When trying to coat steel tread plate with Rust Seal we are running into a problem where the self leveling properties of the coating prevent the edges of the diamonds from being coated. Is there a trick to this?

How did you prep the tread plate before applying RustSeal? Please let us know so we can assist you further.

It was new steel so we started off by cleaning it twice with KBS Klean. I know from previous experience that it needs to be perfectly clean to work properly. After cleaning and drying we primed with a self etching primer and waited at least 30 minutes per the instructions on the can. Then we proceeded to apply the rust seal with a brush.

Thanks for the reply. RustSeal is designed to be apply very thin. If you apply RustSeal thin, it might fall off of the edges on the first coat but the second and subsequent coats will cover well. Are you using Fusion Self-Etch Primer or another primer?

 

It was not fusion primer, it was another self etching primer. We have used it in the past on flat surfaces without an issue but the diamond plate has been a challenge. We are applying rust seal in thin coats but perhaps maybe not thin enough. Would I be better off spraying it on with a hvlp gun? 

Yes, spraying RustSeal with an HVLP Gun for irregular surfaces like diamondplate would be ideal. It will lay out best that way. Spray pressure of 35-45 psi (250-330kpa) for siphon/pot guns and 25-35psi (170-250kpa) for gravity/top container guns. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend a 1.4-1.5 tip size. Thinning is not generally required but if needed 5%-10% is normally adequate. Use KBS #1 Thinner only which is a slow evaporating solvent. Do not reduce RustSeal with lacquer thinner. Also remember to clean your spray gun immediately after using RustSeal.

Please let us know if that helps and if you have any additional questions.