Painting boiler cladding

I have made a composite Hercules/Wenceslas based on Tubal Cain's books. The boiler is well insulated and clad in thin steel sheet.

After a bit of research...I intend to paint the cladding with red oxide as a primer and then Halford's Very High Temp spray paints, which are described as good up to 500 deg C.

I'm hoping this is a good plan?

Thanks in anticipation.

Might be. If it were me unless I was planning to leave it outside in the garden I would leave out the primer and go straight on with the HT. Primers are generally ok at higher temps than ordinary paint but end of the day if the primer fails the top coat will fall off! Unless you are sure the primer is good for elevated temps I would leave it out.

Paul.

Thanks Paul. That sounds ideal. Anything to make life a bit simpler!

If there is insulation under the steel cladding, you should not have a problem. The boiler on my engine does not have any insulation, only an air gap under the cladding and is coated with 2-pack epoxy paint. The cladding only heats up to about 65 deg. C. and you can hold your hand on it.

A different matter on the smoke box and chimney which is painted with high temp paint used used on car engines.

I was looking at high temp paints recently and found stove paints (in a limited range of colours) rated to 800C

pgk

I just use VHT primer when I'm using VHT paint on ic engines, you know it will take the same heat and will be compatible with the top coat.

Having said that I doubt boiler cladding will get upto temps that requite VHT, most just paint their engines with enamel and only use something more heat resistant for things like smokebox and backhead as as Paul says

Thanks all. A bit to think about. Luckily there is no rush!