Keith — Usually these panels are sealed with a plastic layer that is pealed off for use — to protect from scratches. You don’t need to clean if that is the case, just paint on the metal with oils. If you want to clean, you can use either rubbing alcohol or solvent on a rag.

I wouldn’t use an acrylic primer. Use an oil-based or spray-on (or baked-on) primer. These panels are often primed for the sign painting industry, although for building purposes they are usually plain metal or anodized surface.

If she wants a white surface, I’d suggest a lead primer applied without any size layer. Same for copper, and probably stainless steel, but I’ve not yet used steel. No need to scuff the surface, but you can if you want.

At present, based on present materials available, a two part epoxy primer would be the best primer for aluminum. There were other materials available in the past that were exceptionally useful, but extremely toxic. Some of them were even made into oil paint (chrome yellow:eek:) Once bonded with clean aluminum substrate or superstructure, it is not removable by any means, other than mechanical (i.e. sandblasting, direct scraping, or sanding). You obviously know more regarding automotive applications, and never having dealt with aluminum in that capacity, I can’t comment. However, I can assure anyone reading here, that any material that can survive a marine environment, can most certainly survive a climate controlled gallery environment:D .

The prior sanding is a very good suggestion, and I would also recommend that if sanding is undertaken, both of the metal itself, or of any applied primer, an appropriate dust mask should be worn.

I would further indicate that after sanding, we used to give the metal a thorough wipe down with denatured alcohol.

I would say that in my most humble of opinions, I would always prefer a solution to this problem that involves removing the corrosion, rather than making use of it. A good primer should be applied over metal that has no corrosion

Not being a chemist, I found your discussion of oxides on aluminum to be very interesting. Would your care to go into a little more detail, for those with no such background?

If you have any ideas that are more effective than two part epoxy primer over aluminum, I and many others would be very interested in them.

I have split off other posts in this thread, into another (closed) thread:
https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609777

I will remind participants that this thread should remain on topic specifically to Oil Painting on Aluminum Panels

Let’s keep it straightforward, and factual, and to the point.

Dave

Harold — No bracing needed unless the panels get very large.

Harold — it depends. Di-bond is very thin with a thin solid plastic center — about 1/8″ thick. I consider it flimsy. Some aluminum panel use a poly honeycomb, and these are pretty light and a little thicker — fairy sturdy

My favorte is 6mm Alucobond, which has thicker aluminium sides and thicker solid plastic center. This one is quite rigid and suitible for architectural exteriors (what it’s really made for, not sign painting). This weighs slightly less than 3/8″ plywood, and much less than with cradling/bracing, but still quite a lot more than stretched canvases. And it’s delicate to handle if you are moving it around much, as I do while painting — constantly rotating or flipping.

Thanks again gunzorro. I copied the info.

I like having the option. I have painted on prepared panel without canvas and it was nice for really fine detail. For some painting I still like canvas.