Acrylic paint is suitable for metal to paint on it. Most painters use acrylic paint to paint on metal, such as metal chairs, metal cabinets, and many metal items. But the question is, will acrylic paint stick to metal? The answer is “YES”. Usually, acrylic paint properly sticks to metal surfaces as well.
However, acrylic paint is highly recommended for most surfaces, not only metal. When it comes to metal surfaces, paint with acrylic, which will easily stick on the metal. For painting on metal, you must prepare before applying paint.
In this blog post, we’ll share with you some valuable information about different types of acrylic paint and metal surfaces. Let’s drive into the main article!
Can you use acrylic paint on the metal surface?
Yes, you can use acrylic paint on metal to apply it. Acrylic paint is suitable for any metal surface to stick appropriately. We need to do much preparation on the metal surface before applying acrylic paint. It will adhere adequately and also last longer. However, acrylic paint is the best and most popular choice for metal surfaces.
Will acrylic paint stick to metal?
The answer is yes, acrylic paint quickly sticks on metal more than ordinary paint. There are different types of acrylic paint, such as acrylic, acrylic latex, acrylic enamel, acrylic latex enamel, and others. Most types of acrylic paint properly stick on the metal.
Again, there are different types of the metal surfaces like rusty metal, heavy metal, old metal, new metal, dirty metal, and more. Acrylic paint is an ideal choice for all those surfaces of metal. It will firmly stick over all the metal surfaces.
Does acrylic paint work on metal?
Do you want to paint your tarnished, rusted, and discolored metal pieces with acrylic paint? Yes, you can use acrylic paint on a metal surface to make it shiny or repainting. There is much ordinary acrylic paint that works on metal surfaces. You can use any acrylic paint to paint over metal surfaces.
To get the best result, you need to determine what type of metal you want to paint. Then choose the right acrylic paint for it. Afterward, prepare the metal surfaces properly by cleaning, sanding, scribbling, or other ways. Make sure the metal surface must be clean and dry before applying paint.
How to paint metal with acrylic paint
It would help if you did some work before painting metal with acrylic paint. It is essential for painting work. Just drive into the painting steps to know better.
Prep the metal surface
First, you need to clean the metal surfaces with soapy water. If your metal item is iron, galvanized, or aluminum, you must first clean it to obliterate rust. Galvanized and aluminum surfaces need scratch on their surface to adhere to the paint. If you don’t remove the rust from iron, aluminum, or galvanized surface, the paint won’t stick. Remove oil stains from metal by washing with soapy water. If the oil coating is more, you can use sandpaper or a wire brush to remove the residue.
Sanding the metal
Now, Use a scraper or wire brush to remove all the loose paint and rust. You can scrap the aluminum or galvanized iron surface to remove all the loose paint.
Apply orbital sandpaper 60 grit sander after removing paint. You can use up to 100 grit sandpaper for a smooth and shiny finish.
Clean the aluminum or galvanized with a damp towel or a sponge to remove all the debris, dust, or paint rust. Check the rust after cleaning the metal surface, then if needed, sand again.
Please wait for 10 to 15 minutes to dry it up. Do not apply paint before drying the metal item.
Paint over the metal item
It is the last, and easiest step is applying paint. Applying paint is easy with some simple steps.
- At first, shake the acrylic paint can to properly mix up the color.
- Catch the spray paint can at least 10 inches away from the metal surface.
- Spray the paint with a vertical or horizontal motion.
- Continue spraying all over the metal surface. Wait to dry before applying the second coat.
- You can use several coats until the color is as smooth and shiny as you want.
Will acrylic latex paint stick to metal?
Yes, latex acrylic paint thoroughly stick to any metal top. You can also allow painting the interior and exterior of any metal surface with acrylic latex paint. Latex acrylic paint is available in an oil-based and water-based formula. Oil-based acrylic paint quickly sticks on metal as well. Water-based acrylic paint also adheres to the metal surface, but oil-based is perfect for metal.
Will acrylic paint stick to rusty metal?
Acrylic paint is designed to stick on rusty metal as well. So, you can apply acrylic paint on rusty metal as well. An acrylic paint uses on metal to keep the metal surface shiny and safe. If you want to paint your rusty metal, then remove the rust from the metal then apply acrylic paint to it. Paint can’t prevent rust for years and years. To prevent rust on the metal surface, paint with acrylic paint and repaint before rust comes again.
