This topic was discussed some time ago in a thread on CNC Zone. There was even a link posted to a very good article on paints/finishes for lathes and mills.
Try doing a "mill painting" or "mill refinishing" or "bridgeport refinish" or something like that in the search engine. Perhaps a member has saved the link. It is a good read and worth the effort to find.
Water based paints are NOT robust enough for a mill, house paint, yes, MILL no. And YES, epoxy and or at least polyurethanes are far superior and thus the minimum option to use for your mill. You need to go to a place that specializes in industrial paint supplies. Sherwin Williams et al are generally home and consumer oriented, not the much more abusive industrial paint market.
You might also contact a professional painter. There are guys who do hydrostatic painting with epoxy's and other stuff that is electrically charged so it is "sucked" to the mill. We had some stuff done that way a number of years ago and it looked superb when done.  |