The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Removing & Restoring My Runningboards

I started the project on my runningboards ... removed them Sunday, cleaned them up, and now they are off to be sandblasted and painted -- details and pictures can be seen HERE

Very nice!

COOL..

Rusty Rod doesnt have any nephews that can weld and grind.

I just added pictures and info about the Cab-to-Runningboard Seals ... I'll be getting the runningboards back from sandblast and paint next week and will post the final pictures then:
[b]My Runningboards Project Page[/b]

I was thinking that Powder Coat would be the ideal coating for running boards, see any problems there?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I'm glad you asked that, Denny. I need to add this info to my web page:

At first, I thought powdercoat was the way to go, too ... but consider this:
You get a chip in the powdercoat ... you can't paint/touch-up powdercoat and it's impossible to remove ... rust starts growing where the chip is ... it starts spreading ... and you can't get to it!

Have you ever seen an 18-wheeler or large utility vehicle that has a rear bumber all rotted out? That's powdercoated.

The best way to go is what I'm doing now. After sandblasting, we're laying down an inorganic zinc-rich apoxy primer, followed by a top-coat of aliphatic urethane which provides UV protection so the color doesn't fade and has elastimeric properties so it doesn't crack or chip easily -- the more top-coats and/or clear coat, the more durable.

HA! I've been cool with it so far. But I really do miss stepping out onto them when I'm getting out ... and I miss stepping up onto them when I'm getting in, too!

It's something like getting on or off a horse.

My truck makes me feel like John Wayne!

Cool project. It is always cool when people document this stuff.

By the way, when you said "nephew" I pictured a 15 year old with an itch to wrench...not a pro!

Thanks, Bro' ... it's fun documenting each step of every project I do. Then when I revisit my web pages, I have the perfect photo album ... memories in detail!

The nephew: I know what you mean ... "nephew" still means "kid" to me, too. But I'm 55 now and "nephew" no longer means kid! He's 35 for cryin' out loud! How does this stuff happen anyway!?

Now ya got me thinkin' bout that powder coat I was gonna do the frame with Alan. Maybe I'll just do her up with good old rustolium.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Hey, Denny

I wouldn't powdercoat anything after learning about the long-term results that go with it.

If I was starting from the frame up and thinking about painting the frame, I would use zinc-rich apoxy primer, followed by a top-coat of aliphatic urethane, followed by a good layer of undercoating on everything -- and that sprayed with a professional gun (aerosol spray cans are totally worthless when it comes to undercoat) -- keep rocks and gremlins from getting to the frame itself.

Ya think, Alan? Man have I been out of it for along time, or what? Where would one find "zinc-rich epoxy primer" and I'm not familiar with "aliphatic urethane".

When you guys are talking bout epoxy primer, do you mean, primer for epoxy paint, or that the primer is an epoxy? I'm assuming that the epoxies and urethanes are two part paints cost and arm and a leg and will kill ya if ya get a whiff of them, zat sound right? The only two-part paint that I have used was about 20years ago, Imeron, and it did, darn near kill me cuz of a leaky mask. I guess you can tell I’m not to high tech when it comes to paint systems, plus I’m a little gun shy about the two-part systems.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I guess any paint guy could tell you where to get inorganic zinc-rich epoxy primer and aliphatic urethane ... or you could Google them. I just did ... check this out:
Zinc-Rich Primer Info Page

RustOleum Sells Both: Inorganic Zinc-Rich Primer & Aliphatic Urethane[/b]

"Epoxy Primer" = Primer that is epoxy. The primer and the urethane are [b]not a two-part thing, Denny. The primer is sprayed first ... the urethane is sprayed later, as a top-coat.

Good paint is gonna cost ... like anything else, you get what you pay for. And I'm sure you need to be careful breathing this stuff ... like you would with any paint.

Well, my runningboards are finished ... also, notes about installing new cab-to-runningboard seals -- Click Here

Alan,
Awesome job documenting the running board project! And I have to tell you, I've journeyed around your website. Great stuff!! When I have more time I'm going to listen to your music and just "get lost" in the rest of your site. <><

Thanks, Neil!
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HIGHJACK-Hey Alan, I noticed the seat in your truck, and I think I have the same one. Do you know what it came from?

I believe it came out of a 70's Monte Carlo or El Camino.

What I like about it, aside from being a split-bench and having the neat armrest in the middle, is the low-back seats -- more like back in the day.

OK, thanks for the response.

The runningboard project it finished -- see pics HERE