Paint frame?

[03BlkZ]

At Christmas my father gave me the keys to his 1970 short bed C10. He is the only owner and he daily drove the truck for 30 years. He is about to retire at the end of this month and wants to split a restore project with me. Its been sitting since 2000 inside his shop and it needs quite a bit of work. We are wanting to take it down to the frame and I was wondering what most people do. Do they paint the frame and suspension components or powder coat? If paint what type do you use?

Thanks and I cant wait to start!
Brent

[Grumpy old man]

I used tractor supplys paint on my short bed farm truck build and it worked good and flowed nice .Use the catalyst hardener

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...k?cm_vc=-10005

http://http://

[kx57]

Are you blasting the frame and doing all your repairs/changes before painting/powder coating?

If you're considering powder coating I would do all the work to the frame first. (eg reinforcing, repairs, new holes) This is a personal preference as I hate touching up powder coating that's damaged.

If you do paint, you can touch it up after easily if you bang it up.

I suppose budget, experience, time etc come into play as well. I assume you wouldn't be doing the powder coating yourself?

[03BlkZ]

Oh no I an not doing any powder coating myself. We are leaning towards paint. My dad is retiring from a 46 year career in automotive paint and body so he has plenty of experience in the paint department

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I purchased a Master Series kit, but haven't applied it yet. It comes highly regarded and is not expensive. 80 grit is your final sanding, and use a sponge applicator to apply. They use the same stuff on bridges, so it must be very durable. The top coat is a satin black finish, which is correct for our trucks.

Two coats of their silver (or grey) primer, one top coat. You don't even need the top coat. It cures best under humid conditions. I live in Nevada, so there's not much in the way of humidity. Probably unnecessary, but I may run a humidifier.

Edit: Beautiful work Grumpy.

[03BlkZ]

I think I am just going to prime and paint with a rustoleum paint. I used a wire wheel on a grinder and it cleaned up great. That is either an anti rust coating or paint still on the frame.

[randy500]

Do anything except POR15...its pure snake oil, great marketing though.

[randy500]

Anything less than sandblast, sanding or acid dip to clean bright metal is just putting lipstick on a pig.
That being said, sanding, wire wheel and then treat with ospho is a proven method. Read up on the ospho though it should be neutralized before paint despite what the container says.

To neutralize,...treat with a fresh cost of ospho then wash off while still wet using soap and water.

[57taskforce]

I’m a fan of Chassis Saver. I prepped mine with a 4.5” wire wheel. I also used 3M prep solve and adhesion promoter before applying the Chassis Saver. It supposedly will encapsulate pitted rust as long as the loose scale is removed. I did my frame 2 years ago and have had no rust return.

[03BlkZ]

Thanks! I will do some research on these other methods.

[YBNORML]

Here’s my 68’ shortbox frame.

Sandblasted, primed and then painted with Endura gloss black.

[67C10Step]

Combination of wire wheel, stripping disc, and blasting. Wash down with TSP and then hit with Eastwood rust encapsulator. Thinned it with lacquer thinner and sprayed on. Top coated with Eastwood satin frame paint.

[maverickmk]

Anyone ever use that super tough stuff they spray or roll on in the beds of trucks these days?

[randy500]

Anything eastwood is pretty much garbage marketed to the do it yourselfer.

Anything that encapsulates rust is snake oil too. People want to believe rust can be encapsulated...it sounds like a cure doesnt it?

[67C10Step]

Used Eastwood frame paint on a motorcycle frame in 2000 and it still looked great when I sold the bike in 2017. Maybe they’ve changed since then and I’ll find out.

Hope the OP finds a good method and every truck saved is great no matter what the budget. Even us do it yourself guys.

[LockDoc]

-
If you have it fairly clean just spray it with 2 good coats of Rustoleum and forget about it. If you drive it at all, sooner or later it will start rusting again no matter what you use. I've tried them all.

Just my 2¢ worth.

LockDoc

[dennislbrooks]

My 1 cent, for low cost and durability, sandblast even with a pot blaster using fine media if a HF, I like TSC coal slag. remaining rust discoloration is ok. Cab on is ok, you will just have more blasting dust to blow out or cover up. Then use either rustoleum enamel, tractor enamel, zero rust, or my favorite water base urethane bed liner or zero rust. I am on the fence about hardner for a frame. Most can be rolled or brushed or sprayed - cooler temps allow more flow. I do not use a primer as industrial type enamels do not necessarily require it.

I use this on my cruisein car show drivers if you are a lower budget do it yourself. Wire brush can work but more work and my be hard to get to some places.

Use safety practices when necessary.

[CMars45000]

I used Chassis Saver in satin black. Turned out pretty nice. We'll see how it holds up, but it seems tough so far, especial after stacking all sorts of crap on the frame and using it as a makeshift workbench at times...

[bigmac73]

i will second the quote from randy 500, i used the POR on my front end section of the frame and suspension a few years ago and it is already peeling and flaking off, pure crap.
after that I have been using the rustoleum professional in a gallon can with the clean metal primer, hit the frame with a wire wheel or abrasive disk and then degrease/power wash and start brushing or rolling. I also treat any rust with OSPHO as well and let it soak overnight and then wash good before paint

[sick472]

For the average truck restorations...Rustoleum is a great paint! Most of any success in a frame redo is in the prep work. Sand blasting is my favorite, but not always practical for the average folk. So, your results will be a direct reflection of how bare you get the steel. I really like using the flat black as my builds take a while and I'm not too particular when it comes to show shine. Flat black can be sprayed, rolled, and brushed with very similar results and touching it up with a brush later on hides well. What really gets me about the flat black is that once the truck sees some miles and weather...flat black does not scream..."wash the undersides to get the shine back". A good hosing and it's good enough for me. Not to mention, Rustoleum is an oil based paint and can be painted over somewhat oily stuff without goobering up like enamels and urethanes. It's also very affordable and easy to get.

[03BlkZ]

I just ordered some of the Chassis Saver online. Do I need the S8 reducer also if I plan to brush it on?

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by 03BlkZ

I just ordered some of the Chassis Saver online. Do I need the S8 reducer also if I plan to brush it on?

Nope, I brushed mine on right out of the can. The reducer might help with brush marks and such but I wasn’t worried about cosmetics as much as I wanted as much protection as I could get. Mine has 3 coats on it.

[03BlkZ]

Originally Posted by 57taskforce

Nope, I brushed mine on right out of the can. The reducer might help with brush marks and such but I wasn’t worried about cosmetics as much as I wanted as much protection as I could get. Mine has 3 coats on it.

How thick is it? I assume the reducer would make it go further. About how much will a gallon cover?

[Arizona oldguy]

Haven’t read all the other reply’s but here goes, I bought a hopper style sand blaster at a yard sale, had use of a huge industrial compressor, sand blasted the frame and sprayed it with por15. That was 10 years ago, it still looks good. That being said, I live on 4 acres (neighbors are not close) I was trying to save money. After buying the media, marine clean and the por15........ I could have and wish I would have had it powder coated.

[MySons68C20]

I learned recently that headstone suppliers have facilities that will do the sandblasting at a discount......I know the one in our town has a big enough area for larger projects like frames etc.