The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Frame finishing - suggetions?

Good evening!

Been away for forever, getting back into the truck stuff.

So I'd welcome the input of others here. I'm (15 years later) working on my 53 1/2 ton. I'm looking at the frame, since most everything else has been taken off. Wondering what opinions and reasons you would share as to how to finish the frame. Regular paint doesn't seem to hold up well in Minnesota (even when you don't run it in the winter), but what other options would you suggest?

I have a second frame that I had powder coated, but it had the front cab mounts and some other brackets removed. I've looked at the rivets vs. bolts debate, and I'm ready to say the heck with it and use my original frame and start over.

Would blasting and powder coating, POR-15, or something else be your recommendation, and why.

Thanks so much to those who are willing to chime in. I'm not building a show stopper, but want it to last whichever way I go.

Thanks!!

Jake

Jake

I'm pretty much at the same point you are on the frame, and my plan is to sandblast, shoot it with epoxy primer and a decent enamel. POR-15 or similar products (moisture curing urethanes) need topcoating for protection from UV, although the frame won't get that much exposure to sunlight.
My experience with powder coating, which would be real expensive on something as large as a frame (a BIG oven needed) is that any chips in the coating that let rust get a toehold results in the coating peeling off. Powder coating is also difficult to patch.

POR Rust Preventative Coating
followed by POR Top Coat (look at instructions).

Call them for the time/window between applying the Coating and the Top Coat.

You could look into industrial enamel.
It’s tough and not too expensive.
You will need to sand blast .... clean off your frame to use it. It doesn’t require primer although you can use epoxy primers. Dries fast, layouts well and you can put two wet coats on at a time.
You can use it without the hardener (safer ... no isocyanates) or with a hardener (isocyanates).
It will take longer to harden (still dries fast)

Ppg makes it ... called ALK-200.

Mike

I've used POR15 with great results, it dry's hard and leaves a smooth surface. I had my frame sandblasted and used Ospho to cover the bare metal. (Note: Ospho cannot be used under Epoxy Sealers) I actually let the frame set for a number of years before applying any paint or coating. The POR15 base coat is easy to use, it can be brushed or sprayed depending on your skills, I brushed mine. To have UV protection you need to apply the top coat, the only prep work would be to scuff the surface with 320 grit prior to the Top Coat. POR15 runs about $160.00 a gal, it's also available in quarts and pints. Two quarts should be more than enough to complete a frame. I posted pictures of my frame in the Project Journals Forum ("59 Apache "Ernest").

For the frame, we used black Endura top finish coat over epoxy primer. The same stuff we used for our boat trailer which was regularly dipped in salt water so we know it's tough.

https://www.endurapaint.com/

I tried POR15 and didn't like it. Found it expensive and it had a poor shelf life. My guess is that the two part paints like Endura have a longer shelf life since you only mix up as much as you need when you need it.

I’m not a Por-15 user but I believe it is not meant to be used over bare neatly or a primed metal. It is used to encapsulate rust.

Mike

I've used POR-15 on smaller pieces, and it seems like it worked well. The cleaner and the etch want you to keep the piece wet while it does it's thing. Not sure how to do that with a frame. Hmmm.

The blasting and powder coating was about $300 when I did that.

Time keeps bringing new options up, so it's always good to ask around. Been looking at other sites, seeing other products, like everything else, there are a lot of different thoughts out there.

Very grateful for the insights shared and those to come. Bolters are the best!!