The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Whats best for putting on truck frame?

I'm cleaning my frame with wire brushes on side grinder and was wanting to know whats best for the rust and to repaint ?

JDM777

I am sure there are about as many answers as there are members that have painted their frames. I am a very big fan of POR-15. It is very durable and it encapsulates the rust. Keeps more rust from forming. If you are just a do it yourselfer, you can use a foam brush to paint it on. Leaves a minimal amount of brush stokes, unlike a conventional brush makes. Try to apply it as directions recommend. Keeping in mind the temperature where you are painting it, etc. Just a recommendation. I am sure that there will be others that have had equally a good luck with another product. Good luck with your project. Remember, the prep is the key. Do all the little things right and the end result turns out nice. Hope this helps.

Rugo

Sandblasting. There isn't anything better, but its a big mess and requires a hefty air compressor and a pressure blaster. I won't do it any other way. It cleans off everything and gets into places you just can't with chemicals. Its nasty though.

http://devestechnet.com/Home/SandBlasting

I blast then POR15. I'm a fan of it.

For absolutely the best coating to protect from rust is a 2K epoxy. There's lots to choose from. Other 1K products will tend to allow the rust to creep under the coating after a bruise to the coating... like a stone chip.

Anytime you can use a two part system is always better than a single part product. You actually "finish the manufacturing process" when using a 2 part or 2K product.

Then you can top coat it with a urethane to give color and added abrasion resistance.

POR is essentially a two-part system. It is "water"-hardening (moisture cured - from the presence of minimal amount of moisture/humidity, which acts as the catalyst).

The downside of POR-15 is that it is UV sensitive (not that important for a frame), but it can be top-coated with a Urethane finish coat (that application has to be applied in a designated amount of time).

My experience with Moisture Cured Epoxy i.e POR/Chassi Saver was it's expensive and requires a uniform rusted surface to adhere to or it flakes off in sheets,and it allows moisture to migrate underneath if any cracks develop causing more rust than if the part was left in bare metal...
One Gal of POR is over $150 plus the activator.

Two gals of SPI epoxy primer including activator is is about $180 it has a 5 day pot life after mixing which can be extended another 5 day by mixing/adding more to the pot, has a sandable finish (unlike the MCU's) and can be found on several Pebble Beach concours cars. (again unlike any MCU's) and the black SPI epoxy has UV inhibitors in it as well.

POR - No need for an activator.
But it has no UV inhibitors - use a urethane over-coat.

I buy it for about $100 a gallon delivered and no tax.

By the way, with a properly blasted frame that can be quickly primed, I use an epoxy primer.

I used Zerorust for my frame. I am also a fan of Ace Hardware Rust Stop paint and primer. Both are reasonably priced. Mike

...after blasting my chassis a quart of POR15 will do two coats.
At the time it was about 48 bucks a quart.

I use a product called Durethane. It is a product sold by most Porter Paints stores. It is a DTM ( direct to metal ) product. Do not put it over bare aluminum, but it does well over bare steel. I probably buy 15 gallons a month at minimum, but have had projects that required many hundreds of gallons. The nice thing about it is that it cost about $85 a sprayable gallon and it is a 2 part product. Certainly on the industrial side of things, but has good UV qualities and can be sprayed, brushed, rolled, etc.

I also like the SEM Rust Shield. It is a lacquer based product and probably runs $140 a gallon. It is not catalyzed, but seems to hold up will on chassis and on under hood stuff. The nice thing about it is that you can paint a little and then put the unused paint back in the can....

I do a fair amount of restoration work with my business and I think that both have pros and cons. If it is a bare frame that I can put in the booth I would use the Durethane. If it is a frame that has been cleaned up with wire wheels and such and has not been blasted I would probably use the SEM stuff and not worry any more about it... My 46 in my signature below has the SEM stuff on it and it looks good for what it is!

Lots of opinions to choose from and you should find the one you are most comfortable with doing and don't second guess it!

Good luck with which ever direction you choose.

i used rustoleum and it looks great. I have not driven my truck as of yet so i will find out (hopefully soon) how well it holds up. Fairly inexpensive and i brushed it on with a paint brush. If you look at the pictures, you can't tell it was brushed.

1. Cleaned, major spots with wire brush, vinegar water, rinse with water
2. Rusty metal primer
3. Rustoleum marine based paint (i used semi gloss paint)

I also used POR-15, frame sat outside after for months,no rust



along with purchase I also got the pints for small parts