Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists

It's an Ifor canopy so it will be made of ally, any primer will do the job, this name "etch primer" is a bit of a red herring, all primers etch. The stuff you get in a spray can will be solvent based.

I use single pack acid etch primer on bare steel or ally, that is solvent based.

Avoid all 2 pack paints unless you know what you are doing and have air fed mask etc, they can make you very ill very quickly.

Unless you have a decent compressed air spray setup already, I wouldnt bother spraying. The main advantage of spraying is speed, you will get just as good a finish with a roller, it will just take a bit longer. As Treequip says, the key is in the prep.

a tin of tractol and a brush

The front panel on my chip box is painted (badly) and is all peeling off. I need to do it again, its zintec steel, like the rest of the box, but the rest is only visible inside so didnt need painting.

So, what make of paint on primer should I get for it? Peter?

Ooops, I read back, instead of black, thought you were on about sign-writing.

Tractor paint/enamel can look good when done well - as said, prep is the most important thing.

Lack of prep is usually what causes peeling, I blast clean first, but you don't want to do that to your zintec as it will take the coating off. I haven't used zintec myself, but a good steam clean, wire brush, then clean with white spirit should get it ready.

If its a smallish area get an aerosol of acid etch primer, and finish with an enamel gloss. (Or Dulux, it will look just as good) You can get aerosols of primer for about a fiver off ebay.

For part of my chip box that is galvy I was told to use a flexy paint for mettle guttering and down pipes as will stick well and take the bangs of chip hitting the outher side better, no good on ally so I have bin told. Etch prima it is for the canopy then. ow and a dry day to do it on-might be a while....

The other thing is a special metals primer. Hammerite do one and I think it is now available in a spray can. Then you can just spray over with black hammerite. This should be fine for a canopy and is cheap to reapply when required.

You could always bring it to Oldham and i will spray it for free if you buy the paint