I needed to disassemble my snowblower to fix a seized drive cable and as I dug deeper into the machine I encountered a few more issues. The result is that I have the chute and housing off as well as the impeller and augers. I know we paint it late in the year but I cannot help thinking that I should put a coat of paint on the rusty/bare parts. This won't be a full restoration and sandblasting isn't an option. I've used a wire brush and flap disk in my grinder to clean up some of the rust. It is a 20yr old honda; there is pitting and my rust cleanup isn't perfect. The previous owner damaged the bottom of the housing (typical shoeless Honda) and I'll likely repair/weld it next summer. Nevertheless, I'd like a paint that will hold up to typical use. Any recommendations?
Adhesion has a lot to do with durability. Removing loose rust and cleaning with a good evaporating solvent will give you the best results. You might want to rough up any paint you'll be overspraying with 220 sand paper. I'd use rustolium primer for rusty metal and top with your favorite rustolium color. Give each coat about 15min to flash dry before the next coat. Remember less is more. Don't be tempted to over apply on the first coat. 2 or 3 coats should do it.
Rustoleum primer/paint has gotten really good lately. I think they've made some magical chemical discoveries of late.
