Can I paint stainless steel?

I have a tripple wall chimney of stainless steel that I would like to color black.

Can I paint stainless steel with high temp Rustoleum, or should I wrap it with galvanized or aluinium and paint that?

Thanks in advance.

Dwight

Reply to
Dwight
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you could try a sample area and wait for results.

and call the paint manufacturer and ask

Reply to
bob haller

Painting stainless steel is a bitch. Not sure why. The general consensus is to etch the stainless with either chemicals (acid) or sanding to give the surface some tooth so the paint will have a fighting chance.

I don't know how hot the outside wall of a triple wall chimney gets, but you may be able to get by with another paint, but Bob was right that you'll have to do a test.

I wouldn't wrap the stainless with a different metal as you might create a problem with galvanic action eating the wrapping metal.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

Just use an etch primer that will allow you paint on SS or even glass.

Reply to
"Fr. Fran

I don't think so, Dwight, at least with materials that are available to the average Joe Consumer. Did you ever wonder why the DeLorean cars were sold unpainted? Stainless steels in the 300 series have the ability to form an oxide on the surface of the metal that prevents, or at least retards, corrosion. This oxide forms almost immediately whenever the steel is sanded, scratched, rubbed, etc. making it very difficult to apply anyhting else to the surface and have it "stick". Soldering is possible, although a real bitch, and I'd forego painting because I'm sure it would only last until the next rain. Enjoy your shiny chimney.

Reply to
JKevorkian

Try "gun blue" on a sample area and see if it works on SS.

Reply to
Bob Villa

I wonder if you couldn't get hold of a sandblaster to etch the surface with. You might take it to a sand blasting company since it's Summer and get it roughened up so paint will stick. I've never tried to paint stainless steel so I would have to defer to an expert in painting metals. I know how to paint galvanized steel by using an etching primer but I don't know if there is a similar product for stainless steel.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Here's a link to a website that specializes in finishes, and the experts there says stainless just has to be cleaned. Neither this nor other sites I checked mentioned anything about using phosphoric acid or oxalic acid, as is done for aluminum or regular steel:

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Reply to
larry moe 'n curly

JKevorkian wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

many DeLorean owners had their cars PAINTED because maintaining the SS surface was a PITA.

IMO,the OP can go ahead and paint the SS. a good hi-temp primer would probably be desirable for the first coat.

Paint will bond to SS just as well as any other steel.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Here's another forum where the more experienced contributors tell of the problems painting stainless and having it stick.

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Anything can be painted, it's just a question of how long it will last, and a paint finish on stainless probably won't last long. The OP didn't say where this chimney is located, whether he wants to paint an interior or exterior section, and what the access is like. All contributing factors to the approach.

Like one poster in that forum link said, painting stainless is an uphill battle.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

That's an opinion that a lot of people take issue with, Jim. Stainless is passivated and that interferes with the paint bond. Etching is required to improve the bond, but it's still not a sure thing. Paint simply does not adhere to stainless as well as plain steel.

Painting Deloreans is not as easy as you think. This from the wiki entry on the Delorean: "Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to paint stainless steel due to difficulties with paint adhesion. DeLorean envisioned that damaged panels would simply be replaced rather than repaired;"

When you say that Delorean owners had their cars painted because maintaining the stainless was a PITA, that's a bit off the mark. It was the little fender benders and dings in the door that prompted people to paint their Deloreans. It's a lot harder to straighten out stainless (notorious for work-hardening) than to slap on some Bondo and paint. Most owners didn't have a real choice when push came to shove - it was a cost effectiveness decision.

Here's an article where they opted to wrap vinyl instead of painting.

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I think the OP is barking up the wrong tree, but if he's adamant on it, he should look into epoxy primers and a baked on finish. That will be expensive and there's a potential for the elevated chimney temperature doing funky things to the paint and off-gassing or creating an odor.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I always thought the whole point to the stainless steel DeLorean was a unique marketing angle, of dubious merit.

Reply to
trader4

snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I love the idea of a car that won't rust that looks space age. Unfortunately I hate the idea of a car that's almost impossible to fix dents and dings without replacing panels. So, yeah...I guess that is dubious merit! They certainly look different, though.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

Gun blue is a chemical reaction that darkens the ferrous metal.

Reply to
Bob Villa

This probably overkill and perhaps not possible in your situation (unless the chimney can be removed to a shop). :(

Stainless steel can be successfully powder coated..... clear or color coat.

cheers Bob

Reply to
DD_BobK

Didn't I say "try a sample area"? Do you know that it won't work?

Reply to
Bob Villa

Gun bluing is not the same as bluing used in a machine shop (which IS blue). Gun "blue" is black.

Reply to
Bob Villa

Sorry, if you don't believe me...you'll have to go to a gun shop! The only thing in common is the name.

Reply to
Bob Villa

I've never used this in a machine shop...but maybe you have!

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|/pc/104792580/c/104814180/sc/104585580/Brownells-4-oz-Oxpho-Blue/741268.=uts?destination=3D%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-gun-maintenance-solvents-l=ubes-bluing%2F_%2FN-1102326%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104585580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BM=M%253Bcat104814180&WTz_l=3DSBC%3BMM%3Bcat104814180%3Bcat104585580

Reply to
Bob Villa

Reply to
angelegallant

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