Painting aluminum

“Im gonna paint an aluminum ext pack frame,anybody know what is the best type of paint to use?And should I use primer first?Thanks alot!”

“Yes, use primer first! Find one that specifies aluminum, too. Was the aluminum clear anodized or anything first? You may need to very lightly scuff it for best adhesion. Also, you definitely need to wipe it down with denatured alcohol or acetone first, to clean it.

You may also want to look around to see if there's any anodizing companies in your area. Sometimes they can cut you a really good deal, and the results look great. If they offer hard anodizing, the end result will be between graphite and flat black. It's a sulfuric acid type treatment. There's a million color options these days, too.”

“i agree with treebait, scuff the whole frame first and then primer it. then maybe go with a gloss or flat paint depending on what you want. try either krylon or rustoleom and then a good clear coat.”

“How much weight will the paint job add to your pack?”

“How much weight will the paint job add to your pack?”

Hmm,I dont think my scale goes that low!! LOL

Thanx alot for the info!! Im not trying for anything too fancy ,olive drab or maybe camo will do me. Happy holidays!”