Rattle can paint

[409biscayne]

I need to paint some rear suspension pieces semi gloss black , any paint better or worse than another ?? I usually powder coat , but trying to keep the costs down . Whatta y'all use ?
Tks .............................. 409

[cdowns]

i either will use rustoleum or the duplicolor engine enamel

[shifty]

If I redo my frame and want something that's going to last, I'll probably sand the frame down, then get Eastwood's chassis kit - comes with their Rust Encapsulator product and their Chassis Black product in one package. It's very reasonably priced. www.eastwood.com

[409biscayne]

Oops , i probably should have said i'm just painting the trailing arms , and there not rusty at all , i just want something that looks good and will last .
Tks.

[shifty]

Rust Encapsulator is intended to make it last

But if you want something that will last, just pull the trailing arms off and take em in to have em powdercoated.

[BowTieOgre]

Originally Posted by 409biscayne

I need to paint some rear suspension pieces semi gloss black , any paint better or worse than another ?? I usually powder coat , but trying to keep the costs down . Whatta y'all use ?
Tks .............................. 409

I know what you mean about keeping the costs down. I was originally going to have my frame and suspension blasted and powdercoated for $500 but I ended up using a friends blasting equipment and painting everything myself for about $80. I rolled on 2 quarts of Gloss Black Rustoleum on the frame and used spray can primer and paint for the trailing arms, control arms, center link, etc. It looks pretty good so far but not great. It looks like the Eastwood kit is about the same cost as all the supplies I got from Lowes but Im not so sure about 4 rattle cans doing everything.

I will try to put up a pic this afternoon of my trailing arms.

[cdowns]

Originally Posted by shifty

Rust Encapsulator is intended to make it last

But if you want something that will last, just pull the trailing arms off and take em in to have em powdercoated.

if your idea of savin money is having them powdercoated maybe he could have them chromed and save a bundle!!!

[Green Machine]

On the trailing arms I would put down Rustoleum rusty metal primer first and then topcoat with Rustoleum semigloss. I think the quart can stuff is better than the rattle can, but either will be fairly cheap and work pretty good I think.

[71blksuper4x4]

If I was you... I would go to a farm and tractor supply and try and find Van Sickle Implement enamel. I believe there is gloss, satin, and flat black colors in it. We bought a gallon of the gloss black and it was enough to paint everything on my 1996 extended cab frame. The stuff is really nice and thick and flows well. When we crack back into my 1971 4x4 again... we are going to blast my frame and I will be using this product again. Holds up pretty well to things, better than Rustoleum or others in the price range. Trevor

[71blksuper4x4]

I forgot to mention that the last time I was at a Tractor supply I noticed they made this in rattle can too.

[1LoC10]

well my trucks just a driver and I just didnt like the look of rust.. my enitre frame and all the suspension and rear end and everything was solid rust on mine..lol ... so I sprayed everything I could with "Semi Flat Krylon Rust Tough Enamel" it holds up pretty well, and looks better than rust

[shifty]

Originally Posted by cdowns

if your idea of savin money is having them powdercoated maybe he could have them chromed and save a bundle!!!

I reckon you can get those trailing arms powdercoated for $75, which is about $40 more than you'd pay loading up on paint, and in man hours, fume inhalation, etc.

Overall, the Eastwood method would work, but ... I dunno.

[BowTieOgre]

Here are pics as promised of my Rustoleum paint job. The frame JUST got moved back inside after being painted so its a little dirty but it used to look like the other pieces.

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by cdowns

if your idea of savin money is having them powdercoated maybe he could have them chromed and save a bundle!!!

The way to do it is to build your own powder setup. I built mine about 8 years ago for a total of $200. Not only did it pay for itself the first run, but I have made close to $5000 over the past 5 years shooting little stuff for guys I know.

I bought the Eastwood hotcoat gun (junk out of the box, but I rewired it) and picked up an oven from a yard sale for $25. Pulled the elements out, welded up a 6'x3'x3' box with a small window in the door and mounted them on the bottom. Painted the inside of the box in high temp white and mounted the controls to the top. It's ghetto, but you would never know based on some of the custom stuff I've shot.

Powder runs about $5-$15 a pound. A pound will do about 4 sets of trailing arms with an even coat. I no longer have a shop of my own, so we set the stuff up in a friends garage. It's not as easy to use now, so I haven't done a whole lot. But if you want to do projects right, it's the way to go for sure.

I saw an article where a guy built an oven out of an old metal container. He couldn't fit larger items in it, but it was way easy compared to my setup.

<edit> DO NOT BUY EASTWOOD POWDER! It's crap and expensive. I buy mine from a local shop in 1 pound increments. You can also buy it from Pendry Powder (sells on ebay) and he ships USPS the next day.

[cdowns]

yep he could build his own chrome tanks too for less money than your setup

[beater69]

Hard to beat brushing on rustoleum. get a qt for $7 a hand full of throw away brushes for a couple bucks. it goes on really nice and brushing it doesn't hardly stink at all. the rustoleum spray bombs are around $5 and they really stink and put more in the air than on your piece. Crap.....Longhorn Man just painted his truck with the stuff and I'm planning on doing the same. I guess I'm starting to sound like a commercial for the stuff.

[JAKES 68GMC]

Rustoleum all they way.

[shifty]

Hey jimmydean, when you say you "rewired" the gun, in what way do you mean?

[wibilly]

i used satin rustoliem on my frame and underside of cab and box,i mixed and sprayed mine, thined with acitone and added hardener and ues spray bombs for touch up

[byrd]

I used the eastwoods kit on my frame, it was $100 for the entire kit, but it wasn't enough paint do it all, so I ordered 4 more cans($40) and it turned out real nice.It is an epoxy paint so it should hold up pretty well.I took a lot of time cleaning and prepping the frame to ensure good adhesion and the truck will be a driver so we'll see.Pics in my sig

[Aarons72s]

Here is one I have used. I painted a railroad switch, I am a railroad buff, that is in my back yard to see how a certain spray was. It is the appliance epoxy rattle can paint sold at lowes. I put it on early this year and it looks great still. This stuff is real hard after a couple of weeks. Alot harder than any other rattle can spray paint. Hope this helps.
Aaron