I've stripped back some railings right back to the dark metal. I want to paint them black using an oil based paint. But do I need to paint on an undercoat first or is okay to put the finishing coat straight on?
I would generally use Zinc Phosphate primer rather than an undercoat for most stripped back railings, followed by a good quality one coat gloss system.
i would always recommend priming metal work. for railings i tend to use red oxide primer. this gives good adhesion properties, protects against corrosion and gives a good surface to apply undercoat. make sure you get rid of all rust with a wire brush before priming.
depends on what finish your after though. if glossing i would prime, undercoat and gloss.
another option is prime with red oxide and then apply black hammerite straight over the top.
Ah, I just presumed you meant exterior railings.
If they are dark then it is probably likely that they are some form of ferrous metal and therefore I would still use some kind of metal primer. It doesn't have to be the zinc phosphate or red oxide as a universal metal primer will be fine indoors.
You may well 'get away' with just the oil based finish coat but, personally, I would use a primer to be sure of longevity.
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