SOT - Painting Bare Metal, Best Procedure Options

[saigon71]

I'm in the process of stripping a set of vending machines down to bare metal to repaint. It will be a rattle can paint job. I'm behind schedule on this install and it's a high-end account, so I want to nail this. I've already screwed up once painting these.

I consider myself a pretty decent DIY'er, but painting of any type has always been a trouble spot for me.

I used 80 grit sandpaper to remove the old paint. Is it necessary to sand the bare metal with a finer grit before priming? If so, what grit should I go down to?

Any other tips on the overall process would be appreciated.

[IronHillRestorations]

80 grit scratches will show up, now or later. I like no less than 180, and prefer 220 for bare metal.

I like to treat bare metal with a 1:1 solution of Ospho and clean water. 1st I wash it with soap and water with a red scuff pad, then rinse with clean water. After fully rinsed but still wet spray with Ospho mix and go over it with another scuff pad, let it sit for a minute spraying anywhere it's trying to dry. Then rinse off Ospho mix with clean water and dry thoroughly. When you do it right it'll look like it's been blued a little. Your metal will hold paint better and have less a tendency to flash rust.