The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Rattle Can Spray Primer/Paint?

I have read various places that rattle can spray paints and primers should not be used on quality restoration project. What do you people feel about this statement? If you do feel these types of paints can be used, which brand of paints do you recommend?

okay, here's my story. When I started working on my 53 I went to an autobody man, he told me that when I sand it down I have to put something on it to seal it, he said something in a rattle can will work. So I did just that, I sanded and primed the whole truck in rattle can primer. I went back to him three months later, and of course he went out of business. The person who bought the shop from him told me that I never should have put it on if I want a quality job. I sanded it all down again . In a spray can, its just one part already mixed, I could scratch it off with my finger nail. I ended up buying a no-name spray gun and some no-name etch primer. It worked good and was fairly easy to put on. I then put a coat of buff primer on it. I did it all in my home shop. Now I am at the paint stage, we'll see how that goes in a week or two. Good Luck!

I have used rattle can Rustoleum on very small jobs but find that it is a little gummy and doesn't sand very well. Not as good as a lacquer or polyurethanes.
I like what ArcticCat said, buy a cheap gun and get some cheap etching primer.
Good luck.

My uncle used to own a body shop in the 60s, and here was his advice to me: It is OK to use a good rattle can primer, but use a high-quality primer sealant after your final sanding is done.

I'm sure you'll get 20 differing opinions on this, but I think the bottom line is what your vision for the truck is. If you want a #2 truck, rattle can work isn't going to do it and neither is a home shop paint job. I'm happy with my #3.5 (at best) truck, with all of the work done at home.

As far as brands go, I recommend you build a relationship with a local body shop from whom you can buy your paint and go with their favorite brand. That way, you can draw on their expertise (for free!). Again, a #2 truck is going to require correct paint colors, so that will likely limit your choice of paint vendors.

Have fun with your project!

P.S. Like Kevin, I have used Rustoleum, but I don't recommend it. It does gum up. It starts to splatter and cloggs completely with at least 30% of the can left. However, I have had good luck with the rattle can primer sold at the local auto parts stores, such as Duplicolor. It is quite a bit more expensive, but well worth it. Then, make sure your primer sealant is the same brand as your paint will be.

i use ppg products and my rep told me its fine to use ppg rattle can primer any time i have bear metal spots showing and then i put my color on and it turned out great. i would call it a number 1 paint job.

The bad news is its about $9 a can. So you don't want to do a whole car with it plus using a spray gun is the only way to paint a whole car unless you like to use a brush, witch is what i prefer, because you don't have to wet sand it.

If I were to use a spray gun to prime restoration pieces, what type of primer should I use? During the restoration process I can forsee some of my work staying in primer for quite a while before I will be able to top coat with paint. Last night I media blasted 6 items from my 54 GMC and then primed them with etch primer from a rattle can, it seems to me it would take a lot more time to mix primer to shoot in a spray gun and then clean up the gun after words for such a small job. I have read some people leave primer in their spray guns for days with out cleaning them with out any problems (or so they say).

Cujo - clean up and set up is why we went rattle can. We (management/engineering depts) would never allow our guys in the manufacturing plant to leave a paint gun uncleaned, so leaving it dirty is new to me - sorry.

As far as brand of primer, I suggest you consult your paint supplier for a recommendation - some paint may lift if combined with oddball primer(s).

I use only the good two part primer, & it will set up in the gun after a few hours. Only thing I have come up with is doing many pieces at once & buying cheapo lacquer thinner by 5gal drum to clean the gun. My gravity fed gun seems easier to clean than the old suction type. Also I have an airbrush I bought froma pawn shop that is great for small stuff & easy to clean. Brian

Ppg's dp90 has a catalyst with a 72 hour pot life.

If you spary a whole car with a rattle can it will be uneven and not look as great as it would with a gun. A paint gun is something every car guy should have.

I use the cheap lacquer thinner aswell. Cleans it not to bad, but I have a suction feed gun. The primer I used/use had/has a 35 hour pot life. But its cheap primer on sale, thought I would try it. Good Luck.

