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Q&As since 1989


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Clear sealing of raw steel

I have some steel shapes that have been polished with a grinder and are going to be mounted outside. I was wondering what is the best way to clear coat these so they won't rust.

Russ Hines
hobbyist - Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
2007

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The raw steel on automobiles is first galvanized, then phosphatized, then electropainted, then painted with several finish coats, Russ. That is done partially for appearance but mostly so they won't rust outside. So recognize that you are asking how you can skip the galvanizing step, plus skip the phosphating step, plus skip the electrocoating step, and still have good corrosion resistance outdoors with just a finish coat of clearcoat. The answer is, unfortunately, you can't, and you'll probably have to re-clearcoat the items frequently -- as a guess at least every three years in the dry Albuquerque environment.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007