Educate me please

[kudzu3 323]

Restoring a b 80 and need to be educated on surface prep for painting. I have assumed that a surface to be painted should be as smooth as possible but now am hearing (reading) about etching, etching primers (?) and such. My wheels have been sand-blasted and I have smoothed the surface with sandpaper and primed. I have applied two coats of primer, sanding between coats to smooth the surface and fill some of the minor pitting. Am I doing this right, should the surface be  etched before paint? How about the other parts (body parts)? I am a wheel horse restoration novice and somewhat confused, any advise will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

Too late for etch primer. Etch primer is listed as DTM - direct to metal and NOT to be applied to other coatings, top coat or primers.

 

The first question I have is what type of paint you are using. Rustoleum thru a rattle can? 1K or 2K urethanes thru HVLP?  Old school lacquers thru high pressure guns?

 

Much of the prep sequences wlll be the same but there will be some differences.

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

My prep for sandblasted surfaces involves an inspection of the sandblast results. Use compressed air and bristle brushes to remove ANY AND ALL blast residue. Fractured media and media dust will be present in every corner of freshly blasted pieces. Be aware of fractured media in any passage ways which are associated with grease fittings; Blast media will be embedded in any grease left in these passages. If you left the Zerk fittings on blasted pieces, consider replacing them.

 

Wash all surfaces with clean water and dishwashing liquid.  Blow dry the piece with compressed air to remove water from the crevices. Wipe down the piece with Isopropanol alcohol or surface prep solution. Body work with filler should be on bare metal. Sand, feather and clean the pieces again. 

 

DTM primer bare metal only, do not apply DTM over body filler. Scuff DTM etch primer , clean piece with IPA and apply your filler primer. Scuff filler primer, clean with IPA and apply top coat.

 

Cleanliness and scuffing between coats will get you the best top coat adhesion.

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

Another quick thought. File down any sharp edges on cast or stamped metal parts. Sharp edges will not allow a paint film to build up on edge and will lead to poor topcoat adhesion and the likelyhood of rust formation shortly after the tractor is put into use.

[kudzu3 323]

Good info, thanks. I'm using rattle can rustoleum. I cleaned the bare metal of the wheels by sanding, blowing with air and then a good washing with acetone and then primer. I don't believe I will need to use any body filler but do have some minor pitting that I believe can be filled easily with a couple coats of primer, sanding between coats. My main concern is the hood, dash tower and seat pan, curious as to how to prep the bare metal for primer/paint.

[SousaKerry 500]

Rustolium Rust Reformer I swear by it now.   Coat it thick, sand just a little, wash with alcohol and paint.  Works for me but that Rustoleum will stay soft forever and it don't take much to scratch it.  I keep a small brush and can around for touch-ups before showing it off.  Don't expect automotive results from a rattle can and you'll be fine. 

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

A few thoughts ...

 

acetone usually does not make a good surface prep - it flashes dry far too quickly, leaving little time for contaminants to dissolve, and suspend in the cleaner. I have used mineral spirits for the initial wipe followed by 70% IPA. 

 

Duplicolor makes a very good DTM etch primer R available at auto parts stores.

For larger projects, I use an etch product from TransStar sold by the quart.

 

Use the PROFESSIONAL primers from Rustoleum if you can. They dry much faster and appear to be quite durable.

 

I have used Rustoleum regal red PROFESSIONAL as a top coat. Gallons are available for approx $40 thru Amazon. Again, it dries much quicker than regular Rustoleum.

 

Last but not least, if this is your first restore, mentally keep track of all the time and effort you expend to prep and finish the tractor. Rustoleum APPEARS inexpensive to use and users assume it is durable. Neither is true when compared to the results obtained using automotive quality products. I painted a mailbox with regal red about 4 years back. Today that mailbox is pink.

 

The extra $$ spent on automotive grade finishes is small in relation to the prep time and effort spent in total restoration $$$'s.

 

Good luck.

[shorts 182]

x2 on the prep and labor being the expensive part of any paint/finishing project, even if you only pay yourself in groceries and beer the cost of high quality materials properly applied are the best value for the money invested.

Spend some time on google or youtube or instructables and research professional auto body repair and painting, then go make a friend at the auto parts or paint store and find out what products are available and get their recommended application and use instructions.  I find that when you start researching and asking questions in person that you will find friendly, helpful locals that are willing to share their knowledge.