Rattle Can Repaint

[Lefty]

Well, here I go again, this time painting a '98 Chevy diesel dualy, a massive beast a buddy bought for a couple thou. The drivetrain has got plenty of miles on it, but then again it's a diesel. It should last for a very long time. My buddy is a good mechanic but could use some help with the paint. This truck actually looks okay for its age. It's got no major rust issues. All in all, it's worth it to restore.

The trouble is that a new coat of paint is sure to cost about $11,000 or more. That's more than what he paid for it. That's the dilemma of buying used. No one wants to drop the big bucks on an old truck. So why not do it yourself? Painting is very time consuming. A lot of time is spent on prep. Taking it to a shop would mean that it will have to be sidelined until it's done.

The answer is to use rattle cans. You can drive your truck to work every day, but take the weekend to work on it yourself. Rattle can painting is convenient. You can work just one panel at a time.

Spray cans may sound like a cheap fix, but they are not, especially when done right. These days a 2K, two part epoxy coating on the market. It will set up hard, seal, and last as long as the original factory stuff. Granted, they are not cheap. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars a panel. It may cost less to use a gun. A gun is great if you got one, but even more time time consuming if you were spray just one panel at a time then clean the gun. This particular truck is as big as they come. I'm not sure what the final cost will be, It might be more than $1,500.00. It might be $2,000.00 but still that's a lot less than that paint shop price.

The body on the dualy looks pretty straight, but it's got 26 years worh of minor scratches, nicks, and dings, especially around the seven foot bed. It looks worse up close.

Another problem is that the previous owner used hardware store Rustoleum for touchups. Rustoleum might work well on lawn chairs, but it just doesn't last. It's soft and pourous. The brush guard was painted with it a few months ago only to have the rust return. Rustoleum is so soft that I rubbed some of it off with my hand. You can see where I rubbed it in the photo below. Note the white speckled part. Painting over Rustoleum is tricky too. Other paints don't stick to it.

Once again, no evaporative paints will last like 2K.

The next step is to go to a good automotive paint store. I like NAPA. Bring along the Vin number for the paint. Also get the batch number. It's more precise. You may have to call the parts counter at the dealership for that. The NAPA store will adjust the batch color formula to match the actual finish. Once they get the right mix, you can bo back to the store and they will always mix up the very same formula.

That's all for now. I've got to get on the phone and do some shopping. I hope this thread has been helpful

 

[Blmpkn]

I'd strongly consider & suggest doing it with an hvlp setup.

Even if you have to buy a compressor, hose, air dryer, gun, gun accessories.. literally everything.. it'll end up being cheaper than bombing the whole thing with rattle cans. It'll end up being a much better finish as well..

 

[Lefty]

I'd strongly consider & suggest doing it with an hvlp setup.

Even if you have to buy a compressor, hose, air dryer, gun, gun accessories.. literally everything.. it'll end up being cheaper than bombing the whole thing with rattle cans. It'll end up being a much better finish as well..

Very true. I've painted a few cars professionally, even won second place in a national car show. Nothing is better than a good set up and a good booth. If you know how to use HVLP, go ahead and do it.

But if you have never done this before, it takes some practice. One may have to adjust the gun to spray just right, mix two part paint too. It's not hard but there is a potential for mistakes. Two part paint contains isocyanides. Safety is even more of a concern when working in quanity and on a larger scale. And afterward, one needs to take that gun apart to clean it. And after it needs to be adjusted again.

Rattle cans, especially 2K, are not cheap. The advantage is they are convenient. The paint is premixed. There is nothing to adjust. Working one panel at a time is also a good way for newbies to learn, to practice, spraying not too dry and not too wet, with no sags, no drips. Mistakes will happen but they can be corrected easily on a smaller scale. Rattle can painting is not ideal, but it is an opportunity to learn as you go. Done right, the finished product is pretty good, perhaps even very good, but not car show quality. One thing for sure, it is certainly a vast improvement on an old scratched up truck.

So yes, buy a compressor, a gun, and some hoses. Get a respirator too. Let the good times roll. That compressor will be very helpful for other things too. But if you have never done this before, get a professional or a competent friend as well.

 

[pjtoledo]

calling Earl Scheib, hello, you there???

 

[sgtsandman]

I've done the rattle can thing on individual panels and the results were good. A solid color is a lot easier to do than a metallic. And the project will come out looking good as long as the paint matches and you do a proper wet sanding with the appropriate grits and a final buffing compound pollish.

