How to Paint Stainless Steel

How to Paint Stainless Steel

We get a lot of questions about what types of products and materials can be used on.

The good news is that, if you're interested in customizing something besides a pair of sneakers, Angelus paints can be used on most common materials -- you just might have to take a couple of extra steps.

Custom Hydro Flask

For this tutorial, Enzo from @ehkcustoms walks us through how to Angelus paint and 2-Hard to customize a stainless steel Hydro Flask.

Take a look below to see what materials you need to get started, and make sure to watch the full video on our YouTube channel for a detailed walkthrough.

Materials

Before getting started, you'll need to grab  a few things, including:

  • Angelus Paint
  • Angelus 2-Hard
  • Angelus High Gloss Acrylic Finisher
  • Angelus Leather Preparer and Deglazer
  • Angelus Paint Brush Set

You can find all of these materials on our website if you don't already have them. For this project, 2-Hard is particularly important as it's what allows the paint to successfully adhere to the stainless steel.

How to Customize a Hydro Flask

Leather Preparer & Deglazer

Like any other custom project, start by prepping the surface with Angelus Leather Preparer and Deglazer. This will the factory6 finish and create a clean surface for you to paint.

Simply apply some of the Leather Preparer and Deglazer to a cotton pad and wipe down the Hydro Flask.

Masking Tape

Next, use masking tape to separate the areas that you don't want to paint. If you're painting a Hydro Flask, tape off the lid and leave it on to use as a handle while painting.

This is all the prep work that's necessary, but if you want to take things a step further, pick up some adhesion promoter from a hardware store to spray the bottle before painting.

2-Hard

When you're ready to paint, mix your paint with 2-Hard in a 50/50 ratio. This will help the paint adhere to the stainless steel without chipping or cracking. Without this, the paint will come right off of the bottle after drying.

Painting

Next, it's time to start painting your design. If you're not comfortable doing freehand, start by using a pencil to outline your design before painting.

Use a heat gun to set your paint before moving on to the next layer. (Note: allow the stainless steel to cool before touching to avoid burning yourself.)

Acrylic Finisher

Once your design is finished, apply a layer Angelus Acrylic Finisher to protect the paint from minor scratches and to add a glossy top coat to your custom Hydro Flask.

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