Do I need a primer?

[donnacarteruk]

Hi
I have a chrome plated pet cage for my rats and am looking to coat the bars to stop it rusting.
Somebody has recommended Plasti-kote for this as it's safe for kids toys.
Am I going to need to use a primer on the metal first or can I sparay on the plastic coating straight onto the metal?

Thanks
Donna

 

[Third_Eye]

The problem here is rats are different from babies (ofcoarse ) and if a chemical is used that could effect rats health then u would not want tpo use it incase they bite at it resulting in swallowing the paint. What type of metal is the cage ? Has it started rusting allready ?

 

[donnacarteruk]

The cage is brand new so it has not started rusting yet. I have had this type of cage before and due to the neccessary cleaningI know it will.
The boys are not really cage chewers as some rats are so I'm sure this will be fine. It was reccommended to me by several people on a rat forum.
As they sit in my living room, I want to keep the cage looking nice!
As far as I am aware, the cage is aluminium with chrome plating. I cannot find anywhere to say exactly what it is made of. The advert in zooplus.co.uk where I bought it from says it is chrome plated.
It's here if any one wants to take a look.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rat_cage/13281

 

[Third_Eye]

You state that "As far as I am aware, the cage is aluminium with chrome plating." Problem is aluminium does not rust ! So, i would assume its some form of steel. If so, it's steel then you would have to apply an oil based paint on any rusting metal. Therefore you will be unable to use an wate/acrylic based paint. The problem with most oil based paints is they have lead in them and if the rats bite/eat the paint then this can cause physical mentall illness in the rates due to lead piosining. Though i will get back to you on an possible paint procedure as i need to think whats best for your scenario.

 

[Scrit]

The problem with most oil based paints is they have lead in them and if the rats bite/eat the paint then this can cause physical mentall illness in the rates due to lead poisoning.

Aluminium happens to be very difficult to chrome plate, which is why you don't see it that often (except on planes). Are you sure about the lead in paints? I thought that lead had been banned except for a limited number of industrial coatings and that a lot of gloss had gone over to acrylic curl to provide the pigmentation. If they're plastic dipped (like Plasticoat handles on tools) the rodents would be through it in about 10 minutes - and in any case plastisers can cause sex change (at least in fish..... ). Sorry that's not a suggestion, only comments

Scrit

 

[donnacarteruk]

There is absolutely no rust at all on this cage as it is brand new. I am not entirely sure what the bars are made of, the place I got it from merely says chrome. Think I may have got the plated bit wrong. The boys will not chew the bars at all. Some rats do and some don't. I have kept rats for the last 5 years and I have never known any of them to chew the bars.

I have been speaking to people on the rat forum about this aswell and have been told that plasti-kote and japlac both work pretty well, although sometimes the finish is not too great with japlac as you have to brush it on and plasti-kote has been known to flake.

Just not sure wether to use a primer or not, as that apparently gives off some awful fumes and I have been told that if I do prime first I will need to leave the cage to air for 2 weeks before I use it.

 

[gcol]

I've heard it all now!
How do you manage to get the cage to rust? Do you spray them to clean them?
Can you not buy a stainless steel cage?

 

[donnacarteruk]

The cage goes rusty with age, normally as it has to get wet to get cleaned once a week. Normaly pet cages have been powder coated. This one is unusual as it's not, but considering most rat/ferret cages that are actually big enough to humanely house an animal range from £80 to £300, I got this one cheap at £60. Just want to prolong it's life a bit more!

 

[Third_Eye]

Scrit you wrote "Are you sure about the lead in paints? I thought that lead had been banned except for a limited number of industrial coatings" To reply to this then my concern with the wording of Dulux lead issue is they do not say "NO LEAD" but what they say is "NO ADDED LEAD" !!! Mmmmmmmmm strange wording i think! It seems to me a legal expert wrote "NO ADDED LEAD" !!!!!!!! Though i will do my homework on this very issue and get back to you. cos its like when food products label "NO ADDED SUGAR" meaning there food product has sugar due to the recipe requiring sugar but they have not added more sugar !!! Sex change hing is mad, hehe.

 

[jimbobo]

oil based paints dont have lead in them its 2006 not 1986

 

[papergirl]

Just out of curiosity, (yes I know it killed the rat, sorry cat,) how long did it take the cage to rust, if it took 5 years I would forget all the worry about repainting and just buy a new cage, because I understand by the year 2012 it will be ilegal to even use oil based paint . So you wont be able to do it anyway then, also i dont realy like the idea of this plasticote stuff for rodents, they may just get the inclination to have a chew because of the texture. You cannot guarantee they wont do it.

 

[donnacarteruk]

The cage IS brand new! I only considered coating it as I have known people who have this cage and it does corrode over time as it is chrome.

For anyone who wants to know, I have given up on the idea of coating it. The boys are now in it and very happy. It will probably last just long enough to see out their lifetimes.

For everyone else who told me to just buy a new cage - Have you seen how EXPENSIVE these cages are!?

We are not talking about a little 15 quid jobby for Hamsters from Wilko here! To keep a Rat/Ferret in a humanely sized cage they need about 1.5 sq feet each minimum ( for rats anyway).
Cages of this size are VERY EXPENSIVE! This one was £60, and that's on sale, normally thay retail at £85! Then you have to buy all the accessories to go in it as rats are very active animals. Shelves, tunnels, ladders, ropes, hammocks, bowls, water bottles, things to chew on etc etc.

Thanks anyway everyone.

 

[Third_Eye]

Hehe, "donnacarteruk". The problem here is if someone recomends a paint and your animals are found dead in the morning then you will probably come on this forum and say this and that, due to being upset. To be honest no-one wants that on there coinscence. However, there is paint for rust, click here http://www.duluxtrade.co.uk/webapp/...oSheet?catentryId=13845&productType=hammerite its called 'Hammerite No.1 Rust Beater'. Then for overcoating you could use 'Hammerite Radiator Shades (Water Based)' click here http://www.duluxtrade.co.uk/webapp/...oSheet?catentryId=13867&productType=hammerite

Though dont get annoyed with me if your animals personailities change or worse.

 

[donnacarteruk]

This was a strange question to start with, I know, but most pet cages are already coated so I haven't had to think about it before. I only bought this one as it was on sale and I needed something quick as the guys were in a tiny one level rabbit cage the rescue centre donated to me. I didn't want to spend £100 I haven't got on a cage that's too big for them.
Plasticote and Japlac were recommended to me by people on rat forums that I have been using for years so there are obviously no health risks involved as they have used it on their own rats cages and equipment.
I posted here as I needed information on the technical side of things. I did not expect to get the third degree about my rats health, especially from people who haven't a clue about keeping rats.
I appreciate that people are only concerned for my animals welfare/their consciences, but if I'd had a straight answer to my question in the first place, I wouldn't be so annoyed. I do not post on here telling people how to do plumbing jobs and laying flooring as I haven't a clue what I'm on about. Catch my point?
As it is, I have all the info I need on rats health from rat people and my own experience from the last 5 years. I just didn't want to coat my cage and then havie it all peel off again as I had not used a primer.

As I said before, I have scrapped the idea of coating the cage as I am sick of explaining to people about why I wanted to do it and the virtual zero risk of my rats being poisoned. The boys are quite happy in their new home and it will probably resist corroding just long enough to see them out til they pop off if I look after it properly.

Thankyou to everyone who tried to help me with my dilemma, and to those who lectured me about my rats being poisoned - bbbbllllllllllrrrrrrrr! *blows big sloppy raspberry*

Donna

 

[papergirl]

Miooooow