There is an aluminium extrusion that I want to use for an LED strip light. But, it is anodized and I want it painted the same colour as the wall. It will be inside and 8ft above ground so well out of the way of any knocks or wear.
What preparation would I have to do to allow it to take Vinyl Matt paint?
Maybe just some acid-etch primer?
Cheers, T i m
I'd try just cleaning it and painting. Remember, the surface of aluminium is actually aluminium oxide - and with anodised, it is a just thicker layer. Any attempt to use acid or similar will either do nothing or affect the anodised layer.
See how it goes on a bit of kitchen foil? The fitting will almost certainly be better.
Depends how it is sealed most cheap stuff will have a lacquer type finish m ore exotic is teflon, neither of which are good bases for paint. A rub down with fine wet & dry will remove the top surface but take care the oxide la yer is only microns thick and it is easy to rub down to the base metal. The n again if you are painting that may not matter too much.
Richard
+1. Just wash and try a bit and see, if it doesn't wet properly then fine steel wool and if that does not work, wet and dry.
That does seem to be the way forward. I have a short sample that I will experiment on first and report back.
I wouldn't use steel wool, tiny bits will get lodged in the soft ally and rust these will show through emulsion in time. Wet & dry will be OK.
Definitely etch primer as otherwise although anodised surfaces can be painted, it tends to pull of like a film or bubble if you do not create some way for it to grip. I know I tried to paint one with a can of car paint, some mat black and also emulsion and none was very useful. Brian
Yes but who is going to care under the paint. I mean if you wanted a transparent coat then certainly you do not want to make it worse, but under the paint the top surface of oxide is actually quite impermiable if its been done right. One gotcha can be the ends as if its been cut those will not be anodised and be bare ally. Brian
You could paper it first. Use self-adhesive brown paper tape, perhaps.
Iron + Ali + water = ali corrosion. Be cautious of mixing the 2.
oxide layer - anodising - takes pain pretty well, but you probably want to use something like a car spray undercoat on it first. Or even an 'acid etch' primer
Interesting point. I was just thinking of something abrasive to get through any lacquer, not expecting to polish back through the anodised layer. I usually find steel wool more useful than wet and dry on "profiled" metal. I still think it would be OK for inside use, and therefore not going to get wet.
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