Paint ideas/tips wanted

[gsebast1]

Just got four of these cool shelving racks from a family member. They are really strong, US made. I was told they came out of a defense manufacturing plant many, many years ago.
The shelves slide out like drawers or can be removed....each shelf could hold a lot of weight. They also have really good casters and a brake that locks against the floor. (I'm a sucker for tools on wheels) I want to use these shelves for holding heavy parts for car restoration projects.

They are in good shape but some have a bit of surface rust. It looks like they have some kind of galvanized/zinc plating on them.

Any suggestions what to use to paint them with?

I'm thinking that I will hit them with a wire cup on a drill to get the rust off and then power wash. I was kinda thinking about silver or gray hammerite paint but open to suggestions. Also looking for material about 1/4"-3/8" to cut to fit the shelves to make them solid. I can use Plywood but anything should work.

 

[isb cornbinder]

Paint will likely not stick to the galvanized (zinc ) surface. Try power washing and try to live with what you get. I have several similar rolling racks that came from an ice cream factory.
I was able to buy some rattle can zinc spray to touch up a few spots.

 

[CGT80]

x2 on leaving them as is.

They would be a pain to paint. I would use a conventional binks pressure pot or airless if I painted them (I used to be a painter) but it is messy and takes a bunch of work for something that would get scraped up by parts. You can buy primers that are made to adhere to galvanized metal, but I never went back to check up on something I knew was galvanized to see if it failed. Zinsser primers are my favorite.

I have used galvanized spray and it holds up pretty well. The track that my sliding gate rides on is angle steel that I cleaned and sprayed with a rattle can. The part that the wheels touch is polished, but where they don't touch, the galvanize coating looks good and silver. I would just touch those up if they really needed it. A scotch bright pad might knock the rust off.

 

[gsebast1]

x2 on leaving them as is.

They would be a pain to paint. I would use a conventional binks pressure pot or airless if I painted them (I used to be a painter) but it is messy and takes a bunch of work for something that would get scraped up by parts. You can buy primers that are made to adhere to galvanized metal, but I never went back to check up on something I knew was galvanized to see if it failed. Zinsser primers are my favorite.

Funny you mention this. I got 6 old style spray guns when I picked these up. A couple of them are Binks.
I know the Por 15 products adhere to a zinc phosphate prep. Thinking of asking the Por 15 people what might work. I've had great luck with their products.
These racks actually look more like cadmium plating than zinc/galvanized.

 

[sberry]

Scuff and spray them.

 

[tjdux]

Therebis a brand of rattle called GALMET which is suposed to be something like galvanized coating in a can and ive heardngood things about it. Check out their website.

Galvanized flashing in a 24 in roll may fit in there nicley to make them solid. A few rivets with washers to hold it on there. Otherwise plywood or much more expensive but thin plate metal

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[ard]

Would powdercoat work on that??