Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

Aluminum artwork needs repair and resurfacing - help

I am an artist who has to repair and refinish a cast aluminum sculpture. It is a 20 ft work made up of 80 cast rings welded together. The original surface was sandblasted and then a dark automotive paint rubbed into the surface.
I have had to recast and replace some of the rings. My challenge is to make all the rings appear the same.The sculpture has sat outside for 5 years and most of the automotive paint has now disappeared.
My question is: Do I have to wire brush or degrease (if so what product) the entire sculpture (huge amount of intricate work) or can I simple wipe it down and start working the surface with automotive paint.Or is there something else I should be doing to the surface to clean or stabilize it?
Any suggestions to cut down on the labor would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Sandra Bromley

2006

You can clean it with proprietary cleaner ,then you can use any good conversion coating, and after that you can paint it . Good luck and hope it helps!

Goran Budija

2006