[Joe Wood]

What's the best way to paint these CC66 connectors for exterior use, 20 miles from the ocean in a pretty dry area? They come with a grey paint on them.

I usually use flat black Rustoleum protective enamel spray paint on my galvanized hardware. Would it help to spray some cold galvy zinc spray on the grey paint, before using the enamel?

is there a better flat black spray paint I could use??

 

[Joe Wood]

OK well maybe scratch my question about painting these, I'm getting some powder coating prices now .. plain painting them probably won't last a year before showing rust!

 

[tjbnwi]

Get a powder coating kit and do them in your oven.

Tom

 

[TBFGhost]

I have had good luck taking Rust-o-leum and adding acrylic enamel hardener to it...dries faster, harder and more scratch resistant.

http://www.amazon.com/ACRYLIC-ENAME...00006&sr=8-1&keywords=acrylic+enamel+hardener

 

[Joe Wood]

I got some prices for the powdercoating all six of the CC66s, $150 was the highest, and one was $60! Taking them in Monday

 

[Railman]

I have had good luck taking Rust-o-leum and adding acrylic enamel hardener to it...dries faster, harder and more scratch resistant.

http://www.amazon.com/ACRYLIC-ENAME...00006&sr=8-1&keywords=acrylic+enamel+hardener

Are you using that with alkyd base Rustoleum paint? I don't remember ever seeing an acrylic Rustoleum paint.

Joe

 

[Railman]

Powder coating isn't a cure all for rustproofing. There's a lot of things that can go wrong. The problems won't show up till a few years later. The biggest issue is in prepping the goods correctly. A lot of companies have switched back to non powder coating due to this.

The first thing that would need to be done with your barckets would be to get it back to clean metal. Then it's acid clean, phosphate treat, & then powder & cook.
Even then, if the steel hasn't been degassed, it might have bubbles that are similar to fish eyes in the surface.

If you procecede, ask them to degass metal somewhere in the prep.
Joe

 

[Caslon]

If painted before they are bolted, the bolt heads may break right thru the paint film during installation. Powder coating is kind of brittle. I'd leave them factory primed and finish paint them after they have been attached.

I'd feel confident just painting over them. They're galvanized and factory primed. They won't rust as long as nothing breaks thru the paint film, like when the bolts are screwed on to them, and other dings. Also, running a quick bead of caulking around any hangers that aren't tight flush against the surface will prevent rust happening to the bolts screw threads (contact side of the hanger plates) , causing rust stains streaking down.