Paint to keep around

[rzr6-4]

In my never ending war with rust, I've taken to cleaning up and coating things after I'm done working on them, but this is always with whatever I happen to have laying around. Cheap rattle cans, flex seal a few times, etc.

As I continue to work on bigger and more important pieces, what do you recommend keeping around to spray things down with? I have access to a powder coating line at work but I have to have a paper and $$ trail for everything I do, so I don't want to mess with that all the time. Same idea for the air gun, I can mix paint for larger projects but that's a lot of work for a couple small parts. I'm thinking some sort of spray can or maybe a roll/brush on. Flex seal has seemed to work well for a few things but I know there will be times when it's not appropriate. Regular cheap spray paint works good initially, but it will never last more than a few months/year.

Just wondering if there was some middle ground. Something fairly durable but also quick and easy to apply so that I can keep some on hand and can do a quick touch up as I'm bolting things back together.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I keep a chemicals cabinet in my shop. One shelf is dedicated to paint and thinner.
I regularly keep:
a case or so of cheap black spray paint, and at least a few cans of white.
a few cans of Rustoleum primer.
a few cans of gloss black Rustoleum.
a few cans of Duplicolor Vinyl paint (my interior is all Duplicolor Black).
a can of engine paint primer.
a can or two of black engine paint.
a can of mineral spirits and a can of acetone. I'm still not sure what the difference is between them.
...and then whatever other paint I have left over from projects.

I think Rustoleum is the best middle ground paint, but it doesn't tolerate UV very well. 2K rattle cans are UV resistant and work extremely well, but they have a short shelf life and are $25 a can. Buy 'em when you need them.

 

[JJF20]

I agree with the above. I’ve been experimenting for a long time with various paints. Short of epoxy/urethane being the best, but time consuming and a pita for one small item.

For small items, a bracket, rack, or small repair, I’ve been having success with rustoleum professional in spray cans. Known as Tremclad in Canada. All made by rustoleum. It does take time to cure. I’m ve tested it, months after curing with steering / atf / brake fluids etc, it stands up fairly well. Paint will go soft after an hour or so, but just slightly - Wipe it off and it will harden back up again.

I prefer to clean with lacquer thinner, or mek. Both can be found at Homedepot. Small cans, or gallon can. You can get it at paint / body supply shops, but you have to be careful - new enviro laws means some is not virgin lacquer thinner any more. Make sure you ask for virgin, or it could be a gun wash mix, which is nothing more than varsol. Mek, is mek - dont fumigate yourself, lol.

Engine primer / enamels seem to work well too, and dry quickly.

If it is exterior sheetmetal, I stick with epoxy / urethane.

POR, I’ve not had any long term success with at all. With the exception of their high temp paints on exhaust manifolds - for ready mix paint in a can, it works well.

For rust coating, I’ve had very good success with Mastercoat. It likes a rough surface, sandblasted or bead blasting cabinet if you can. Although, I’ve had it gone well to bare, mill coated, dirty steel on stands and rotisseries just in spillage or accidental coating. It needs to ground off when cured. Tough stuff. If top coating, coat it when it is tacky, but transfer free I find works best.

Long story short, the original rustoleum of yrs past, is long gone. That stuff was good, but what ever acrylic replaced it, is in name only, does not work anywhere near as well today and take forever and a day to cure, and does not cure to the same hardness as in the past.

Matt / flat paints dry the quickest. I prefer for quick coatings, and ready to install not long after.

That’s my 2c.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I prefer to clean with lacquer thinner, or mek.

Read the MSDS on MEK before you use it, and believe it. There are a lot of guys my age who didn't take it seriously and are jacked up now.

 

[scott2093]

Read the MSDS on MEK before you use it, and believe it.

I gave up on it when gloves wouldn't last long enough to be useful..And it's not even that great imo. Maybe as a thinner it's better but for cleaning I think Lacquer thinner is much better and for stripping, the citristrip is surprisingly good even though they made it more green.....

 

[Hipster]

If it is exterior sheetmetal, I stick with epoxy / urethane.


