Painting metal cabinets.

[old__man]

What's the best way to paint a few metal cabinets?

I bought some used metal storage cabinets from a government auction. They are already painted, with some wear and tear, in either government-grey or light tan. Is there an easy way to paint these? Paint brush, rattle can, or buy a electric paint sprayer?

I want to somewhat not look like sh!t but also not be that expensive to do however I am not against spending money on a paint sprayer if it means a having a new tool/toy I could use for other things.


They are similar to this thing

 

[rcktsled]

Rattle cans are quick but expensive, not very durable and your index finger will hurt.

Brushing paint is a pain and probably won't look good unless you're very experienced.

Spray equipment is best but expensive to buy in, very messy and there is a learning curve.

Do you have Hammerite in Canada? You can roll it on, it looks good in a shop setting and it's very durable. It takes a little practice to get the right thickness on the surface for a good look but the results are great. Highly recommended.

 

[dmcintosh]

I used one of these to paint my cabinets. https://www.harborfreight.com/20-fl-oz-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-62300.html
Did the job well enough to match my skill level, and the final product looks good enough for my garage storage needs.

 

[matt_i]

I'm a crappy painter, I would try to find someone who was a good one and setup for that, and either pay them or swap-work.

Normally I just live with the original patina on them.

 

[bad_idea]

I bought a gallon of Industrial Enamel from the local Sherwin-Williams. Cost $40 after the company discount, (list $78). Some durable paint. Sticks to almost anything too. I scuffed the cabinets a bit and then rolled it on with a 4" mini roller. They turned out good. Not an automotive finish, but looks good. Has held up well.

 

[Chrysis]

You would be amazed at the results you can get with an oil based enamel and Pentrol https://www.homedepot.com/p/Flood-Penetrol-1-Qt-Clear-Paint-Additive-FLD4-04/100130893 using a roller brush.

 

[PelicanPines]

You would be amazed at the results you can get with an oil based enamel and Pentrol https://www.homedepot.com/p/Flood-Penetrol-1-Qt-Clear-Paint-Additive-FLD4-04/100130893 using a roller brush.

Learn something new every day... knew that stuff existed... but didn't know it's name.

Thank you...

 

[Chrysis]

Di nada,
I used Penetrol and enamel for fiberglass to paint our little fiberglass travel trailer. It looks like it was a sprayed automotive finish. It does slow the dry time a bit though.

 

[audioworks04]

Personally I would spray them with tractor enamel. It is cheap, easy to work with and very durable. You could brush or roll it on, but spraying would give the best finish. If you choose to roll, I would recommend a foam “winnie” roller and lay the cabinet on its back to minimize vertical surfaces, this will help with runs.


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[old__man]

Awesome, thanks for the suggestions. I am going to try to source Penetrol where I live.

 

[920kip]

Rustoleum hammered paint. Comes in a quart for around $14.00. Use a 6" mini roller. 1 quart should do a couple of cabs iirc.
Very durable surface. Prolly 8 color choices

 

[1badbird]

9.99 hf paint gun and tractor enamel is what i use, cheap and easy.

 

[bullnerd]

9.99 hf paint gun and tractor enamel is what i use, cheap and easy.

And once you practice on the cabinets you can take on other paint projects.

HF gun gets my vote.

 

[old__man]

Seeing as there is no HF up here can someone show me which 9.99 HF gun you guys are talking about?

 

[John in OH]

No suggestion on the actual painting of cabiinets, but FYI, I bought a Wagner electric sprayer a few years ago to do some simple painting. That thing was a total POS !!! I literally threw it in the trash after a couple of failed painting efforts. Don't waste your money or time.

 

[KenC]

Seeing as there is no HF up here can someone show me which 9.99 HF gun you guys are talking about?

I think Princess Auto is the Canadian equivalent of HF and this:

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/1-8-mm-hvlp-gravity-feed-paint-spray-gun/A-p8528507e

is the gun. Canadian price of course. But this one has the attached regulator while the cheap HF does not

 

[FULLSCALE302]

I bought three cabinets similar to that earlier this year... then sold one and made almost all my money back!

I was bored one evening so decided to paint a Jays logo. Make sure you use a good etching primer and clean the surface very well. I learned the hard way that the paint won’t adhere properly to the powder coat without the primer. I used Dominion Sure Seal SEP primer and Krylon aerosol cans and applied using a plastic handle that snaps onto the can to use it like a spray gun.

I plan on priming the rest and possibly painting it a solid colour... or flames... not too sure yet! Sorry about the sideways pictures, that’s all my phone would post!

 

[old__man]

I think Princess Auto is the Canadian equivalent of HF and this:

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/1-8-mm-hvlp-gravity-feed-paint-spray-gun/A-p8528507e

is the gun. Canadian price of course. But this one has the attached regulator while the cheap HF does not

What size compressor do I need for that thing? I don't have a big one.

