The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Piecemeal Frame Finishing

Has anybody tried finishing a frame at separate times?

I Have a smaller garage and am toying with the idea of finishing the rear half of the frame and then taking the cab apart and finishing the front end. Is there any issues with doing this?

Not if you use proper preparation and use a good Epoxy primer like SPI or ppg.
You can even roll or brush the SPI on.
3 coats and your done. Won't chip, fade, or fail and no need to use an undercoat over it...

I sort of attacked things this way a few years ago working over the winters and driving over the summers. Looking back I would not do again. It isn't the finish lines that were bothersome, it was the completeness of the projects. Once you have bed off you will want to do things like suspension and the brakes and you might not be able to get at all the lines and fittings up front. Once you start where do you stop. I would say I could be done in the short term. But looking long term I experienced some regrets.

Thank You for the feedback

Good advice Hambone.
When I started I heard the same thing but had no compressor or space or Experience in these areas.

Years later I do.
Now I try to help those in similar straits (Dire).
It was helpful to know what was preferred even if I wasn't there yet though.

That's what I started out to do , just the bed and frame under it....crap

wait until you try and find your way out at the "It's Finished" end!

boy are you right !!!!

Reminds me of a situation right in Stovebolt HQ as Milliman and I were looking at a 1/3 decomposed 62 C10, when John, the gracious one, suggested, "just 4 bolts and that cab comes off and you can do the whole thing." While his advise was technically correct, logistically it was not consistent with my level-of-effort assumptions. Of course time and money calculations also needed adjustment.
1 six pack and 4 bolts later, I was in over my head. All said and done, the experience, learning, friendships and camaraderie gained along the way are precisely why we are here.
Whichever approach you take, don't rush, call for help when needed and enjoy the experience.

That's the best advice right there!!