Questions about painting a steel bumper.

So I'm not too sure if this is the correct place to ask this, but I've been trying to narrow down the process of doing this with aerosol cans to at least attempt it myself. I have a little bit of experience, but not to this depth. Kind of just want to make sure the process is correct and the products make sense.

So my plan was to use a wax and grease remover, let that dry. Spray on Rust-Oleum automotive self etching primer, 2 coats. VHT satin black epoxy all weather, 2 coats. And finish with a satin clear coat.

Any pointers would be great, I figured that I might as well try it myself and pick up a few things since worst case scenario is I sandblast it and either try again or get it done elsewhere.

 

Lighter colors are far easier. I have a while steel bumper I painted enamel rattle cans. I had originally planned on wet sanding it to try and get a perfect finish but it ended up being fine.

After having it for a year, I had rust spots where some rocks had scuffed it. I did a little wet sanding to get the rest of in those areas, put some cardboard behind it to protect my truck and it looks like new again. White paint is so easy. I couldn't imagine doing this with black.

 

That will work OP

what i did was
Wipe it down with a rag and acetone to get some welding and warehouse grime off
Sand it by hand with like 400 grit
Tack rag
More acetone

primer
Satin black

never did a clear coat but not a bad idea: good luck

 

Do a test on some scrap to make sure your topcoat is compatible with your self etching primer. Not all paints are, and I’ve had ro rework projects when the topcoat was attacked by the self etching base, leading to severe cracking and wrinkling in the topcoat.

The same considerations might apply to your clearcoat too, although I’ve not experienced problems with that combo.

I use self etching primers a lot less than I used to. Are you sure you need it for your bumper?

With respect to your black topcoat, I can highly recommend Trim Black from SEM. Best rattlecan paint I’ve ever used. Sprays on beautifully, dries to a perfect a satin black finish, and holds up well. I’ve had good luck with Trim Black Gloss, too. I order mine online from R&E Paint Supply, but SEM has many distributors.

 

Alright, thanks for the info, I'll try to update this as things go on when the bumper actually comes in. Probably got a week to a month before it actually arrives.

As for the primer, it's just what I've picked up from reading a bunch of different experiences on what I'm trying to go for, especially with epoxy based top coats. I do think my father was also recommending that SEM paint, so I'll give that another consideration as I finalize a cart for my attempt.