[JayDarden]

I painted the steel base of a very rusty communications tower with por15 today. First I scraped the loose rust then I sprayed with Marine Clean and rinsed. After letting it dry overnight, it still was a little wet. I used a propane torch to dry the rest off. I then painted the metal with gray por 15. It had a lot of small "holes" where bubbles popped and left a small void. I put a second coat on with the same results and found that if you wait until the paint is half dry, then brush back and forth over it, the paint covers some of the holes. I tried putting it on thin and thick, and the holes reappeared. I don't know if the small holes are just cosmetic, or if water will be able to reach the metal below, time will tell.

When I remove my engine this summer and paint everything, I will scrape and grind the metal much smoother. The sections that were smooth came out great. Also heed the warning about wearing gloves as this stuff will tattoo you.

Has anyone had the same experience with bubbles?

Should I topcoat it as is? Or is there something I can do?