Paint remover or perhaps lacquer thinner, but it'll damage your brain
if you breathe too much of it. Or catch fire... Use the remover...

Then, there's Aluminum primer with Zinc Chromate which will allow
lacquer to stick. you can get it in spray cans. Is there a Mohawk
outlet in your area? One of the industrial suppliers? Home Depot?

I find that for some surfaces, a hairdryer or heat gun helps me get
a uniform finish that is neither saggy nor orangepeel, and has very
few embedded bits of lint / dust... / mark


Stuff wrote:

Hello,
I want to repaint a few aluminum panels from the 60s. The panels still
have their original paint on them, but they are all scratched. They
are about 2 x 1 foot each. I have a can of new lacquer of the color I
want.
How do I prepare the surface properly, considering that the old paint
was probably applied professionaly with all sorts of wacky chemicals
that are no longer available?
I want to keep whatever base is under there so I don't expose the
aluminum, and just get that surface ready for the new paint.
Also, the look is important, they are very smooth and the the paint
looks very flat, no lumps or bumps.
The new paint is Sherwin-Williams Omni Pak lacquer. I've checked the
site for info. Can't find much, they seem to concentrate on house
paint...
I just don't know where to start. Sandpaper clogs, machine tools are
too aggressive, steel wool, rotary brushes, materials, etc .... it's
tough.