Edward A. Falk wrote:

Hi all; I'm approaching the stage where I need to paint the trailer
I'm building.

Can anybody give me advice or talk about their experiences working
with angle iron? The metal I'm using if filthy, coating my hands
black if I handle it too much. Is that coating some sort of
protective material or is the metal just dirty? What's the best way
to remove it? I'm guessing that a pressure washer isn't such a good
idea .

Having cleaned it, how do I paint it? What kind of paint do I use and
where do I get it?

Actually, anybody know of a paint shop on the SF peninsula that can do
a decent, cheap job?


Get a gallon of kerosene and a stiff long-handled brush. Get busy - scrub
the thing good. Then wipe it down with rags dampened with clean solvent,
followed by blowing it dry. If there is loose rust and scale, use a knotted
cup wire brush on an angle grinder to knock it off. Then paint it with
quality oil-based enamel primer, let it dry, and topcoat as desired with
any good paint. I suggest black full gloss enamel. Gloss prevents rust
much better than semigloss, as the latter has tiny crevices in it - that's
how it looks less glossy. Where it's thinner, can be tiny holes that are
where rust starts. Keep a can of the paint for touchup. It's just a trailer.

Grant