# Best Zinc Primer



## IHATE_HOMEDEPOT (May 27, 2008)

Hey guys and gals, so I am needing a good zinc primer I believe. I am painting a bunch of exterior hinges that are I believe zinc plated. I have seen many a hinges where most of the paint has popped off so I just want to make sure and check with the pros here.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Don't paint the hinges.


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## mustangmike3789 (Jun 11, 2011)

You can apply zinc primer to hinges but i dont think this will help much in this situation. Most parts like bolts or hinges are electroplated with zinc like electroplate galvanizing vs hot dipped. If you were to try to zinc prime hinges, you would need to blast the surface to a specific type of blast profile and then apply so many mils of zinc primer to the entire surface. This would cause the moving parts and joints to not fit together correctly anymore. 
Metalizing could work, i think, but it would be pretty pricey also. 
Zinc primer(paint) does not leave you with that golden finish like electroplated zinc, but more like a greenish/gray rough finish. It can be screened off and somewhat polished but still not the same look.
What are you trying to acomplish ?
TO ANSWER YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, I WOULD SAY THAT CARBOZINC 11 WOULD BE UP THERE WITH SOME OF THE BETTER ZINC PRIMERS IF THAT HELPS ANY.


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## IHATE_HOMEDEPOT (May 27, 2008)

So I am simply painting a bank of storage cabinets in an apartment complex, and the hinges to me look unsightly. I think I would not paint one or 2 hinges but there many in a small area and they are just so shiny. I do think I will etch them before priming. I might even for my own knowledge stick one in Acid Magic to see if removing the plating altogether is best. I think that if the contractor would have planned on having them painted he should have used just regular galvanized metal if this is an option for exterior applications.


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## IHATE_HOMEDEPOT (May 27, 2008)

*Results of Test*

So I applied Acid Magic and it made for better adhesion,in applying the acid it did seem to remove all of the plating. The hinge on the left in the first pic was etched. I tried the tape test in second pic but that was not really showing me enough of a result so I simply scratched it with my nail (hinge on right) and the paint did not budge. Rustoleum metal primer.


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