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Painting on an old tin suitcase

My hobby is painting scenes and different pictures on items. One thing I paint on is old suitcases. I currently have an old tin suitcase that I would like to paint a scene on but am afraid that the paint will not stay on. Can anyone suggest what I should do as a primer or something before I paint on it? It seems to me it needs to be something that will give with the sides of the suitcase.

Ann Singleton
hobbyist - McPherson, Kansas
December 28, 2009

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Hi, Ann. I'm happy that you recognize the importance of good adhesion. Some people think paint has no flexibility, but it does; if you have good adhesion, you can probably expect the paint to stick even with a reasonable amount of flexing. You need to clean the surface well. perhaps with a scrub brush ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and detergent solution. If you see no metal flaking, sanding may not be necessary; if you do see metal flaking, it must be sanded off. Then use a Self-etching primer ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and I think you'll be okay.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 28, 2009