 

[Lefty]

I've done the rattle can thing on individual panels and the results were good. A solid color is a lot easier to do than a metallic. And the project will come out looking good as long as the paint matches and you do a proper wet sanding with the appropriate grits and a final buffing compound pollish.

Exactly. Two part paints are perfect for this. They are very forgiving too, much more than solvent based evapoative paints like Duplicolor or Rustoleum. They are hard. They are waterproof, and tey will last as long as the original factory paint.

And if someone has never done this before, it is a great way to begin. Wet sanding and buffing will fix a multitude of mistakes. It's a practical way to learn how to paint. That first panel might take a very long time. It may have problems like dry spots, drips, or sags. Wet sanding fixes all of this. A good buff job will flatten out the whole job and leave you with a professional finish.

Panel by panel your skills improve and so does your speed. The last panel will come together very fast.

 

[Shran]

I can't figure out what you're advocating for. 2K indicates that there is at least two parts to the mix - the paint itself + a hardener/activator and the latter usually involves isocyanates. Color matched touchup paint from a body supply place is usually not 2k either. It's in a standard spray can with no activator.

I can make Rustoleum just as toxic as PPG professional grade urethane products............ 5 parts paint, 2 parts acetone, 0.25 parts enamel hardener. Or you can involve lacquer thinner, Japan drier, etc... lots of awful things in those... MEK, isocyanates, ethylbenzene, xylene, you get the picture. Wear your PPE and it's not a big deal.

Speaking as someone who has painted a few cars with rattle cans and HVLP sprayers, I guess my input there would be that using rattle cans are much harder use for a consistent finish across the whole vehicle, especially with stuff like Krylon or Rustoleum because the color can vary slightly from can to can. Even the touchup paint that body supply places can put in a can for you is inconsistent and it is VERY expensive- I paid $40 a can last time I needed one and it is never a perfect match. You are also at their mercy if the can doesn't spray just right... there is no adjusting your gun or air pressure... you are just fighting it.

If cheap and acceptable finish quality is what you are after, get an appropriate amount of Rustoleum/tractor paint/etc, some acetone, a can of hardener from Tractor Supply, a $10 purple HVLP gun from Harbor Freight, a cheap ~10-20 gallon compressor, a hose, a pressure regulator, plus about $150 in PPE and go to town on it. You will be much happier with the results and you can fix problems with the sprayer as they happen.... and it's much cheaper than any type of rattle can.

 

[Mechrick]

I did my Bronco II in Rustoleum aluminum, using an HVLP gun, and Durabak bedliner from the door lines down in Brick red. The Aluminum paint comes out matte and has lasted quite a long time. If I scratch it, I've got premix on the shelf.

Great for a 4x4 that might get scratched or beat up.

 

[Shran]

I did my Bronco II in Rustoleum aluminum, using an HVLP gun, and Durabak bedliner from the door lines down in Brick red. The Aluminum paint comes out matte and has lasted quite a long time. If I scratch it, I've got premix on the shelf.

Great for a 4x4 that might get scratched or beat up.

Are you pretty happy with how durable the aluminum paint is? I used Old 55 aluminum paint from Fleet Farm on a bumper and was really not happy with it. It was really hard to spray without runs and it gets dinged up really easily. I sprayed it over a year ago now and I bet I could go out right now and put gouges in it with my fingernail...just really soft. Maybe it was a bad can of paint. I like that color but I'm kinda scared to use it now.

 

[Mechrick]

I am. I'm redoing my deck in Leather Brown right now, because oil-based stains are non-existent.

Paint was soft for the first few weeks, but after baking in the NV heat in July it hardened right up.

One of these days I want to try hardener in it.

 

[Shran]

I wanted to try hardener in it too but I tracked down TDS docs for Old 55 paint & hardener and in really fine print, the paint one said not to use hardener at all in aluminum or other metallic flake paint. Why, I have no idea. It's been on my list of things to try just as an experiment.

I got overspray like a bastard too, I shot it outside on a calm day about 10' away from my shop and there are silver speckles covering the entire roof of the building and most of one wall.

 

[Lefty]

I wanted to try hardener in it too but I tracked down TDS docs for Old 55 paint & hardener and in really fine print, the paint one said not to use hardener at all in aluminum or other metallic flake paint. Why, I have no idea. It's been on my list of things to try just as an experiment.

I got overspray like a bastard too, I shot it outside on a calm day about 10' away from my shop and there are silver speckles covering the entire roof of the building and most of one wall.

