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Shran
Junk Collector
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
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Solid Axle Swap
Truck of Month
I know this is a highly debated topic... and rightly so, Rustoleum paint is crap for paint cars. It oxidizes quickly and it's hard to shoot out of a rattle can. That said, I've painted a few cars with it since it is so cheap and have found a few tricks to make it look fairly good.
Starting with prep - it depends on what's on the vehicle. I might start with 80 grit on the DA to knock the clear coat or thick layers of other paint off. If it's a single stage factory paint that's oxidized off or whatever, I'd start with 120 grit. From there I'll go over it a couple times with 220 on the DA, then wet sand with 400. Obviously you'll pull dents out and use body filler when appropriate as well.
From there, I prime with whatever is on hand, usually cheapo primer. Let it dry, scuff the whole body after this a Scotchbrite pad. I'll then wipe the whole vehicle down with a very clean, wet rag that is soaked in water, laquer thinner, or denatured alcohol. After masking, I'm ready to shoot color.
The next couple steps are where I've discovered a few tricks. Don't read the label on the can, it's pointless. The very most important things to keep under consideration are TEMPERATURE and HUMIDITY and the temperature of the surface you are painting. This matters a lot if you are shooting outside, as I do.
- Temperature: Rustoleum seems to shoot the best at between 80 and 90 degrees F. Hotter will partially cure the paint in the air and leave a very rough surface; colder than 70 or so works but the paint stays runny longer and you may need to shoot more, thinner, coats or risk runs. It also takes a lot longer to dry and doesn't sand as well afterwards for several days. If it's in the 80-90 degree range, you can be sanding within a half hour or so.
- Humidity: HIGH humidity is BETTER. This seems backwards to me but I have painted panels outdoors when the temperature is in the 80-90 degree range and 70% or higher humidity with excellent results, lower humidity at the same temperature does not work quite as well. The paint just lays down better and more evenly with higher humidity and doesn't cure in the air quite as fast, but also won't run as easily.
- Temperature of the surface: Obviously important, try to avoid painting anything in direct sunlight. The surface just gets too hot and the paint will literally cure before you make another pass. This is not ideal as you'll need to do a lot more prep between coats to get even layers, or you will simply end up with stripes or big blotches of different textures.
In summary of that, the ideal outdoor painting environment is 80-90 degrees, high humidity, and shade.
I have found that 2 coats sprayed in those conditions is usually plenty, and the second coat gives you an opportunity to cover up missed or light areas.
Next I let the vehicle dry in the sun for several days. This ensures that the paint is fully cured and there are no tacky spots. I then WASH the vehicle, and wipe it down with a wet, clean towel to remove the dirt that has accumulated. I then scuff the whole vehicle again with a Scotchbrite pad (or you can wet sand with 400 or 600 grit, just takes longer) and then repeat the wash and towel job to remove paint dust. DO NOT go crazy sanding here or you will sand through to primer! Just a light scuffing is fine.
At this point I am ready for clear coat which should be applied immediately to cut down on dirt, bugs, etc that will inevitably land on it.
The clear coat you use is CRITICAL for this step! Make sure it is chemically compatible with the paint you use!
Usually I will use Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X for the base coat and the same exact brand & type for clear. The reason being - other types of clear will act as a solvent and dissolve the layers of paint you just shot! I had a can of clear wheel paint that I used and I got mega orange peel all over...bottom line, test before you paint the whole car or you WILL REGRET IT.
During the clear coat step, the temperature and humidity factors are even more important! They have to be just right or the paint cures very quickly in the air, especially with the Painter's Touch 2X clear.
I usually try to go with 3 coats of clear. Reason being that you'll be wet sanding and polishing afterwards and this gives you a lot to work with. I will sand the clear with 600 grit, then 3000 grit 3M Trizact pads. This takes a lot of time, FYI.
Once you have an even surface that is scuffed nicely with the Trizact pads, you are ready to polish. I use a DA and a finishing sponge pad with Meguire's polishing compound. Use a lot of the compound on low speed, and wipe it off frequently with a microfiber towel. You should end up with a mirror finish, or damn near, assuming you did everything right. At this point you can hand wax or use the DA and a wax sponge. Done!
The whole purpose of this documentation is to provide you with some insight on how to do decent looking, cheap paint jobs. Are there better paints out there, that are easier to shoot, and last longer? Absolutely, BUT, can you buy them in a rattle can that costs $2.50-$4? NO. You also need zero special equipment for this, just a good electric DA, good sandpaper, patience and the right environmental factors.
For comparison, I am painting my extended cab, long box '85 F250 at the moment using this method and am estimating that I will use about 25 cans of color and 25 cans of clear. Assuming you catch a sale, the paint will cost you $125 @ $2.50 a can. I have about $50 into sandpaper, and only used 3-4 cans of primer, so figure another $10 for that.
