TOPIC:

Just a question?

Do you have to or better yet should you prime aluminum (i.e. wheels) before painting it?

I have painted other aluminum pieces without priming and they are still good.

Adhesion Promoter is he recommendation on bare metal or plastics...

Bull Dog @ Wally Word... Good stuff.. A PITA to work with but about the best I've found... DupliColor also has available in can spray... Works well enough.

Just fine scuff the aluminum and clean/prep... Then spray adhesion promoter... Then spray primer... Then paint.... This is how I did my headlight shell and it came out just fine...

OMR

I don't believe certain types of paint need a primer:
Wheel paint, engine paint, bar-b-que grill paint, perhaps others.

If the part is metal and you've used a good paint that can be baked, 350 F for an hour will give a durable finish. It might stink up the house, so open windows to vent any odors.

I use our electic oven several times a month for the odd bracket or two. I made up some hooks from wire clothes hangers and suspend the parts from the racks in the oven.

I found the best way to get a good paint job was to let the part(s) air dry for a day and then bake them.The finish will be so durable that paint stripper may not remove them, only by grit blasting or wire wheel abrasion will remove them.

The finish will be so durable that paint stripper may not remove them, only by grit blasting or wire wheel abrasion will remove them.

Except with the Duplicolor engine enamel. I've tried everything to make that stuuf stick and it just wont. Chips and scratches soooo easily!

Thier high performance wheel paint is MMUUCCHH more durable if done exactly the way MFolks describes.

I like a good self-etching primer, cause it dries real fast and helps to fill/hide some imperfections before your good color coat.

Cheers!