Painting a hand rail

[phil on a fazer]

hay

I need to repaint a metal hand rail (the type you see in car parks). The top is practically back to the metal....smooth as a babies arse.

So...how the best way to do it? the only bits of metal Ive sprayed before are things like side stands or rads....& they didn't look too good  :'(  (i used spray primer, spray paint, and spray lacquer)

Tar

[DILLIGAFF]

Hammerite.

[BBROWN1664]

:agree

[karlo]

Smoothrite  :b

[Looney tune]

Doitrite 

[Phil TK]

If it's aluminium and back to the metal spray it with a proper primer first, lightly sand and then spray with smoothrite. Multiples of light coats rather than a couple of thick ones gives a better finish, with smoothrite (or Hammerite) I think you have to do all the coats the same day because they 'cure' overnight and won't take kindly to another coat on top afterwoods. Or something.

[phil on a fazer]

think its steel??

Would rather use spray than brush as i tend to get a better finish.

when you sand the primer do you use the lightest Wet 'n' dry you can get? i tried this once and the primer just came back off  :o

[AdieR]

Is it bolted down, or concreted in?

As for "think its steel", try putting a magnet to it - if its steel it'll attract the magnet which other metals won't.
Basically what you're aiming to do is to leave a very slightly rough surface (to give something for your paint / primer something to "key" to, ie it'll adhere better).

If its bolted, one option is to remove it and have it galvanised (it'll undoubtedly be dearer, but it'll probably last longer) - try asking some fabrication shops in your area (if they don't do it, they'll probably know of someone who can). There are rattle cans of galv spray available too (not sure of price or likely results though).