Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Using Permalac to Achieve a European Enamel Look

Permalac's effectiveness as a direct to metal clear is well established. Recently we have been getting more interest from our customers who want Permalac's adhesion and corrosion resistance with color. I wanted to see how effective Permalac could be when carrying color and would it cover color. These aluminum snack bowls where one of the tests I came up with. Originally they had  a mirror finish, but some goofball (me) put them in the dishwasher. That wrecked them, but since they were already ruined I could do with them as I pleased. I decided to go for this enamel look. I sprayed on a layer of the base color, led it set up for a few minutes, and then airbrushed on the secondary colors. Then three coats of Satin/Gloss Permalac and it was finished. 
Currently we are still testing the colors you see here. When they're ready, we'll post it here.



Reclaimed Steel and Permalac

Just to amplify on Les' post : What is the big deal with painting salvaged metal?

For one, the salvaged metal must be stripped of all the old paint, and rust. This involves using paint strippers and chemicals that definitely add to the "carbon" load of the planet. And then applying a primer, and then painting over it. The labor, and cost involved can deter most users.

Using Black Permalac EF, a low VOC black coating allows many of these steps to be taken away. No need to strip the paint or rust, and no need for a primer. Metals that would have prohibitive to re-treat, can now be reused easily.