Mandolin stand...respray?

[clobflute]

Can anyone tell me how to repsray a black mandolin stand?

I bought a can of Rustoleum high gloss white spray paint which the shop told me can go directly onto painted metal which can be cleaned with hot water.

Got home and the instructions say that the surface should be primed.

Can I use white spirit to clean off any dust and grease and just spray directly?

Or will the spray paint just come off?

[John Kelly]

The priming is to give the bare metal a key so that the paint holds well to it. if your stand is already painted then I'd think you can just spray on to the existing paint after giving it a clean, as you say here. There may be other considerations I have not thought about, so hold on for another few opinions first, but at the worst you new paint will not adhere well to the existing paint.

[Rick Lindstrom]

If the paint that you are over-spraying has any gloss at all, it'd be a good idea to knock it down with some steel wool or Scotch Brite before putting on the new paint. That way it'll have a better chance of adhering.

[8ch(pl)]

Do not use white spirits, it will probably leave a film. You can use naptha, it will leave a clean surface. If you want to use the White Spirits, you can remove any film it leaves with naptha. Alcohol will also leave a good finish. Just buy a Spray-can of Automotive Primer and spray any bare metal areas. If you can find White primer you can give the whole item a coat, after coating the bare areas, then proceed with a couple of coats of the white Rustoleum. If you lay the primer on until the Black dissapears you will know that it will not show through the final coat. There is also a Grey Automotive primer that may cover even better.

The rule of thumb with those of us who made a living spraying paint is this, the darker the colour, the more it shows the underlying defects in the surface. Going to white is a smart move on your part. The only disadvantage I could see is that it may reflect sunlight back to the player in an outdoor venue. Gloss paint also shows defects more than matte paint.

[8ch(pl)]

You should also either sand or use a Scotch-brite pad to give the painted surface a bit of `tooth`that will help the paint adhere. I would go with the Scotch-brite.

[Tom Cherubini]

The primer's function is to prevent whatever is under it from bleeding through, and/or preventing the Rustoleum top paint from chemically interacting with whatever's beneath, including the metal itself. Fast-dry spray primers are available at the same store where you bought the Rustoleum.