Aluminum paint question

Greetings!

I’m re-doing the interior of my brothers boat and I’m looking to re-paint it. It’s just a older fishing boat so I’m not looking for a $300 paint job. Interior is already coated and in good condition except for a small area of bare metal from where the livewell used to be. I have a couple questions:

1.) I have a two part epoxy primer (Nason ful-poxy) that I was going to use. Can I just use the primer as the topcoat? Spray 2-3 “wet” coats. I like the flat sheen and color of the primer. Do I really “need” to put a topcoat over the primer? Will it hold up over time?

2.) I’m also looking at Totalboat brand aluminum boat paint. Claims you can spray right over bare metal without primer (has etch primer built in) Anyone familiar with this brand or paint? Is it good? It is a water-based 1k paint.

I know the process to prep the aluminum for painting and I’ve shot paint before on cars. I’ve never just used primer as a topcoat before because, frankly, I never really had a reason to, and even if I did, I’ve heard that moisture can penitrate through the primer and rust the substrate, but you wouldn’t have that issue with an aluminum boat.

Btw, the primer is approved for bare aluminum as long as the “aluminum prep” is done in accordance with the TDS, which of course I will do.

Thanks!

Dave

Will follow this closely...


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I've used Valspar and Rustoleum brand oil base enamel on top of aluminum and had it hold up for years with zero issues. I wouldn't invest a ton of money into this.

Unless that epoxy is specifically rated against UV exposure - and I doubt it is - epoxy MUST be overcoated by a paint to protect it. Another point, I once used expen$ive and allegedly UV-proof epoxy ... and I had to strip and refinish the boat not 3-years later!

I would sand/prep, wipe down bare areas w/ vinegar on a scrubby (or copper scrubbie even better!), then dry and prime w/ zinc chromate, then just topcoat w/ paint of choice.