Bandsaw restoration - paint question

[Mark Gibney]

I'm restoring an old Duro bandsaw, and I've prepped the castings for painting with a flap disc.

The wheel cover is aluminum. I'm using Rustoleum to paint the machine - can I paint straight onto the prepped aluminum or do I need to use a primer first?

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As you can see there is bright aluminum showing in patches.
Thanks for any advice you have.

[Rick Potter]

ALWAYS prime first. In this case, you might also consider metal prep before primer.

[Matt Day]

Yup, use the metal primer. Using a primer is rule #1 with painting metal, and most everything else.

[Wayne Lomman]

Ask your paint supplier what the recommended primer is for the top coat you have and use that. Always use products from the same manufacturer. Cheers

[Mark Gibney]

You all say primer, primer it will be. Thanks.

[Rick Potter]

As an aside, after several coats of primer, and some light sanding, all those little pits in the cast aluminum will disappear.

[Bobby A Thompson]

I have had good luck with Sherwin Williams Sher-chem. The primer is a bit high, but the paint is reasonable. I actually shot some with a $10 Harbor Freight gun after finding out a piece was missing from my more expensive gun. To fill in all the pits, I use dolphin glaze. It is a 2 part glazing putty and I love it. I got it at a Pittsburg paint store.