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-----Painting on an old tin suitcase
My hobby is painting scenes and different pictures on items. One thing I paint on is old suitcases. I currently have an old tin suitcase that I would like to paint a scene on but am afraid that the paint will not stay on. Can anyone suggest what I should do as a primer or something before I paint on it? It seems to me it needs to be something that will give with the sides of the suitcase.
Ann Singletonhobbyist - McPherson, Kansas
December 28, 2009
Hi, Ann. I'm happy that you recognize the importance of good adhesion. Some people think paint has no flexibility, but it does; if you have good adhesion, you can probably expect the paint to stick even with a reasonable amount of flexing. You need to clean the surface well. perhaps with a scrub brush ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] and detergent solution. If you see no metal flaking, sanding may not be necessary; if you do see metal flaking, it must be sanded off. Then use a Self-etching primer ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] and I think you'll be okay.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
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December 28, 2009
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