The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop rattle can question

can anyone tell me if krylon or rustoleum spray paint can be used to paint the outside of my truck, or do i need to have it done professionally

You can have one or the other but no one can give you both and be honest about it.

My experience with rattle can paint is that it's softer than automotive topcoat finishes. It therefor scratches and degrades faster. I've read posts from those who are satisfied with the results of rattle can paint so I guess it depends on what you want. Shoot, I had a buddy in college who painted his '53 Chevy with house paint and a whisk broom and he loved it.

Spray cans are great for small parts, and I use them almost daily. But, Tiny is correct, and, having sold automotive paint, I can say there is no comparison in quality. That's why a quart of Dupont enamel or similar is $100 and up, and Rustoleum is ??? (Haven't bought any lately.) But, quality aside, have you ever tried to spray a large panel (like a hood) with a spray can and get an even, wet coat? Almost impossible, and a can is thinned down so much, it can hardly cover much! So, save your bucks, and find a painter who loves old trucks, and become best friends with him!!!! Good luck!

i've never redone an old truck so i also wondered how much should i pay, i don't want to be robbed blind because i don't know how much is too much

cost will depend on how much prep you do yourself and just who does it, ask around your local shops, hit the car shows and ask folks who they recommend - a busy shop focused on production for insurance jobs will be pricier than a self employed guy who might use it as 'fill in' and takes months to get'er done .... probably can't get a decent job below a thou, and the whole deal can easily go to several thou, especially if you don't disassemble it yourself and do at least some sanding prep .... and then there's any body work that may be needed

Bill

This may interest you:
Basically, just google "50 dollar paint job" and you find a number of people have used this technique and seem to be satisfied with it. They look good in the images on the computer.

well, could i use rustoleum primer on the outside or would it have the same issues as rattle can paint?

If you brush roll or spray it on out of a gallon or qt its still just a better coat of a cheaper paint.
If the Primer isn't Epoxy Primer it has a good chance of absorbing moisture over time unless coated in an enamel, or acrylic etc, type of paint... or clear coated.
You could look at it this way:
What does this truck mean to me?
And if it was a chick, where would I take her out to dinner?
I'd guess Rustoleum rates about equal to IHOP or maybe Denny's vrs something fancy in Paris.... France not Texas.
That leaves Memphis, OKC, St.Louis, and New York city in the middle. They ALL have an IHOP but the local flavor shifts.

There are some really good threads 'out there' and in here that cover getting the most out of the chea... least expensive paints and how to improve them and their use.
Maybe turn it into your own experiment?

From my experience about the only place you can really find 'Fun' doing body work and painting is in the choosing what your gonna do dept. So I hope your having fun now!

ok thanks, i just wondered if i might be able to do any of the painting/priming by myself and save some $$$

epoxy primer can be brushed and rolled as you progress, and epoxy gives you a much longer window before you carry on with the final work, or hire that done, it just needs to be scuff sanded if it's left longer than a week or so - you will be happy you used epoxy primer later ..... of course this is assuming you're going to do a proper job of prepping the body, including stripping as much as possible to bare metal, which process will give you lots of time to consider the finish coat

Bill

how much does epoxy primer normally cost and where can i get it?

thanks for all the advice, it really helps young bolters, such as yours truly.

Eastwoods has relatively inexpensive epoxy primer (about $100/gallon). Eastwoods has a good reputation but it would be nice to hear from someone who has used that primer.

TCP Global sell epoxy primer for about $150/gal and PPG DP epoxy primer cost about $200/ gal.

A German company makes a spray-can epoxy primer (Spray Max) and it sells for about $20/can (plus shipping and tax). Not cheap but it gets you going at a lower cost. It would be nice to hear from someone who has used this.

Southern Polyurethanes Inc, out of Georgia is 172.00 for two spray-able gallons 1 gal ea of part a and part b. Grey Black and White they'll mail to your door, and personally answer your questions.

We used the TCP Global Epoxy- no complaints except for the smell- it's really nasty stuff- but I'm sure all epoxy's have that funky smell. It also sands easier than I though epoxy paint should sand... we cut down through it in a bunch of places and will need another coat of epoxy before we spray the urethane- but maybe we were being a bit too aggressive.

If you're willing to rattle can the truck why don't you buy a gallon of single stage uerathane and primer and try to paint it yourself. It actually lays well and will cost about the same as all those spray cans you will need. AXIS makes a good epoxy primer/sealer and it's $80/gal and $25 for the activator. I bought it at performance auto here in michigan. I have a couple old fenders I sprayed and sat outside last year and no rust has appeared even after the winter. You'd be surprised how easy painting is if you just try it. Alot of people fear that they will mess it up but every painter starts somewhere. You can buy a gravity gun kit with 3 guns for touch up, primer and fine finish for around $100. And still be only half the cost of paying someone.

The painting is the easiest part. Its the sanding and body work that is essential to a good paint job.

Yes the painting is the easy part but it's the most feared portion of all automotive projects. Most projects you purchase or see are all in primer and is the breaking point for most that don't get finished. I was told try it myself it's easy years back and that little bit of incouragement had me trying it myself and now I think I can do some pretty nice paint and body work.

my biggest fear is that if i sand it myself that it would get a little rusty from the moisture in the air before i get a chance to paint.

In my case without doubt the hardest part was gathering the info I felt gave me the best shot at doing it myself in the highest quality I could afford.
Three spray bombs into it I knew qts were the way to go cost wise and got with brushing and rolling on the frame and then a cheap HF gun with my tiny 1.5 hrs job compressor. That part I knew from before. Once body work was in my way it was a whole new world to confront learning about. Sure glad I found a place I could ask noobe questions and get answers that helped me choose my personal approach.
That taught me the second hardest part of it is "If I'm doing it it's gonna take longer than a shop but a shop might still take half a year or more to do all that work "properly". So I learned to cut myself some slack and settle into the process still learning and seeking to improve as I go. and like Yellow52 say's the work itself IS easy... easier than digging ditches with a shovel I can tell ya that. Way more tedious maybe but my back doesn't complain near as much as digging a ditch for 6 months...

I thought that too. Now I make sure to wash all my bare metal off in HOT water and dawn when I'm ready to paint epoxy. Then hit it with air from my shop vac not compressed air to dry it off. Left in my garage it will stay that way for weeks if need be with no rust. If worried a quick red scuff pad before some wax and grease remover does the job. then paint (after proper evaporation time is passed.
Use the force Luke...[b][/b]

If that's the case buy some cheap primer and keep it to one panel at a time. Make sure you have about an hour or so to spend on it and try to finish what you can. If it's going to be more than a day or two before you get back to it then shoot a little primer on it when done. I spent hours reading. The biggest thing that helped me was stopping by a body shop and asking for some pointers and asking if I could watch for a few minutes. This type of work will be something you either love or hate!!! LOL
I love it but I'm not all there either!!!! Before spraying any paint remember clean clean clean. Spry some water on the floor or ground around you. Make sure everything is evaporated like CASO said and just before you spray wipe it down with a tack cloth.No need to do this with the primer due to you'll be sanding it flat once complete anyway. Good luck!!

i think i'll go ahead and start....at least it isn't as scary as it seemed before

If you need any more info or have more questions let me know. I can give you my phone number if you would like so if you have a question while working on it.

ok thanks, that would be great.