How to paint metail railings

[WabbitPoo]

I've been asked to paint these railings:



As you can see, they are a bit rusty but generally in good nick. My instinct as to the approach is to:

1. rub down all over
2. prime
3. exterior u/c
4. exterior gloss

a) Do I need to rub down metal that ISN'T rusty?
b) What is best primer, and do I just prime the rusty bits?
c) oil-based u/c and gloss is better??

There's 65m of railing, so quite a task.......

 

[Bosswhite]

Depends on the price of the job, ( and how bored you will get painting the rails)

The better you clean off the rails the less rust, sandblast the railings will remove rust and oxides , (Oxides are what cause rusting) there are many specialist Primers/undercoats/top coats available

The bare minimum would be a rub down, scrape off rust scale, treat with rustoleum and a couple of coats of hammerite, (depending to exposure should last a couple of years.)

 

[Nige F]

Finish with Rustoleum Combi Colour ?

 

[Tigercubrider]

that's key-klamp isn't it?
it's normally galvanised. So I'd just remove the rust where the galvanising has failed and paint with hammerite or rustoleum type

 

[Robbie uk]

As its weathered The galvanising wont have much effect on paint now. Id use a rust preventer like Jenolite or Kurust and then oil based undercoat and gloss.

 

[WabbitPoo]

Thanks to all. The problem seems to be the state of the underlying metal...they seem to want a perfect finish, while the surface appears to me to be badly pitted.