Finally, a high quality primer for mainting custom made bare aluminum parts.

For years, I have struggled with the yellow and green "zinc chromate" primers that the Ford Motor Comany developed for painting aluminum aircraft in the 1920's.

I painted some of my aluminum specially made custom chassis bars and braces with zinc chromate, which is "strictly" controlled and not very available in many markets, since "chromate" is a carcinogen.

Finally, I looked around extensively for several months for a subsitute. Eureka! I have found it.

It's called Rust-Oleum Auto Primeer Self Etchng.

It can be had at Walmart (in the Automotive section, if you can find it.

About a buck and a half, more, it is readily available at all Home Depots;

Autorf Sspr Auto Prime Self Etchng-249322 at The Home Depot

The stuff lays down well to a smooth flat finish, and is desighed to take high quality automotive or other paint.

It is a dark gray, when dry. It's really high quality stuff.

Now, you can have the "custom made" chassis braces in the color you really want.

 

The guy making the comment sure dooesn't understand painting aluminum. Surface prep is everything. You need to sand it to a rough surface with 180 wet or dry sandpaper, not steel wool.

Then, again, he might have tried to paint "anodized" aluminum; a "no go" from the start.

After sanding, I wash it off with a degreaser or "Dawn" dishwashing liquid, dry and paint.

Hope this helps,

Mike