painting aluminium

[matt1]

Can you paint an aluminium mast? If so how do you prepare and what paint? Is it durable? Do you have to remove the anodising first?

 

[Tradewinds]

I know a couple who painted their mast (white) a few years ago - according to them it has lasted very well.

They used Epifanes Washprimer (Epifanes Wash Primer AQ)
and plain old Toplac (I think).

 

[matt1]

I know a couple who painted their mast (white) a few years ago - according to them it has lasted very well.

They used Epifanes Washprimer (Epifanes Wash Primer AQ)
and plain old Toplac (I think).

thanks

 

[Zagato]

One of my masts was painted cream to match the decks, was still good after ten years until I used gaffer tape on it durîng transportation... electrical tape is the way to go next time. An etch primer maybe needed to paint.

 

[Bilgediver]

Can you paint an aluminium mast? If so how do you prepare and what paint? Is it durable? Do you have to remove the anodising first?

Painting is fine preferably with an etch primer as the base. I was given a tip years ago that the grey aerosols in Halfords were actually an etch primer and certainly in cases where I had experienced bubbling under the paint this was cured using the grey primer sold in the aerosols.