painting question

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I've got some gates to build coming up (for my place).  I was wondering how most of you guys prep for painting.  How do you go about cleaning up the metal prior to priming?  Do you just wipe it down with Acetone?  Do you brush the entire piece in order to remove any mill scale?  Is is a problem to paint over the mill scale? Thanks in advance for the advice/help.  I'm just trying to figure out how much work I'm going to have to put into the prep prior to painting the gates after I'm done.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:if it is bad rusty, I will wire wheel it or sand blast it, then ospho then primer then paint.  if it is light rust, I will  ospho, OOOO steel wool any area ospho tattled on anbd knock off the loose stuff, then primer, then paint.I use basic auto/equipment type primer and paint and cut it with acetone.  works real well.  I have two el cheapo sprayers that work for what I need them for.  I have tried two part paint, but it is over kill for 90 percent of what I need paint for.I don't worry about millscale.  If it is stuck tight, then I leave it.  I have seen some stuck so tight, you will remove good metal trying to get it off.
Reply:You know how mill scale will flake off sometimes. If you twist or bend the metal. After you paint it, it will do the same. Hot and cold will knock the mill scale off. Your best bet is to take it to someone that does wrought iron rails, or powder coats. They usually have a very large room to do sand blasting. They wear a blast suit and have a giant wand that they just aim and obliterate the mill scale. You might be looking at fifty to a hundred bucks. Most of them also do zinc flame spray. That will last for about fifteen years under black paint. And about five to ten under white paint. Without repainting.        Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:Follow this link to see what others on this forum are doing to clean metal before welding and painting.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...cleaning+metal
Reply:you can ges tubing cleaner from jansen ornamental iron supply i use that onb thre steel before i ever cut it up then anfter i am done building it i wire bruck the welds and the loose mill scale off then to a quick wipe down with laqur thiner and then prime awayLincoln Pro Core 125Lincolin sp 100Miller Big 40Lincoln Idealarc SP250miller matic 212http://www.facebook.com/hdwelding?sk=wallwww.hdweldingbeds.com
Reply:Thanks guys .  That helps.  I'll talk to my powder coating guy and see if he does media blasting in house (I have to drop off some stuff with him this afternoon anyways).  Thanks again for all of the input, I appreciate it.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Mr. Young... what the heck is "ospho"????OP: I just wire brush. It'll take off any mill scale loosened by bending and any that's loose from getting knocked around. If it doesn't come off with the wire cup, it's on pretty good.Sometimes it's easier to wire the parts before welding. Then just hit the welds after it's assembled. Or like someone else said, if you got the bucks and hate wire brushing, alum-oxide blasting will take it off.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:A needle scaler is much faster than wire brushing when removing mill scale.  Just get most of it and then tie the rest to the surface with a penetrating epoxy like PPG/Ameron's Amerlock Sealer.
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteI've got some gates to build coming up (for my place).  I was wondering how most of you guys prep for painting.  How do you go about cleaning up the metal prior to priming?  Do you just wipe it down with Acetone?  Do you brush the entire piece in order to remove any mill scale?  Is is a problem to paint over the mill scale? Thanks in advance for the advice/help.  I'm just trying to figure out how much work I'm going to have to put into the prep prior to painting the gates after I'm done.--Wintermute
Reply:http://www.ospho.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by Scott Younghttp://www.ospho.com/
Reply:ospho it let dry and prime and paint