 

[DGersic]

HF says 6 CFM @ 40 PSI.

I used one, having never painted anything with HVLP before. More than happy with the results, using Rustoleum enamel. Plan on an hour of gun cleanup when you’re done.


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[old__man]

Other questions for the GJ brain trust.

Which tip to I want? 1.4, 1.8, or 2.3. or get a combo of 1.4 and 1.8?

Can this also be used to throw down some wood stain on board?

 

[PAToyota]

Do you have Hammerite in Canada? You can roll it on, it looks good in a shop setting and it's very durable. It takes a little practice to get the right thickness on the surface for a good look but the results are great. Highly recommended.

Yep. Rolled on Hammerite...

 

[DynoDave]

I inherited these steel kitchen cabinets from my Grandma's house when Dad redecorated it.

Yellowed by 40-50 years of grease and cigarette smoke, they needed a new finish. And I didn't want to paint them. So I covered them in a satin finish off white contact paper. It's vinyl, so it cleans up easily if I get greasy finger prints on it. I think they came out nice. Been...gosh, 20 years now? Long time anyway, and they still look good.

 

[MrBreeze]

I've done the same as the OP - acquired a few cabinets on the cheap of various colors and I went the cheap/lazy route with rattle can as I went with the old-school light green color.

For those concerned about "spray can finger fatigue" I used this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UGHLSDU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

they work surprisingly well.

 

[old__man]

I've done the same as the OP - acquired a few cabinets on the cheap of various colors and I went the cheap/lazy route with rattle can as I went with the old-school light green color.



they work surprisingly well.

Do you have pictures of how it turned out? How much in rattle cans did it cost you. I was thinking a similar colour.

This is the collection of them sitting in the other garage.

 

[MrBreeze]

Do you have pictures of how it turned out? How much in rattle cans did it cost you. I was thinking a similar colour.

This is the collection of them sitting in the other garage.

I don't have any pics, but it took about 2 cans per cabinet for 2 coats - I didn't do the inside, just the front, sides, top. Left the back and inside the gray. The cabinets are the 72" tall, 36" wide ones.

 

[jvitez]

Penetrol for oil paint and Floetrol for Latex, make sure you get the right one. Foam rollers can do a great job on metal surfaces if you don't want to go the spray route.

BTW: Carrera Targa? 87-89?

 

[lilredex]

Get this PAL gun... it regularly goes on sale for around $12. Works just fine with a smaller compressor.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/gravity-feed-detail-paint-spray-gun/A-p8006022e

Work samples here...

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=295133

You can do a lot with very little.

 

[old__man]

Penetrol for oil paint and Floetrol for Latex, make sure you get the right one. Foam rollers can do a great job on metal surfaces if you don't want to go the spray route.

I ended up getting hammered paint in a can. I didn't want to spend money on countless spray cans. I find they have very little coverage for the $$$. Did I get the right rollers?

Rollers

Paint

BTW: Carrera Targa? 87-89?

Very good. 88. Bought in '07, prices were a lot different back then.

 

[rburke65]

Rustolium and a HF foam rollers.

 

[NebrTd]

If you don't want to spray the paint I would use rustoleum thinned with mineral spirits. Roll it on with the 4" smooth foam rollers. This is what some have used to paint vehicles. It will take multiple thin coats but it is kind of self leveling. If done correctly, you will never know it was rolled on.

 

[countryroad82]

My shop is lined with those style cabinets. I bought them out of a school auction cheap little at a time. All are pretty beat and had been painted multiple times haphazardly and just generally looked like ****. I'm a paint and body man by trade so I decided to make them all one color and just presentable. I wiped them all down with a rag soaked in used lacquer thinner (I keep it after I clean a gun for multiple purposes) and just sprayed them with some Rustoleum (machinery?) grey. That's been probably 10-12 years ago and they have held up great. A little dusty from being in a bodyshop environment and one has a pretty good dent from a flying wrench (long story) but overall for what little prep work I put in them they look great for junk cabinets screwed to the walls that were basically wiped down and sprayed.

I honestly didn't think it would hold as long as it has because I had future plans to later strip them and repaint them correctly but now I believe if they EVER do start chipping or flaking I'll just scrape the worst off and give them another shot lol.

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Knew an old guy heck 30 years ago that bought and sold cars. He painted them with a paint brush and it was the deepest, brightest colors you could imagine. He waited for a sunny day, left the vehicle in the sun, let it get HOT. Paint and watch the paint melt together for a beautiful coat. People always teased him when he said he painted them with a brush, but they always commented on how nice his vehicles looked.