Zink plating, powder coat, or hammertone?

[BryanH]

For those of you with hammerite experience -> have you applied it directly to galvanized parts or did you use their primer first?

[Eric]

Ace Hardware carries Hammertone in qt and gallon cans.... At least here in Missouri....

[BryanH]

Well I gave up on Lowe's and gave up on finding Hammerite locally.  Called Merit Paint 800-726-5639 (out of NC) and ordered the silver grey ($42.64 / gal) and some galvanized primer (12.45 / qt).  Even after shipping the prices were better than my local ACE Hardware's prices for Rustoleum Hammertone.

I sure hope spraying it is easier than finding it!    If I'm lucky I'll have it in time to try it this weekend.

[sodaworks]

I don't use the primer. I clean the liners and tubs using a steam cleaner and sos pads. Then using my sandblaster I give a light blasting to give the paint some adhession. I hold the nozzle back about 2 feet (my compressor operates @ 150 psi) and I keep it moving to avoid metal distortion by heating the metal. As far as appling the paint, I spray down the first coat and wait about 10 minutes for it to just start tacking. Then I spray the second at a 90 degree angle from the first coat. I have found that I get the best results spraying it using this technique. I also thin the hammertone with reducer to get the desired fan spray from my gun, I'm guessing around 15-20% reducer added. I add the reducer used from cleaning my gun right back into the unused portion of the paint to eliminate waste. hope this helps. Terry

[sodaworks]

I order my hammerite from a automotive paint retailer. I use the silver gray color. Terry

[BrianB]

Terry,
Just a suggestion, To prevent metal distortion it's been recommended to me by Steve Jebb from Soda Jerk Works and a fella from Antique Vending that you shouldn't use any more than 80 psi with a 50 mesh media. Anything higher and you are toying with disaster. Normally I rely on my own experience, but when a suggestion from a guy that's been restoring machines as long as Steve has, I tend to follow his lead. But, this is just a suggestion.