Thorough sanding prepares metal cabinets for paint

Q. How should we prepare our metal kitchen cabinets for painting? Rust has come through a previous latex coating. What kind of paint is appropriate? Should we use an undercoat? Madge C. Hall Westfield Center, Ohio

A. Sand thoroughly the rusted areas down to shiny metal. There are many acids on the market, such as Trustan, for touching up these shiny areas after sanding. Follow the directions on the container. Then spot-prime these areas with a good metal primer.

For a final finish, our veteran paint consultant usually recommends a good latex enamel for metal cabinets. However, in the case of metal cabinets already rusting, he recommends a good oil- or alkyd-base enamel as a finish coat.