Painting bare/polishied aluminum parts

[Danny3288]

Hello guys/gals

It's been a while, I used to be very active around d here but years of having babies and a new property later and that went by the wayside. I had a different handle, I think it was mickyd32 but I haven't been able to recover it.

Anyways I recently purchased a premium used khaos slash 146 that is black with bare aluminum suspension and the polished tunnel. Way back when I had a very long thread on powder coating everything. Being that I'm in prime riding season, I was thinking of pulling it apart and using POR-15 on the suspension as I don't want to have it apart for a month while parts are away. Is this still the way to go? I don't habe access to annodizing. I've almost never used the POR-15 products but it doesn't seem hard. What line am I wanting to use and are the colors worth doing or stay black? Thanks

 

[shattuck]

I tried por-15 on the rails it didn’t work for me. I used all the correct prep products too but I’ve heard of people doing it

 

[law.74]

POR-15 is only good for “paint on rust”. Finish is horrible aesthetically. I’d rattle can krylon before I’d ever use por-15 on a sled.

Frankly, I’d not waste any time with painting a sled. Buy take offs and sell yours for a minimal outlay.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Wrap the tunnel,

Buy painted suspension parts and sell yours or save for the trailer.

 

[koolaid]

Clean the raw aluminum with a red scotch brite and grease and wax remover. Use a good self etching primer like SEM. Follow up with trim black (satin) or gloss black. It will look OEM and have good adhesion and decent durability. Go to your local auto body jobber and ask for SEM. Stay away from the auto parts store and hardware store stuff.

 

[arcticridr]

Like kool-aid said use SEM trim black best stuff going for the satin look , most important thing is the metal prep , if you can find a product with zinc chromate in it ( depends on what state laws and air quality laws you are governed by) you will get better adhesion and remember the top coat is only as good as your ground coat and nothing will be as strong as powder coat