Originally Posted by moparx

what kind of [minimal ?] prep is required ?
are the spray bombs [rustoelum] any good ? [i know this brand only comes in black, but that will work for me] and if so, just how tough does it set up ?

I just with 80 grit or cup brush on a grinder. Cover any bare metal self etching primer. It takes ALOT of material to build any kind of thickness. Texturing is a learned thing. You can experiment to see what you like.