That’s my 2c.

No 1k type of product can't come close in durability.


All solvents/paint have risk, skin is our largest membrane and absorbs whatever get's on it. Slap a nicotine or lidocaine patch on, what happens? Through our eyes, nasal mucous membranes , etc. Absorbing through your eye is a direct link through the opthamalic pathways to dain bramage. FAFO. Get the right PPE equipment.

 

[Alteca]

I’ve tried a number of different rattle can paints for those smaller projects and found rustoleum “farm and implement” series to be far superior in terms of durabilty compared to other spray paints. Obviously it’s still not what you would get from a 2k coating in a spray gun but it’s still good stuff.

 

[Road Trip]

No 1k type of product can come close in durability.


All solvents/paint have risk, skin is our largest membrane and absorbs whatever get's on it. Slap a nicotine or lidocaine patch on, what happens? Through our eyes, nasal mucous membranes , etc. Absorbing through your eye is a direct link through the opthamalic pathways to dain bramage. FAFO. Get the right PPE equipment.

Both Hipster and EtA are speaking the absolute truth. If you are playing the long game, common sense says the stronger the
solvent, the more respect you have to give it. (!)

One of my very favorite automotive troubleshooters is a fellow by the name of Dave DeCourcey, who is no longer with us. Towards
the end he blamed using all the brake cleaner (and other assorted solvents) back in the day without any PPE for the fact that he
underwent a liver transplant that only bought him some additional time. FWIW back in the day I remember seeing so many paint/body
guys that looked so much older than they were.

The work environment you give yourself makes a difference. Personally, after a couple of tours working next to the Balad burn pit my
health took a bad detour for almost 3 years, which might explain why I'm so happy to still be here. The present is a gift, indeed. :0)

Given the above, although I'm normally frugal to a fault, I now use the best PPE available. If I can smell it in my mask, I immediately
stop and figure out what I'm getting wrong with the ventilation, PPE, whatever. And a good blast cabinet s*cking the bad stuff into a
dedicated vac cannister is your lung's best friend here in the rust belt. (!)

Apologies for the slight derailment, but this is a great thread and I just wanted to add my 2¢. And I also find that lacquer thinner seems
to cut through the varnish, and (with PPE) without being nearly as evil as some of the old stuff we used to use.

As always, enjoy the old truck/SUV hobby for as long as humanly possible. :0)

Cheers --

 

[Scooterwrench]

My go to solvent is carb cleaner. The elcheapo Wallyworld SuperTech works just fine and doesn't have any really bad chemicals in it. Makes great paint gun cleaner. It's acetone and tolulene. Keep a can of red oxide primer around for stop rust.

 

[JJF20]

Read the MSDS on MEK before you use it, and believe it. There are a lot of guys my age who didn't take it seriously and are jacked up now.

Yes, good advice.

I worked in, and ran a paint and Mtce shop for many years. Ive been working with chemicals and paints for 40 yrs. I will assume anyone working with chemicals and paints will use the appropriate gear. That maybe a bad assumption…

No 1k type of product can come close in durability.


All solvents/paint have risk, skin is our largest membrane and absorbs whatever get's on it. Slap a nicotine or lidocaine patch on, what happens? Through our eyes, nasal mucous membranes , etc. Absorbing through your eye is a direct link through the opthamalic pathways to dain bramage. FAFO. Get the right PPE equipment.

I don’t follow. Epoxy primer / top coated with a poly urethane is not adequate or good? First I’ve heard that. Or are you talking about Mastercoat?…. Both are good in my experience.

I gave up on it when gloves wouldn't last long enough to be useful..And it's not even that great imo. Maybe as a thinner it's better but for cleaning I think Lacquer thinner is much better and for stripping, the citristrip is surprisingly good even though they made it more green.....

Paint stripper is for stripping.
Lacquer thinners good for cleaning and thinning. It can also leave a residue.
MEK is good for final wipe - no residue. Along with thinning. Cleaning. Etc.


So much info, so little space to put it. Stay safe. Wear a mask, or fresh air breathing apparatus and proper equipment.