I use the cheapest, rattle can primer that I can find. Under a buck at WalMart. I just painted my Honda car using about 8 cans of cheap primer. The only problem that I see with it is that you can't build it up in nice wide swatches like you can with spray gun primer. It makes it harder to get the panel perfectly smooth. [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RgCrAtMUyt2o*Q5ALVOQJ!9uVGZfts8c9GEfuaqPcQ59A!6xgmincLcG2lPmXbjImVr2tgaVs*RkhKB5!9afbcTccg0qL9rDaPonq56p9Yc/Picture%201.jpg?dc=4675530370628856245[/img]

My use of Rattle can paints and primer was for small pieces and assemblies on my truck, not the body itself. I will definitely use a spray gun for the body of the truck. Thanks.

that cheap stuff will fade fast under the sun.

That "cheap stuff" is hidden under the paint.

Am sorry but a rattle can is meant for lawn furniture not a car!
A year ago PPG would NOT warranty any paint job if the job contained a rattle can product, even the stuff ppg makes and sells!
Now yes there are a few exceptions like the plastic prep primer but for bare metal.

A paint job is just like the foundation of a house. Without a good sturdy foundation the house will crumble. The primer you put on the metal is the FOUNDATION of that paint job.
Your primer fails your entire paint job fails.

No matter what shape you make a turd its still a turd...Eric

I've done two trucks in cheap rattle black primer. in both my experiences the stuff does manage to stratch, chip & flake with every gust of wind that happens to blow by.not to mention the uneven coats, layering and running drips. but in both of my situations the black primer was by far an improvment from what the paint was. beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right...? pics of these two trucks can be found @ www.mykkhannan.bravehost.com/36chevy.html judge for yourself

hey HRR, those trucks don't look to bad to me! They look good! The front of the '69 looks mean. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, we can do whatever we want to these trucks we call our own. I've always liked the flat black primer look.

I guess it depends on what is meant by: "quality restoration project".

If you are spending good money for a high-quality (high cost) final/color coat, you might not want to take a chance on primer/sealer/surfacer coats failing due to poor quality, poor adhesion, and/or incompatibility with the final coat.

I have see good appearance paint jobs that used spray-can paints (low cost and fast results) and better appearance paint jobs done by hand with paint brushes (in Great Britain - 30 years ago). To each his/her own.

I've used rattle can primer on several cars and trucks. The topcoat sticks to it. I've used the expensive primer and gotten the same results. Once the color is sprayed over it, nobody will know. But ya know.... these huge hunks of rusted, stinky steel will be dust one day long after we are dust so don't sweat it.

A friend of mine does show car/street rod/restorations and he swears by the Dupli-Color self ethching primer in the rattle can says it will stick to anything.it goes on before anything else.makes a good base to apply your fill primer.

I used a cheap black primer on my 64 c-10. I did fade quick under the sun but i like it. Its my truck and i really dont care if someone thinks bad of it. :p You can do wat you feel with your truck.

by the way i used the rattle cans for the whole truck.

So the verdict is in:

Rattle cans win 10 for and 5 against. But most of us agree; rattle cans should not be used to prime large areas. If you need to prime the entire truck, or are using the primer to build up low spots, do it with a spray gun.

well if you want to have something just for the time being if your low on money like me. Why not use rattle primer cans? I mean eventually i want to strip the paint and all to bare metal and so forth. I am not an expert at this. I do plan on going to school to learn body and paint and i know that primer cans are not the best way. LIke i said if you cant afford to get the job done right then heck use the primer cans. Again i am repeating myself but hey thats me :p

I use quality primer and thinner of the same brand I will paint with. For small quick jobs you should try the cheap aerosol sprayers that come with a glass bottle for the fluids. Most parts stores sell them. They work very well with a much better spray pattern than any rattle can I've seen, and you can put literally anything in it. The aerosol lasts through at least 2 bottles of fluid.