The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Frame painting, take apart?

I found a place to sanblast and paint my frame. They charge $50 an hour and said it should'nt take more than an hour. They get there paint overseas as the paint they use can't be bought here in the US. They paint very large equipment. Anyway the guy said he wants me to take my frame apart to do it. You know grind all the rivets and take it totally apart. just wondered what you guys think. I would think put it back togethere with stainless steel bolts?

What?

Take the frame apart?

Ask how many frames with cross-members they have done.

I would never take a non-bent 47-55 frame apart for blasting/painting.

Ask if they would mind blasting the frame together.

What kind of foreign "paint" will they use (not the brand, the kind of paint)? An epoxy primer and a urethane paint?

bad idea, the riveted construction is tough to get apart and better built than anything you could do with bolts, just say no thanks

Bill

A proper rivet joint is superior to bolts. When a rivet is driven, it "fills" the hole, preventing shifting and chafing in the joint. A tightened bolt only provides clamping force. A bolted joint is still free to move a little with the bolt clearance.
I would be surprised if the sandblaster can do a thorough job in an hour. There are a lot of nooks and crannies to get into.
After I sandblasted my frame, I basted the joints with por-15 paint in all the joints and let it wick in.
Dave Evans
52_3100

Don't take your frame apart. You'll regret it. I know guys that have had their whole frame sandblasted and powdercoated. If a frame can fit in a powdercoating oven, there's no reason they can't paint it for you.

Maybe check out a local powdercoater to see if their price is comparable.

That's the worst idea I have ever heard take a good frame apart to clean and paint is just plan stupid to suggest.
It's not that big or heavy, one of the easiest ways to paint the frame is with a brush and a paint like POR15 easier to get good coverage then spraying and if done right will come out just as smooth.

I would not take a good frame apart for cleaning and painting. The other statement I would be leary of is the one hour estimate to blast and paint.

Look for another blaster.

+1. That is simply crazy! With that said, there are a few items I am un-riviting on my frame for instance:

1. Shock mounts. These tend to crack. If the mount is bolted on and cracks, it is easy to get off to weld or replace.
2. Muffler bracket/clamp. I want the versitility to remove the bracket if my exhaust design is changed in the future.
3. Shield in front of the battery box. I want to be able to remove the shield for repairing or easier access.

That's understandable, because those are not areas requiring high strength, and aren't holding the entire truck together.

So everyone agrees don't take it apart! I don't know, I work for Napa and we deliver parts to this guy and he works on big items. Very large tanks, and stuff. There paint must be good for there stuff to set outside all the time. I guess he figured if frame was apart it wouldn't take that long to do. We have chassis saver down work and my first thought was to just wire brush it and brush that on. They say that stuff likes rust and not bare metal. And in the tight spots just buy some spray cans from eastwood maybe. I'm not buiding a show truck by no means but I do want it to turn out nice. Thanks for comments and what do you think about my second option? Also I did check a local guy that does powder coat and he said about $600