Industrial gray paint suggestions

[ed_v]

I’m building some metal cabinets for my shop here at work. Im coping the design of some cabinets we store mill tooling in. I need a suggestion on what would be a good paint to use that will stand up to some abuse.

Ed

 

[bdbecker]

Can't go wrong with Rustoleum Professional in Smoke Gray.

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-c...ofessional/high-performance-protective-enamel

Its what we use here at work (various colors). I also painted my garage shelves with it ~4 years ago and it seems to be holding up well. Nice part is if you need touch up, its easy to find.

 

[matt_i]

Its too early to report but I just got some RustOleum Marine enamel (primer + color) that I hope to blend with the enamel hardener. Allegedly it has better UV longevity than the "standard" paint.

Whatever you use, an enamel hardener will help you out. Thus far I have used the TSC - Majic brand with standard Rustoleum with reasonable success indoors.

 

[lukedwag]

PPG Pithane Ultra

 

[karoc]

How bout some pics of those cabinets, I like the ideal of a better way to store end mills etc.

 

[larry4406]

Are you guys spraying or brush/roller the Rustoleum Professional ?

 

[bdbecker]

Are you guys spraying or brush/roller the Rustoleum Professional ?

Brush

 

[IndyGarage]

I've been painting equipment with Valspar Anti Rust for several years. Works good. They carry it at the local Lowe's, and can tint it to any color. I even got some tinted to that Clark neon green and it came out great.

 

[ed_v]

How bout some pics of those cabinets, I like the ideal of a better way to store end mills etc.

I can't show you pics of the ones at work. Photos inside the plant are a fireable offense. The cabinets I'm making use the same outer shell design as the ones at work, but mine will have just standard fixed shelves in them. The ones at work have slide out shelves with holders for Cat50 tooling. I'll post some pics of mine after they are finished. Parts are cut out on the laser. I still have some bending and welding to do.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I really appreciate it.

Ed

 

[dr_clyde]

PPG Pithane Ultra

Pithane is a hella good paint. Expensive, and kind of overkill for some cabinets, but I like where you're coming from. I've used it to paint stuff like trailer frames, has held up amazing.

For most shop cabinetry and general shop paint I've had good luck with Benjamin Moore Corotech Urethane.

 

[bushmechanic]

I'd hit a local powder shop and ask them if they're shooting any gray in the near future.

 

[justiz00]

ANSI 61 is the Grey we use for our enclosures on equipment, basically “machine grey”.

 

[sberry]

I like a common color and not all that fussy for furniture but as a side note agree with one of the posts above that where there is frame blast and paint and going in to extreme service a top paint is well worth it. Some kind of epoxy stuck on there like bear shat. Truck or trailer depreciated before it starts to rust.

 

[sberry]

An Imron job out in the sun or grime looks as good at 15 and 20 years as does that equipment enamel from the farm store does at 3 and a spray can at 1. Inside, in a shop not such a big deal. Some of that I have painted well where you could see and no one ever notices.
Building cabs could go a lot of directions, had a bud build some custom steel and give a collector car finish to. In a shop there might be some wiggle room regarding cost, just depends on how nice you want them. As I mention I am not a fussy **** to be real pretentious but some paint prior to going in to service makes for taking better care, making it pleasing is an asset. Just cause its psychological doesnt mean its not real.
Got these at an auction and they were dreary, the mechanical was fine. Wipe up, mask off and spray can. On some equipment, on some building no one notices the perfect paint but overspray is terrible.

 

[sberry]

I have painted shelves, have 3 major sets fully painted. This however,, I got 2,,, but can see it when I first set it in and tossed uo on it, there are later pics but they had been painted some green way back before I gottem auction and before I loaded them up, night before smaoo roller the faces of them white, next morning was about dry and we started tossing on them. I have had some minor revisions and need to whittle some more down but could load them even heavier with a little work.

 

[sberry]

I sub sort or process so it can be stored and collect steel. I dont save a lot of whole assemblies type thing unless there is a plan but aint scared to chop up the tubing off a swing set etc. I like a lot of it better than raw stock from the steel yard, so much finish work all done for free, so many bends in an appliance jacket, half the time I can find a piece with a hole in it. Cut in the chop saw.
I didnt paint this, I replace some bolts and fix a couple shelves, forgot to paint it. Its braced to the building.

 

[LeeG]

I use Rustoleum Dark Machine Grey. It is pretty much the same as ANSI 61. I contrast it with Light Machine Grey.

Here is my shelving end cap done in light, with dark for the tool holders.

View media item 101383

 

[coljar]

I use the Smoke Gray Rustoleum on my vises and some other items in the shop.

 

[ed_v]

Thanks guys. I'm going with the Rustoleum Professional in light machine gray.

Ed

 

[dmcintosh]

I used a similar paint for the cabinets in my garage. I took it a step further and decided to try my hand at spraying, so I bought the $10 gun from Harbor Freight, thinned the paint and went to town. Aside from running a little short of paint, it went well, and seems to helloing up very well after about 5 years (including a move last year).