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

Hi There,
After I get my frame sandblasted, what is the best technique to prime, paint, etc a frame. Should I start at one end and work to the other? What about all those little pockets and crevasses where the crossmembers meet the rails? I thought I would suspend the frame about 4 to 5 feet off the ground in my shop with chains so I can get underneath & over it easily. Any info much appreciated.

50gmc153624

50gmc153624, allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Stovebolt page.
I don't have an answer for you, though. I checked out your question when I saw it after posting a question of my own here.
I see from your profile that you are a pharmacist as I am, also. Maybe we can start a union of Stovebolt pharmacists or something
What also caught my attention is your home town.
My father was at Camp Adair, I think it was called in 1943 right after he graduated from Loyola's pharmacy school and right before he went to France then Germany as a medic in the 70th Infantry, the "Trailblazers". I still have his 70th Trailblazers shoulder patch which is shaped like an axe head with a pine tree and a mountain peak inside the axe head.
Well anyway, welcome aboard and I'm sure someone will tell you just how to do what you want.
Best regards, Jacques

I've flown over Camp Adair several times. It looks like it must have been quite a base at one time. The officer's homes are still there in what is now Adair Village but all that remains of the base are the roads.

rdbates, Camp Adair was where the 70th infantry division was formed, probably other outfits too.
I bet I know what it looks like now from your description. Camp Beauregard near Alexandria, La was a big facility before & during WWII. There and at Fort Polk, which is still in business, is where the 1940 manouvers were held and there it's rumored that Eisenhower, Bradley and other soldiers were picked to lead our troops in the event of another war, there. I went to Beauregard when I was a kid and all that was left was the concrete but it was kind of exciting to imagine what once was an "Arsenal for Democracy".

It's unfortunate that these bases were not kept as museums.

There are several markers at Adair talking about all the different outfits that originated there. My Grand father even had European POW's from Adair working on his hop farm nearby. Guess they were a bunch of real happy lads to be POW's here out of the idiocy in Europe..... Anyway, a pretty good chunk of history scattered out through what was some fairly swampy farm land.....
Bruce Palmer
info@zerorust.com

Ok, I'm going to do something very unusual on the 'bolt, I'm going to try to post a reply that is on topic. :p

First, welcome to the Stovebolt.

You'll probably get a variety of opinions here, but this is what I did. After getting my frame sandblasted, I took a few weeks to go over it with a variety of scrapers and lacquer thinner to get rid of any grunge in nooks and crannies that the sand blaster couldn't reach. When we brought it back from the sandblaster we put it on jackstands with the bottom of the frame on the top. I primered and painted everything I could reach and then got a couple of buddies and an engine hoist and we flipped it over. I then primered and painted the top of the frame.

By the way, I'm using brushes to paint with and my paint is XO Rust Red Metal Primer and XO Rust Satin Black, $6 a quart at my local True Value hardware. Less than a quart of primer and a quart of the black was enough for my frame.

I spent 8 delightful weeks in TigerLand at Fort Polk in 1966. Thought I was gonna be an 11B ground pounder. Somehow I ended up as a 26B radar tech. When I left Ft Polk, I vowed never to go back to that state. I kept my promise for 36 years....until I went to New Orleans to buy a 67 Camaro. I spose that was worth it.

Ray, if Ft. Polk was all you got to see in '66, I don't blame you for feeling that way.
One of my brothers was there in '72 or so and our family went to vist him there before he went overseas. As a kid, I couldn't understand why the stairs were built on the outside of the buildings, (barracks), or why rocks along every path or road were painted white!

Yes Indeed -- welcome 50GMC!

Be sure to check out the other areas of the web site -- including the Tech Tips area. In there, we have several project stories that deal with complete frame-off restos like you're doing.

So far, I've done two down to the frame and both times, I just put the frames on saw horses (sturdy ones!) and flipped the frame as needed. On my half ton, I could flip the frame by myself. On the ton and a half, I used the tractor bucket and a chain.

I would highly recommend AGAINST hanging your frame and crawling under it to work. Do you trust the chain and whatever it's attached to with your life?

As to what to finish it with, there are a number of products out there. I've used POR-15 with great success, but Zero Rust works very well, too. Check the Links page for vendors who sell that stuff and shop around. It seems like you can't swing a dead cat around this hobby with out hitting a couple of POR dealers anymore. Anyway, personally, my opinion was that I was never going to have this opportunity again to do the frame so I wanted to use the most durable, armored-plated frame coating I could get my hands on (time is more valuable to me than money -- I can make more money but I can't make more time) so I bit the bullet and went for the gusto.

And like Jeff says, most of em go on good with a brush.

Hope this helps!

Keep us posted on your progress!

And for what it's worth, Swampcat, Peggy and I went to a wedding (buddy of mine from school) in Opelousas. Man, what a good time! (My bud married into a Cajun family) and I have never eaten better!

Regards,
John Milliman

50GMC
If you can afford it find a powdercoating shop and get an estimate. It will last forever and almost as cheap as buying the paint.

the only problem with powdercoating the frame when it does chip you cannot touch it up.

Chipping is not going to happen as easy, but it does happen - ever seen a set of springs that were powdercoated and then run for a year or two? I've seen several that were really banged up and others that were in good condition.

Just something to think about.

- Ryan

FT.POLK 1969-1970

I would second John's comments about doing it right the first time. I used zero rust with a brush and the frame turned out great. That was nearly two years ago and the frame still looks great. If you are worried about brush strokes (with zero-rust there are very few anyway) you can always buy some in a rattle-can and topcoat what you brushed on to cover them up.

I would second Jeff's comments about spending some time cleaning after you get it back from the sandblasters. Lots of places they can't get to. Especially around the crossmember under the tranny. I think it has some bolts that can be taken off and a sheetmetal cover removed to get get at accumulated grease and grime. I then used a self etching primer (sprayed on) and then a low gloss black enamel over that.

Wise..... All of us here @ " Stovebolt Central " would love to see a few pics of your fine ride in the restoration process.

Robin... I know you are deep in the middle of a " ground Up " .

Lets see a few pics.