I can't figure out what you're advocating for. 2K indicates that there is at least two parts to the mix - the paint itself + a hardener/activator and the latter usually involves isocyanates. Color matched touchup paint from a body supply place is usually not 2k either. It's in a standard spray can with no activator.

I can make Rustoleum just as toxic as PPG professional grade urethane products............ 5 parts paint, 2 parts acetone, 0.25 parts enamel hardener. Or you can involve lacquer thinner, Japan drier, etc... lots of awful things in those... MEK, isocyanates, ethylbenzene, xylene, you get the picture. Wear your PPE and it's not a big deal.

Speaking as someone who has painted a few cars with rattle cans and HVLP sprayers, I guess my input there would be that using rattle cans are much harder use for a consistent finish across the whole vehicle, especially with stuff like Krylon or Rustoleum because the color can vary slightly from can to can. Even the touchup paint that body supply places can put in a can for you is inconsistent and it is VERY expensive- I paid $40 a can last time I needed one and it is never a perfect match. You are also at their mercy if the can doesn't spray just right... there is no adjusting your gun or air pressure... you are just fighting it.

If cheap and acceptable finish quality is what you are after, get an appropriate amount of Rustoleum/tractor paint/etc, some acetone, a can of hardener from Tractor Supply, a $10 purple HVLP gun from Harbor Freight, a cheap ~10-20 gallon compressor, a hose, a pressure regulator, plus about $150 in PPE and go to town on it. You will be much happier with the results and you can fix problems with the sprayer as they happen.... and it's much cheaper than any type of rattle can.

I'm not quite sure exactly what you mean, but two K rattle can paints, catalyzed paints, have a two part binder. They don't dry by evaporation. They set up. Here's a product made by Eastwood. The red button on the bottom released the catalyst into the paint. Once done, what remains in the can will have a very short shelf life of 1 or two days.

And yes, the sprayer is cheaper and better IF the user has some degree of experience.

What I am advocating is a product which is much better than Rustoleum or Duplicolor. The paints are mixed on site by a professional according to the batch number, not just the number on the vin. Sometimes even the batch number is corrected by eye. .That person will hold a test chip up against your vehicle and make minor adjustments. It's more expensive but the results are better.

Here's an example of a gold metallic bumper I painted for a friend of mine, not cheap, but cheaper than a shop.

 

[Shran]

I'm not quite sure exactly what you mean, but two K rattle can paints, catalyzed paints, have a two part binder. They don't dry by evaporation. They set up. Here's a product made by Eastwood. The red button on the bottom released the catalyst into the paint. Once done, what remains in the can will have a very short shelf life of 1 or two days.

Funny you mention that, I looked up the SDS for Eastwood 2K rattle cans this morning and they contain isocyanates. It is no different than the stuff you get in a quart or gallon and mix with an activator & reducer. Same PPE is required.

What I am getting at is, you MUST look up the SDS/TDS docs for the product you intend to use in order to know what's in it so you can use PPE accordingly. Just 'cuz it comes in a rattle can doesn't mean it's not exceptionally toxic.

Sturdevants is the body shop supply place that I usually use and they will mix up 1K touchup paint in a rattle can. They just need your make, model & paint code. Like I said it's $40 a can and for all intents & purposes, it is no better than Krylon.

 

[Mechrick]

This
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-OV-P95-Disposable-Standard-Respirator

And this:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/TRIMACO-DuPont-Tyvek

Are the bare minimum when spraying isocyanates.

 

[Lefty]

Funny you mention that, I looked up the SDS for Eastwood 2K rattle cans this morning and they contain isocyanates. It is no different than the stuff you get in a quart or gallon and mix with an activator & reducer. Same PPE is required.

What I am getting at is, you MUST look up the SDS/TDS docs for the product you intend to use in order to know what's in it so you can use PPE accordingly. Just 'cuz it comes in a rattle can doesn't mean it's not exceptionally toxic.

Sturdevants is the body shop supply place that I usually use and they will mix up 1K touchup paint in a rattle can. They just need your make, model & paint code. Like I said it's $40 a can and for all intents & purposes, it is no better than Krylon.

Well, for sure there are isocyantes. The difference is that the spray pattern fom a can is not quite the same. It's a lower pressure and doesn't have the overspray as a gun.

By all means, if you have a gun and a compressor, go ahead, A can of Krylon is okay too, but rattle can technology is is changing. It has its advantages, It's an option too.