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Hey guys,

Planning to get a (cheap) stainless steel grille just to replace what i've got right now (shush Adam )

I want to spray it black before installation to match the theme of the car but i'm not sure whether there's any particular spray cans that i should use (rather than just getting a random one) that works better on stainless steel.

Any recommendations?

Powdercoating? I don't think paint would last very long on it unless you meticulously prepare it.

bruce wrote:Powdercoating? I don't think paint would last very long on it unless you meticulously prepare it.

ditto what Bruce says. Powdercoating.
Th problem with painting is that a rough(ish) surface is required for the primer to adhere too. Polished stainless isn't the best surface to paint!!
If you must paint, don't spend heaps of cash. Get a can of etch primer and a can of gloss/matt/satin/etc black $2 shop paint.
Easy

When I was making the ss wire mesh grilles I had a few powder coated. It didn't work out because the mesh was unable to conduct the electric current well enough so there were pin holes in the coating.

I did a few painted .... go get some etching/undercoat combination spray paint from the auto shop. Clean well .... I clean with white spirit, scrub with a soapy mixture, rinse, dry and apply several light coats of spray paint. I hung mine from a rafter on a fine wire so that I could spray both sides

I have no problems with that process .... repeat top coat every 3 or so years if required.

Rob

Clean it with prepsol and steel wool...careful to get into the corners.
Spray with a light coat of etch primer then a couple of coats of any good spraypaint.

It'll stonechip easily but a quick squirt of the same spraypaint will sort it.

Cheap and nasty, but it'll look OK.

thanks guys, looks like auto-barn here we go...

Prepsol...
Etch primer... (what is this?...)
Spraypaint...

BadBong wrote:thanks guys, looks like auto-barn here we go...

Prepsol...
Etch primer... (what is this?...)
Spraypaint...

Etch primer is a primer/basecoat which has an acid in it, so that it "eats" into the surface and sticks better. FWIW I recently restored an old steering wheel, this is what I did, which might help.

Give the metal a light sanding. This is mainly when you have existing paint you want to paint over, but it will help the etch primer stick better anyway.


Apply your etch primer in light coats to make sure you get a nice, even surface. Eg to get to this point it was 4 light coats of primer, and don't aim to get full coverage on the first 2 coats, you shouldn't get full paint coverage until after the 3rd coat. Be patient and apply light, misting coats. The primer dries fast and you can recoat after 10mins so this isn't too much of a hassle.


Then for your application I'd recommend this stuff, VHT epoxy paint for rollbars.


Again, be patient, apply light coats and aim to do the job over 5-6 coats.


It'll dry to a slightly mottled, textured satin finish like so.

hm... that's probably the best set of instructions i've ever received - thanks so much!

hehe good man!

so save the hassle .. you could always buy black mesh from autobarnz. I think it costs $30.

I used it for a while and it did the job.