The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Frame Painting

I am restoring my 53 2 ton and I am almost ready to paint my frame. I have wire wheeled it with my 5" grinder and have ground off most of the rust, but there is still some left. I want to use one of the "rust stopping" paints and I have narrowed it down to 2 brands, POR-15 and Magnet Paint. Both are the same as far as I can tell except the price. The Magnet Paint brand is much cheaper than POR-15, but I have heard a lot of good stuff about POR-15. What I would like to know is what you guys think about the 2 brands and which one is better? Thanks for all your help.

Brandon Van Dine

Welcome to the Stovebolt

Zero-Rust
Zero-Rust

Por-15 gets my vote. Just make sure you read and follow ALL the instructions.

POR15 is very glossy. If you want a flat or satin finish you should shoot (rattle can) it with a satin paint after painting with POR15 but before the POR15 is fully hard (if you are painting with a brush, you can start shooting the front by the time you have painted your way to the back.

I have used POR15 and ZeroRust. I like both products but they are not comparable from a hardness standpoint. POR15 is more like a hard/slightly flexible ceramic surface. ZeroRust is more like rustoleum . . . i.e. if you smack it with a hammer or brush up against it with something abrasive, it comes off pretty easy, not so with POR15.

Ken

POR-15 now has a semi-gloss black, good for frames. Be sure to follow their surface prep instructions, and wear latex gloves. Should take about a quart and a half for the frame.

Fred, actually butyl gloves are more resistant to the solvents in POR15 and Zero Rust. Didn't know they had a satin finish paint too. NAPA here in the nearest town just started carrying POR15 - price is the same as what I have seen at the Portland swap meet. I like the stuff for frames and cab floor sheet metal and the like.

If it were me I would try to contact the Magnet Paint supplier or rep and tell him that you are considering using their product. Then tell him about the stovebolt page. Then I would let him know that what ever product you use and the results will be posted on the page. If he is smart he will see an opertunity for some free advertising and may offer you a discount for using his product. Just my 2 cents and NO I am not cheap but extremly frugal!

Another segment of this conversation that is often overlooked is safety considerations involved with any of these products. The information contained in any of the product's Material Safety Data Sheets should be studied and adhered to insure your personal safety.
If, because of additives, you need a fresh air supplied breathing system, then by all means get one. Do not gamble with your health.
Just because we as manufacturers supply the MSDS to the dealers, they in my opinion don't do a very good job passing them along to the user, so demand one with your purchase or even ahead of time would be better.
Now back to your regular scheduled programing.....
Bruce Palmer
[email protected]

Don't let them say "Don't have one or Were out of that one" They are legally responsible to have them and make them available to anyone that asks for them.

I have used the Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator in the black and it gives a great semi flat color. Also very good if you have rust that you cannot get to (i.e. inside the frame rails for those with tube style). The price is not too bad but you must be in a well ventalated area and be quick if you brush it because it does dry fairly quickly. Check out their web site www.eastwoodcompany.com

Eastwood also sells a semigloss frame paint, thats what I used on my frame.

I have just finished doing the frame on my '53 1-ton. I hit every flat surface with 80 grit sandpaper on my grinder, then wire brushed everything else, and finally sand-blasted the (few)areas that were left. I didn't use any of the special paints, but I did paint every surface with rust convertor, a brush-on product that dries to a gloss black polyurethane-like finish. It seemed quite hard. I suppose it is similar to the Eastwood product. After it had cured (a day or two) I sprayed on Rustoleum primer and then Gloss Black Rustoleum enamel. Since I am working outside, I ended up using the frame as a workbench while I did the springs and axles, and so far I haven't been able to chip or scratch the finish. The nice thing about the rust convertor I used is that it is available at my local Wal Mart in pint bottles for about $2 each. So far for the frame, all the leaf springs, and both axles I have used 10 bottles.

tw

Have you looked at Rust Bullet ? We'll put it up against POR-15 and or Zero-Rust on any test you wish.

Ken Said: An Abrasion Test (ASTM D4060) was performed by National Testing Standards, Inc on POR-15, Wasser® Brand System, and Rust-oleum® Cold Galvanizing Compound.

Method: Original specimens of panels above were evaluated for abrasion resistance in accordance with the procedures set forth in ASTM D-4060 Taber using 1000 gram load and CS-10 abrasive wheels. The Results:

Specimen Cycles to Wear-Through
14,000 Cycles RUST BULLET Automotive No topcoat
30 Cycles RUST-OLEUM Cold Galvanizing Compound
4,000 Cycles Wasser Brand System (Urethane)
10,000 Cycles POR-15® System topcoated with NAPA Ruf-Nek Heavy Duty Spray Paint

As you see Rust Bullet tested far above any of the others.

As far as
This was similated in the Impact Resistance Test,(ASTM D2794). Again, Rust Bullet won on all accounts.

Results: Wasser® Brand System and POR-15 showed cracking of the respective paint film at the 24 inch pound level of impact. Rust Bullet exhibited cracking of the paint film at the 28 inch pound level of impact.

Did I mention Rust Bullet is a SINGLE step (2 coat) process also. And comes in Any color you want as long as it's METALLIC-GREY. We do Rust prevention, not color paints.

Give us a try. Or feel Free to srop by and ask questions at Support Forum


Zero-Rust and POR-15 Reps are welcome to stop in and comment on their products as well in the Product Comparisons Forum.

That kinda sounded like a commercial.