Is $185 worth it to me to have a junky old truck all one color? Absolutely!
Starting with prep - it depends on what's on the vehicle. I might start with 80 grit on the DA to knock the clear coat or thick layers of other paint off. If it's a single stage factory paint that's oxidized off or whatever, I'd start with 120 grit. From there I'll go over it a couple times with 220 on the DA, then wet sand with 400. Obviously you'll pull dents out and use body filler when appropriate as well.
From there, I prime with whatever is on hand, usually cheapo primer. Let it dry, scuff the whole body after this a Scotchbrite pad. I'll then wipe the whole vehicle down with a very clean, wet rag that is soaked in water, laquer thinner, or denatured alcohol. After masking, I'm ready to shoot color.
The next couple steps are where I've discovered a few tricks. Don't read the label on the can, it's pointless. The very most important things to keep under consideration are TEMPERATURE and HUMIDITY and the temperature of the surface you are painting. This matters a lot if you are shooting outside, as I do.
- Temperature: Rustoleum seems to shoot the best at between 80 and 90 degrees F. Hotter will partially cure the paint in the air and leave a very rough surface; colder than 70 or so works but the paint stays runny longer and you may need to shoot more, thinner, coats or risk runs. It also takes a lot longer to dry and doesn't sand as well afterwards for several days. If it's in the 80-90 degree range, you can be sanding within a half hour or so.
- Humidity: HIGH humidity is BETTER. This seems backwards to me but I have painted panels outdoors when the temperature is in the 80-90 degree range and 70% or higher humidity with excellent results, lower humidity at the same temperature does not work quite as well. The paint just lays down better and more evenly with higher humidity and doesn't cure in the air quite as fast, but also won't run as easily.
- Temperature of the surface: Obviously important, try to avoid painting anything in direct sunlight. The surface just gets too hot and the paint will literally cure before you make another pass. This is not ideal as you'll need to do a lot more prep between coats to get even layers, or you will simply end up with stripes or big blotches of different textures.
In summary of that, the ideal outdoor painting environment is 80-90 degrees, high humidity, and shade.
I have found that 2 coats sprayed in those conditions is usually plenty, and the second coat gives you an opportunity to cover up missed or light areas.
Next I let the vehicle dry in the sun for several days. This ensures that the paint is fully cured and there are no tacky spots. I then WASH the vehicle, and wipe it down with a wet, clean towel to remove the dirt that has accumulated. I then scuff the whole vehicle again with a Scotchbrite pad (or you can wet sand with 400 or 600 grit, just takes longer) and then repeat the wash and towel job to remove paint dust. DO NOT go crazy sanding here or you will sand through to primer! Just a light scuffing is fine.
At this point I am ready for clear coat which should be applied immediately to cut down on dirt, bugs, etc that will inevitably land on it.
The clear coat you use is CRITICAL for this step! Make sure it is chemically compatible with the paint you use!
Usually I will use Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X for the base coat and the same exact brand & type for clear. The reason being - other types of clear will act as a solvent and dissolve the layers of paint you just shot! I had a can of clear wheel paint that I used and I got mega orange peel all over...bottom line, test before you paint the whole car or you WILL REGRET IT.
During the clear coat step, the temperature and humidity factors are even more important! They have to be just right or the paint cures very quickly in the air, especially with the Painter's Touch 2X clear.
I usually try to go with 3 coats of clear. Reason being that you'll be wet sanding and polishing afterwards and this gives you a lot to work with. I will sand the clear with 600 grit, then 3000 grit 3M Trizact pads. This takes a lot of time, FYI.
Once you have an even surface that is scuffed nicely with the Trizact pads, you are ready to polish. I use a DA and a finishing sponge pad with Meguire's polishing compound. Use a lot of the compound on low speed, and wipe it off frequently with a microfiber towel. You should end up with a mirror finish, or damn near, assuming you did everything right. At this point you can hand wax or use the DA and a wax sponge. Done!
The whole purpose of this documentation is to provide you with some insight on how to do decent looking, cheap paint jobs. Are there better paints out there, that are easier to shoot, and last longer? Absolutely, BUT, can you buy them in a rattle can that costs $2.50-$4? NO. You also need zero special equipment for this, just a good electric DA, good sandpaper, patience and the right environmental factors.
For comparison, I am painting my extended cab, long box '85 F250 at the moment using this method and am estimating that I will use about 25 cans of color and 25 cans of clear. Assuming you catch a sale, the paint will cost you $125 @ $2.50 a can. I have about $50 into sandpaper, and only used 3-4 cans of primer, so figure another $10 for that.
Is $185 worth it to me to have a junky old truck all one color? Absolutely!
