Paint Preparation

You may have noticed that our American made steel products are not primed, painted or cosmetically coated in any way. We had determined long ago that any factory primed or coated panel may not be compatible with all types of primer or intended paint. We had found that most of our customers do not trust someone else's definition of surface prep and sometimes wonder what the factory coating is hiding. Others wonder what kind of nasty fumes or how much weld contamination the factory coating will produce during the welding process. Others who attempt a plug or spot weld  have found that a factory panel coating can tend to be quite troublesome. It is also understood by all that grinding or sanding off the factory coating to bare metal or sanding the coating to get an adequate tooth for your primer or paint is sometimes frustrating and always time consuming. You will find that our uncoated steel parts or panels may show some amount of welder blush or minor surface rust in some areas. You may also see normal manufacturing scratches or draw marks in other areas. A residual oil coating of  die lubricant will be found on our panels in most cases. The oil can be easily removed with a common household detergent like "409" before your metal prep begins. Note that any of our fiberglass products can be preped beginning with the use of a silicone wax stripper that can be found in most auto parts stores. Wet sanding with water and a detergent along with the use of an appropriate primer will pave the way for a proper and durable paint job.