Painting Suggestions?

It could be painted but you will need to sand it all down to bare aluminum then use a aluminum primer before painting. But to get the best finish it should be sprayed.

Try Rust-Oleum primers and Interlux paints, they also come in small spray cans if you prefer that, you can check westmarine's web site, they have a good collection and they answer questions!

Cheers.

You can try a zinc chromate spray can primer, and I like the CAT spray paint, but not sure how it would hold up in sunlight.....if you just want to touch it up.......make sure to get all of the way to bare aluminum. Awlgrip also makes a primer for aluminum, and if you're going to use awlgrip topcoat, use their primer. You could spray a very small area with the little bottle deal.....that screws on top of a glass bottle......Prevo?

what is the door made of?

I have had some very nice results with rust oleum gloss paint brushed over proplerly prepared surfaces. They make a "Marine" paint also that can go over fiberglass and wood.

It is very inexpensive and very easy to work with.

I think a quart is about $12 or less. it would be cheap enough to give it a try.
I buy it in the smaller pint sizes for touch ups, the color is very uniform.

If it is a door, i would suggesting removing the door and laying it flat....
the paint (any paint for that matter) will lay down the best on a flat level surface.

Powder coating is an option, but once it begins to flake and bubble it cannot be repaired.

single part paints can easilly be repaired and touched up.....

give it a try, it might come out alot better than you think....

Airtox

I'd check with some other vendor. A high gloss finish should not be replaced with powder coating IMO. That type of finish wil be very flat against your nicely polished gel coat. Spray cans? The door frame unscrews pretty easily if you are handy. Then take the door to an industrial painter for a good prep and nice two part finish. You'll easily get another 14 years out of the paint job. Way more if you keep the salt off it with regular wash downs. Check the window seal too. Just my 2 cents

Painting

You might want to look into interlux perfection it's a 2 part that wears really well and is a lot easier to apply than awlgrip. It is also easy to touch up and can be sanded and buffed.

Interlux is a great product and is user friendly.

Beau has a very valid and good suggestion to dismantle it and bring it to a professional sprayer. Shop around for a good one and ask for references.

If you can take it off yourself, I would prep it for painting then just bring it to an auto body shop. Most body shops can easily spray Awlgrip, Imron or any 2 part paint. You may just have to bring them the paint, catalyst and spray reducer.

It is true that most auto body shops can spray any of those. BUT, a lot of times you're best off bringing it to someone who sprays Awlgrip on a regular basis because they're buying large quantities of reducer, primer, catalyst and have it laying around and you're not paying for a full quart of everything (reducer, catalyst, primer, activator, paint).

For small parts you almost have to pay for nothing, they do have a stock somewhere of everything and in every color of finish. Very good point.

Cheers.

Personal preference would be a single stage epoxy based paint like Pettit or Interlux. Easy to handle and easy to either brush or spray depending on how its thinned . Sand it down to bare aluminum where the blisters are, Hit it with prep solve or denatured alcohol & prime two coats of strontonium chromate(zinc Chromate) (Rattle cans) / spray cans , Sand the whole frame down with 280 grit trimite or wet dry. Purchase a couple of pre-valve spray heads with bottles and prime the low spots where you sanded down to the bare alloy. Prime the entire frame and sand with 320 grit once fully dry. Wipe with wet cloth or denatured to find out how fair the finish is / If your satisfied with the over all build of the primer than load your top coat color and add spray reducer/ thinner to manufactures specs. Apply a mist coat and let sit for 30 min and then spray cover coat and let fully dry or off gas till next day. Sand with 320 grit paper and apply top coat again.This would get maybe three to four years of service but if your looking for something with longer life than you going to deal with a linier uerathane product like Awl-Grip or Imron 4000 All of these supplies can be found at a good marine chandler and the majority can be found at an auto paint or part store to save $$

Captain, you made me droll for finding me a piece of frame and working on it! Good job.

Cheers.

you will be surprised how good it will come out.

three suggestions:

1. prep the surface (sand, fill, prime, wet sand, prime, wet sand, prime)

2. practice on something first

3. try to paint final product indoors in dust free enviornment


good luck

If you want to use AwlGrip, you can also apply it with a small flat knapp roller. It takes about 5-7 hours to flash the paint, but in the meantime, it flows out very flat and dries to a beautiful finish. Just follow their prep procedures.

Also, powder coating doesn't have to be a dull finish. I have quite a few aluminum pieces powdercaoted in gloss white on my boat and they are very shiny. The look great against the gloss white AwlGrip paint.

Not here to argue, but electrostatic painting has a variety
of finishes, but powder coating is a specific?

Let's face it,aluminum is tough to refinish,especially once it has been corroded. Follow all the best recommendations to a "T" and still after 3 to 5 years......Well enough said. I for one am not impressed with powder coating as a much better alternative over repairing and re-painting.I have seen several late model boats with powder coated tower legs and T-top frames just blistering and corroding just the same as old repainted anodized aluminum would.

Airtox,

how did the door come out?

what did you use?

got pics?

thanks
RT