Trailer paint recommendations

[Avocet]

Not sure if this belongs here or in the "painting" section? - Mods, feel free to move if appropriate!

I have a big, old and very rusty trailer that I'm rebuilding. It's entirely open section steel (angle and channel only) so I don't have to worry about internal cavities. At present it's almost entirely back to bare (but rusty) metal. Bashing it with a big hammer gets the big loose flakes off but there is, of course, some powdery surface rust under that. Any recommendations for paint? Hammerite? POR 15? Something with some zinc in it followed by something else? Some parts of it still have areas of the old paint (something grey, I know not what) on them that are still sound. All suggestions gratefully received!

 

[Burnerman]

Curiously enough, I've never found thet Hammerite does anything like it says on the tin, but one good product they make is the pink liquid thats painted onto rust, and it then changes colour to blue / black.....it'll be called Kurust or something.
After that, its a cheap metal primer followed by a heavy topcoat of gloss.
I think I've tried almost all of the anti rust 'preparations' in my time and have been disappointed by them all.
One good gloss paint is a black made by International, that does outside facias (but metal too). I've been impressed by that, and Homebase do it.
John

 

[Stivino]

I'll second that.
I wouldn't pay the premium for Hammerite, I've never found it any better than any other metal paint and, I've never found their claims to be true.
If you decide to use Kurust, try not to get it on your skin, it burns a bit.

 

[Belle427]

Ive never had any success with hammerite but i think it is supposed to be painted direct to rust (loose stuff removed) for correct adhesion. Ive always stripped most of the rust back first.
Ive used por 15 and been quite impressed with it, if subjected to uv rays it needs a protective topcoat but thats not really an issue.
Have a look on www.frost.co.uk at the paints, there are some chassis black coatings on there that look quite good.

 

[Burnerman]

The thing with Hammerite is that its Xylene based and therefore needs an appropriate primer.....I've never found that it slows rust down at all.
A bit like Waxoyl really....if its applied to a soundly painted new chassis then it will help to keep it that way, but if you want it to react with the rust then, sorry - it doesn't!
I remember an original Waxoyl ad from the days of Car Mechanics magazine.....'also kills aphids' so therefore you may spray your fruit trees with it
John

 

[mfarrow]

I second POR 15 then the tie-coat primer and whatever colour you want on top. It's like a liquid rubber, good stuff if applied correctly.