Need Paint Recommendations

[Leatherneck]

I'm replacing the WARN 1500AC winch used to raise/lower my dinghy and while I'm at it I am going to repaint the boom arm. Any suggestions on how to prepare it for painting and what paint to use?
Thanks!

 

[rgano]

What metal is the boom?

Aluminum? Brush down to bare metal where paint does not stick and coat with zinc chromate primer before overcoating with something hard like Awlgrip.

Steel? There are a number of metal primers which can be used including an Awlgrip product (454?) over which Awlgrip topcoat will work.

 

[Leatherneck]

Thanks! I called Nautical Structures and the material is 6061T6 aluminum. So the brushing, zinc chromate and awlgrip is the way to go.

 

[Ventana]

So I’ll ask the question, why Awlgrip? I just redid our deck this past summer, and used Awlgrip because that was what was on there and I wanted to match the existing paint. A quart of what ever color you decide, add reducer and converter, and you’re into this for well over $100. Go to Home Depot, buy a spray can of zinc cromate primer and a spray can of Rustoleum, and you are out about $10. Nobody would be able to look at it and tell the difference, and it is easy to touch up any future scratches. Not sure where the Awlgrip worshipping started but that stuff is not anywhere near as nice as the price they charge for it.

 

[Larry M]

We paint and/or have to touch up our eye brow and pilot house doors every 2-4 years using a 1 part polyurethane. We painted all our exterior metal and foredecks in 2011/2012 with a 2 part and we’re good for at least another 5 years. It’s not the cost of the paint but the effort that goes into the prep.