 

[Rick_A]

Thanks for the responses folks.
Vic008, I will try this.

 

[30boat]

I made my forehatch in stainless steel 10 years or so ago ,It was primed with epoxy paint and finished with a car type acrylic paint.Still in great shape.