Painting over hot rolled strip?

[chunkolini]

Hi Guys i am just pitching for a job making some benches for a customer.
I am going to use 30x5mm hot rolled strip which have some cold bending and a lot of welding done to it during the build.
Am I ok painting over the mill scale or do I have to get them shot blasted prior to painting?
Cheers all, Chunko'

 

[astro_al]

It should be fine if you degrease it well & use a good primer.

Degreasing stock before cutting / welding it is best (so degrease the stock lengths before you use them) - its quicker, easier and you don't miss awkward corners.

Al.

 

[stormin]

May be obvious but you'll have to run a wire brush over the mill scale to remove any loose stuff that'll tend to crack on the bends.

 

[chunkolini]

I do normally degrease it and give it a light go over with a cup brush after forming it to get rid of any loose scale. So I can avoid the hassle and expense of shot blasting. Fien.
Chunko'.

 

[Hitch]

Would a very light blasting not be easier and quicker than cup brushing it all? Especially if theres lots of curves and stuff....?

 

[chunkolini]

Might be easier BUT the shot blasters are 12 miles away and I only have a motorbike or pushbike.
Distant memory kicks in, years back I used to soak it a solution of this stuff
http://www.bilthamber.com/deoxc.html which removes the oxide layer and cleans the metal. Am I getting old? I have a big pot of the stuff and had completely forgotten about it. Soak it overnight and the oxide wipes off with a rag.

Good grief, i am used to talking out loud to myself, but answering my own question on line.

Chunko'.

 

[astro_al]

That must be tricky - how do you manage not being able to pick stuff up / drop stuff off? I can't imagine not having my van! Al

 

[Chipper]

Does Deox take off millscale? It removes rust, ace stuff.

How about quick degrease first then run over the lengths with a fibre disc? Should whizz off the flakes and give a little scuff in the process, helps paint to key? Whereas wire brushes do the opposite, burnishing.
That's what I've done except take off as much scale as poss, for car stuff, but for a bench it shouldn't matter much, esp with thick enamel as well.

 

[chunkolini]

Managing without a vehicle?
Does not often cause problems, I have a few mates I can call in favours with, and I figure for delivering big stuff maybe three times a year hire a van and pay a mate is cheaper then buying a van and having it sat around unused 99% of the time.

DeoxC? takes mill scale off a treat, soak it overnight, I stand it in a lentgh of drain pipe, then just wipe it down with a scotchbrite pad, comes up a treat.

Fibre disc? pound quicker and less unpleasant then cup brushing

If the job comes in I will report back.

Chunko'.,

Chunko'.