When in doubt; happy wife, happy life. 😁

So proud of you ~ 👍👍😎👍👍

Looks like this is going to be one heck of a stand.

Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing ;-) The paint problems that you encountered may be attributable to poor adhesion. Aluminum is notoriously difficult because it forms an oxide layer very quickly. I typically use an etch/cleaner prior to painting. Unfortunately, you can't use an etch primer with translucent coatings. So you need really good surface prep to prevent paint failure. A Mylar wrap might be a better option for you.

hmm, all that handheld camerawork doesnt make it easy to watch for me, getting motion sickness from it.