Painting shiny stainless steel.

[Douglas]

I have an idea to paint some shiny stainless plate (it's for an advertisement). The stainless has been kicking around for long enough (2mm thick) and it would serve the purpose I'm thinking of it's just that I fear the paint won't stick, any ideas anyone?
Thanks,
Douglas.

 

[brightspark]

a light rub over with wetand dry and acid etch prime it

 

[Douglas]

Thanks brightspark, the problem is that we're intending to sign-write (lots of letters and numbers) on said SS sheet so to wet & dry then acid etch without affecting the whole shininess thing that's not to be painted would be super difficult methinks. I was wondering if there was an easy way out so that the artist could crack on and simply paint. I fear there isn't an easy way to it, if so I'll probably just use ply-wood although the idea seemed good at the time!
Douglas

 

[brightspark]

the etch primer would be ok to use without rubbing down. that would have just given it extra key

 

[SC_BK]

Thanks brightspark, the problem is that we're intending to sign-write (lots of letters and numbers) on said SS sheet so to wet & dry then acid etch without affecting the whole shininess thing that's not to be painted would be super difficult methinks. I was wondering if there was an easy way out so that the artist could crack on and simply paint. I fear there isn't an easy way to it, if so I'll probably just use ply-wood although the idea seemed good at the time!
Douglas

Sign write as in painting by hand or vinyl lettering?

 

[knoba]

I've been wanting to make a stainless steel car, from scratch, for about two years now. I've done quite a bit of research on it already. For colouring I was thinking of spraying it with permanent ink marker dyes. The coating would not last forever, and would be semi-translucent, but stripping & respraying would be a doddle (I can re-spray the whole thing, in a new colour, in a matter of hours).

I think it would be a very interesting & totally new finish when seen over the top of mirror polished stainless steel. Something akin to coloured anodised aluminium.

Not sure if this fits your needs?

Have you considered magnetic sign-age? Martensitic (4 series) & some cold formed Austenitic (3 series) S/S have some permanence.

The passivation of S/S (our rust less friend) is, ironically, what stops other things sticking to it.

HTH

 

[Douglas]

Sign write as in painting by hand or vinyl lettering?

Now there's a thing - just make the sign and send it to the sticky letter dude.
We were thinking along the lines of hand painting for financial reasons but I'm thinking now that, for my purposes, a pro job with sticky letters might be the answer. Just need to get it put together now (and find the pennies!).
Thanks for all the replies,
Douglas

 

[runnach]

Hi Douglas,

Have you given thought to masking tape whole of shiny surface, then pencil/stencil on letters/numbers, then cut around area where you want the numbers/letters to be, then sand blast area free from masking tape. Then perhaps a clear powder coating to keep whole job in good nic?

If you take a peek at my "various stuff" album, there is a mirror there that Mrs R did, using same method, except rear of mirror was masked and blasted.

Cheers..............

 

[lexi]

I've been wanting to make a stainless steel car, from scratch, for about two years now

Careful mate.....look what happened to John De Lorean

 

[Chipper]

Similar to Runnach, if you can make a computer image of what you want sign-written, you can get a print shop to cut vinyl masks. Could use that as mask for blasting or dust of etch primer.
I've done similar for paint masks.

Would have thought a decent hand-painted sign would be more expensive? Because of the time. But to me trad sign-writing is a great skill and looks great vs vinyl letters.