As with the primer opt for a spray paint formulated for use on metal since these will help prevent rust.
Can i spray paint a metal file cabinet.
You don t have to use spray paint.
Follow our suggestions for finding the best paints for your metal cabinets.
Apply one layer of primer to the file cabinet.
Transfer the file cabinet base and drawers to the work surface.
For a more personal touch you paint your cabinet with chalkboard paint.
Make sure you spray in light even coats and purchase enough paint for the job.
However spray paint will create a smoother surface and it is harder to find metallic finishes in brushable paints.
So here s the fun part.
To make the file cabinet feel truly at home it needed a mini makeover.
Learning how to paint metal cabinets can add new life to old pieces.
And by mini makeover i mean two 2 bottles of spray paint.
Brushable paint will work too.
Remove the drawers and spray them separately from the cabinet.
I did 3 coats of paint for both the base and drawers plus a few touchups.
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.
Tape off the edges of the unpainted areas so you don t get paint all over the inside of the file cabinet.