New pipe fence - paint or leave rusty?

[rawhide]

I'm about to build 600' of pipe and no climb wire fence and have the same question. I really like a white fence but hate the rust bleeding through. My wife says go black, but I'm considering the red oxide. It has kind of a red cedar look to me.

 

[HillsideDesolate]

Let it rust then spray with phosphoric acid (naval jelly) then enjoy your parkerised Phosphate fence

 

[HillsideDesolate]

I'm about to build 600' of pipe and no climb wire fence and have the same question. I really like a white fence but hate the rust bleeding through. My wife says go black, but I'm considering the red oxide. It has kind of a red cedar look to me.

I believe everything metal should be one of two colors, farmhouse red and farmhouse black.

 

[Perplexed]

Cerakote it!

 

[perfor8]

If you paint it, paint it black. Looks better longer than white. The white shows rust.

If you paint it, paint it black. Looks better longer than white. The white shows rust

IF I paint, it'll likely be brown (rust)...

 

[perfor8]

The disparity of recommended paint types in the thread is interesting. I talked to a friend who does a lot of commercial construction, asking what they use for outdoor steel, he said what they've found to work best is latex house paint. Now, that's hard to believe.

 

[perfor8]

Let it rust then spray with phosphoric acid (naval jelly) then enjoy your parkerised Phosphate fence

Interesting. Does this offer much protection after application or does it just rust again?

 

[perfor8]

How old are you? How thick poles?

We put in drill stem poles, H braces and corners when I was a kid. I was the water boy. The stems were plated on bottom and top, then painted. 55 years and no telling how long they will stand. Paint lasted decently 20 years. Probably some cancer filled asbestos thick silver paint, it was thick like cornbread batter

I cut some drill stem a couple days ago to use for culvert. That stuff is thick-walled. I didn't measure it but it looked like 3/8".

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I hate painting. REALLY hate painting. 1/2 mile or more of pipe fencing? F that... I'll be dead and buried long before that fence rusts away.

So I'll be the lone voice in the wilderness saying NO to the pipe fence painting.

 

[perfor8]

I hate painting. REALLY hate painting. 1/2 mile or more of pipe fencing? F that... I'll be dead and buried long before that fence rusts away.

So I'll be the lone voice in the wilderness saying NO to the pipe fence painting.

This is the direction I'm leaning.