Did they prime before paint in the old days?

[200.447]

Stuff like 50s-60s vintage grinders, tool boxes and cabinets, drill presses, floor jacks, and any other vintage equipment.

Or, was it all just painted over the bare metal when new?

Anyone have any examples of original paint on a vintage piece of equipment that shows signs of bare or primed metal underneath?

 

[FJ 432]

Hard to say as a overall but my guess is no.

They had much stronger (although not environmentally friendly) options.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

My Sheldon lathe is not primed underneath neither is my woodturning lathe

Sent from my P027 using Tapatalk

 

[Corndoggeh]

They were rarely primed, but at the same time the old enamel paints bonded a lot better with bare metal, probably had some form of etching in the paint to bond to bare metal easier and probably had harsher bonding agents as well.

Sadly its nearly impossible to find something thatt is enviromentally friendly, effective, and low cost.

 

[countryroad82]

For the most part of what I've seen, most industrial products even today aren't primed. If you buy say a new electric motor, it's straight grey or black paint. Nothing more nothing less. My Craftsman 26" stack I bought back in the early 00's is straight black paint with no primer under it that I can tell under the chips.

In my backyard/hillbilly testing through the years, paint on products that aren't necessarily handled on a regular basis (and some that are, check out heavy equipment as well) straight paint on well prepped and cleaned bare metal surface can last quite awhile. Heck some of my 'one day wonder' paint jobs have held up really well considering the very little prep work that went into it. A good case in point would be a Wilton vise I aquired awhile back. there was no paint left on it when I got it, I hit it with a wire brush very quickly, shot some starting fluid on it to clean it off, reached into my spray paint cabinet, and used the first color I grabbed hold of. It's been used a lot since then and still looks presentable.

I'm not saying that if you are restoring something to not use primer. By all means I DO know it will help with the longevity, but for giving something a spruce up quick and fast, most times I don't take the time for it.

 

[Maui]

I have heard what appear to be contradictory opinions when it comes to priming a surface before painting it. If you bring the surface of the part down to the bare clean metal with no rust or remnant paint, then painting on it directly with Rustoleum enamel spray paint should work well. And yes, I have done this myself many times in bench vise restorations - so far, so good. Others I have corresponded with have had machines they painted in this way last for at least 10 years with no issues at all, while the ones they primed before painting were starting to have some problems. I think it all boils down to how well you prep the surfaces for painting, and what type of paint you use.

Maui

 

[454ragtop]

I think most weren't primed, in fact I think most of the time the bare minimum of paint was applied. This is verified to me by the fact that stuff that was stored inside in a fairly dry environment has held up well, as climate deteriorates, so does the finish. I don't usually prime vises and other restores that will live inside, with a nice coat of paint, I haven't had any issues despite the often high humidity.

 

[200.447]

Thanks for the input, guys.

 

[Fretters]

It varies. The proper old red lead/oxide primer, I find on some pieces. Lead based finishes were tenacious, whether it be paint or primer. Personally though, I never use primer, and have never had a problem with paint adhesion. For something like a smooth steel surface, it might be worthwhile, but for cast, you don't need it.

 

[200.447]

Thanks, Fretters.

 

[fordcragar]

I was always taught that paint won't stick to bare metal. That said there are clear sealers that can be mixed to your color that can then be sprayed onto your part/piece or whatever. I'm sure over the years there has been made newer paint products that will do the job. I used to use a clear sealer by the name of XIM Flash Bond; which I liked and was recommended to me many years ago. The last time that I bought some it, it was hard to find.