Why is painting so hard? Even a simple metal bracket.

Get a scrap piece of metal , prep it , and try the method i mentioned. Several thin coats, lots of time in between. First coat super thin and let it dry at least 30 min to an hour. Second coat thin as well , wait an hour. last coat heavier to gloss a bit.

Some primers need 24hrs before topcoating. I like rustoleum rust reformer. But it needs 24hrs before painting.
 
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That's certainly not true.
Most people now associate cross link as a 2k products
Yes Enamels take solvent evaporation and oxidation to fully cure yes cross link.
Lacquers are solvent evaporation only
 
Was this a textured color? If not, either your application is too light or the color is reacting badly with the primer. Just painted (4 years) some cast iron rotary engine side plates with VHT engine paint and had excellent results-one step no primer.
Solvent and friction/impact resistant almost as good as a factory paint.
Today’s paint is definitely different than 40 years ago but not like what you’re getting there. Some of it is still good/excellent quality.
Here’s the chipping using my thumb nail. The primer is the brown coat underneath.

This is about 46 hours from applying the coat.

I am now applying a clear coat over this. I’m hoping the clear coat will perform better than the color.

View attachment 345382
 
I've had good results with the Rustoleum Professional Enamel line....but it takes a lot of cure time before it becomes durable. I painted an off-road style bumper with it and got a few chips from handling in the first week or so after painting. After about two weeks I could hit it with a hammer and it wouldn't chip.

It was bare metal. I degreased it with some brake cleaner, sanded it a bit with a scotch-brite pad, then used POR15's cleaner/degreaser followed by POR15's Metal Prep. The Metal Prep etches the clean metal and leaves a zinc phospate coating to prevent future rust and improve adhesion.

Then I used some Rustoleum Professional enamel primer followed up with their Professional Enamel gloss black top coat. I painted it 12 years ago and it still looks perfect.
 
I've had good results with the Rustoleum Professional Enamel line....but it takes a lot of cure time before it becomes durable. I painted an off-road style bumper with it and got a few chips from handling in the first week or so after painting. After about two weeks I could hit it with a hammer and it wouldn't chip.

It was bare metal. I degreased it with some brake cleaner, sanded it a bit with a scotch-brite pad, then used POR15's cleaner/degreaser followed by POR15's Metal Prep. The Metal Prep etches the clean metal and leaves a zinc phospate coating to prevent future rust and improve adhesion.

Then I used some Rustoleum Professional enamel primer followed up with their Professional Enamel gloss black top coat. I painted it 12 years ago and it still looks perfect.

Home Depot sells Kleen-Strip Concrete & Metal Prep, which is phosphoric acid, for cheap. It removes rust, and etches the surface for paint. Good stuff.

For the longest lasting results, I like Por-15 paint, used as a primer. This stuff is killer tough. Follow with a UV resistant top coat, as needed. Rustolium is good for the price, but it marks up really easily. I used a similar alkyd enamel on a lathe stand I made. Adding hardener helps with durability.



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