What paint to use on metal
There are different types of metal, such as aluminum, steel, and galvanized iron. For these metal surfaces, you can use different types of paint. Oil-based paint is the most durable, especially for metal surfaces. Water-based paint also works on metal, and it dries faster. Here in this section, we’ll suggest some different types of paint that are the best for painting metal.
- Water-based paint
- Oil-based paint
- Rust prevent paint
- High heat paint
- Spray paint (Spray Paint Cans)
Check below to find more paint for metal that is awesome for metal. If you want to pick paint for metal, you may choose these paints for better results.
1. Rust-Oleum 7213502 Hammered Metal Finish
2. Rust-Oleum 7780502 Stops Rust Protective Enamel Paint
3. Rust-Oleum 7215830 Stops Rust Hammered Spray Paint
4. Rust-Oleum 7783830 Stops Rust Spray Paint
What kind of paint will stick to metal properly?
When you consider décor or repainting a metal item, you’ll see two types of paint suitable for metal surfaces. One is oil-based paint, and the other is a water-based paint. Water-based paint is an ideal choice if you want to paint outdoors. For indoor use, you can choose oil-based paint for longer lasting.
Oil-based paint takes a long time to dry over metal surfaces, requiring a high-quality paintbrush. To shorten the drying time, you can use acrylic spray paint. It will dry up faster and is also easy to paint. Remember, make sure the color you choose must be manufactured for metal surfaces. You’ll check the paint container “for metal” somewhere on its labeling.
Can you paint metal with acrylic paint without primer?
Primer is required for those paints are recommended to use a primer. Most of the paint needed primer for painting metal. But some of the paint available do not need primer. So if you want to paint your metal without primer, you may choose those paint that works without primer. But if you paint your metal without primer with any paint, it won’t work.
FAQs of Sticking Acrylic Paint
How long does acrylic paint take to dry on metal?
Some different types of acrylic paint take additional time to dry. All the acrylic paint won’t dry at the same time. But the average time for acrylic paint is 48 hours. Some acrylic paint takes 24 hours to dry on the metal completely. If you use acrylic spray paint, it will dry in 5 to 6 hours. Whenever you purchase acrylic paint, you may see the drying time written on its bottle.
Which type of paint will stick to metal?
The oil-based paint is best for sticking on metal surfaces or metal items. That is why most painters use oil-based paint for metal surfaces. If you want a more long-lasting sticking paint for metal, oil-based paint would be the best choice. It sticks on metal and dries faster on metal surfaces. Also, it adheres more quickly and firmly cures in the metal. However, You can use other acrylic paint on metal like water-based, spray, and heat-resistant paint. But oil-based paint sticks better than other paints.
How do you make the paint stay on metal?
Cleaning is the top secret to staying painted longer on metal items. A properly cleaned metal item allows the paint to stick perfectly. In this case, you need to clean the metal surface properly before painting. Sand the metal surfaces to make sure all the rust is wholly removed. You can even use detergent soapy warm water to clean oily stains from the metal surface. Then dry it properly before applying the paint. This method will help you to stay painted longer over metal surfaces.
Do you need to sand metal before painting?
Yeah, it would help if you sanded metal before applying paint to it. Sanding helps the metal to have a rough surface which is good for sticking paint. It won’t adhere if you use paint over smooth metal surfaces. So to proper sticking on the metal, you need to sand the metal several times. Sanding metal also helps to remove hard rust from metal. Sand the metal with sandpaper after cleaning it. Ensure that clean again the metal surface before applying paint.
Conclusion
Usually, acrylic paint easily sticks over metal surfaces. If the metal stays next to the temperature area, you must apply heat-resistant acrylic paint. Another thing, if you want to paint outdoor metal, make sure to use primer and sealer to make your paint waterproof.
However, you can use acrylic paint on metal without any doubt. We hope this guide will help you to paint over metal. Please share with us your painting experiment in the comment section below. Also, you can ask anything about painting, we’ll answer you as soon as possible. Have a good day!
John Smith is a blogger since 2008. He was a paint researcher. He has a lots of knowledge about paint and color. He want to share his knowledge with people on painttocolor.com website.