Repairing Frame Paint

[Tmwoodall]

So the story in a nutshell is this: I started a frame off when I was 17, with more want-to than know how. I stripped via wire wheels the entire frame. I primed it and it looked great, only to find huge flakes in the primer the following day.

Turns out you have to degrease metal, espcially 35 year old previously grease and grime soaked metal, prior to painting.

So I let it set and scraped and took off everything that wasn't cured and bonded REALLY well. Degreased and painted it.

Roll forward 7 years and I had to abandon the project for college, and then not having a garage. I just had it delivered a few weeks ago, and am taking it back to frame off to redo some of my previous progress. Turns out a few more smatterings have found there way into flaking off as it sat. At this point I suspect anything that it is going to loose it's bond, has lost it.

So my question is this, on the flakes what is the best way to repaint them? Sand down the edges around the flakes in an attempt to feather it? Use a thick primer to make up the depth? Tape it off right along the edges and just shoot it?