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Q&As since 1989


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Aluminum K9 kennel turning dog's hair gray

Hello, my name is Robert. My best friend is the K9 deputy of our local police department. He recently got a new truck and cage for his German Shepard. The cage is made out of aluminum, the old one was steel and very heavy to lift in and out when cleaning time came around. Anyway, the cage was painted, but with the dog moving around and rubbing on the sides, some of the paint has come off. With the naked aluminum showing, and the dog rubbing on the sides, it is turning his hair gray. I know that this is a normal trait of aluminum, but is there anything that will neutralize the color changing effects? Is there a special kind of paint that will adhere to the aluminum and not rub off? Thank you for your time and consideration.

Robert L. Noble
consumer, welder of steel - Plattsmouth, Nebraska, USA
2007

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Surely the original paint job was unsatisfactory if the paint just rubbed off. The problem now is that new paint will connect to the sound aluminum substrate via a chain of layers and that chain has a weak link so the paint may continue to come off. The deputy should take it to a powder coating shop for stripping and proper pretreatment before powder coating. Otherwise the perps will tease grandpa Spike.

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