Can I Spray Paint A Metal File Cabinet

Painting metal file cabinets old metal lockers or other metal pieces can be done with acrylic paints spray paints or chalk paints.

Can i spray paint a metal file cabinet.

Apply one layer of primer to the file cabinet. Remove the drawers and spray them separately from the cabinet. As with the primer opt for a spray paint formulated for use on metal since these will help prevent rust. Tape off the edges of the unpainted areas so you don t get paint all over the inside of the file cabinet.

Use three or four light coats of the weathered steel spray paint. Transfer the file cabinet base and drawers to the work surface. And by mini makeover i mean two 2 bottles of spray paint. You don t have to use spray paint.

Brushable paint will work too. Learning how to paint metal cabinets can add new life to old pieces. For a more personal touch you paint your cabinet with chalkboard paint. So here s the fun part.

The picture below is midway through the painting process. I did 3 coats of paint for both the base and drawers plus a few touchups. However spray paint will create a smoother surface and it is harder to find metallic finishes in brushable paints. You may need two or three coats of paint to cover your metal filing cabinet but this is better than spraying too much material onto the surface in one application.