Rattlecan "Deluxe Package"

[Car RamRod]

I painted my truck with ppg centari. It was around 110 for the gallon (used about 3/4), 160 with reducer and activator. Nason paint is even cheaper but I went for the centari since I like their metallics better.

[WahooSteeler]

All good stuff fellas. IMO this thread is really helpful to anyone thinking of painting on their own and what has been tried and the pros and cons of each method. That link to "roll it on" was great. I saw that 76 Vette and I was like, NO!, please tell me somebody DID NOT roll paint a Vette!! But it looked pretty good. Hard to tell if you don't see it in person, but pretty damn good for $26 LOL.

 

Just a reminder, I started this thread not necessarily because I was getting ready to paint my truck, but because I was intrigued by how many people had painted on the cheap with different approaches and results. Obviously some of them turned out pretty damn good, so I thought it would be cool to get more input. Because I am NOT experienced at doing anything like this, that's why I've thrown out the crazy questions like the Wagner power sprayer etc.. I don't think I would have ever tried that, but as I've read all the input here I've tried to think of questions that other people might have or, again, just really try to push the idea beyond the boundaries. I mean, IMO, it seems logical (to the uneducated paint person like me at least) that even a Wagner home sprayer would produce a better result than a roller, and since it's powered it could maybe be a step better than rattle can. Oh, and the clear coat question. Same thing. I was like "Ok, so you can produce a cheap and decent paint job with a little prep and some rattle cans, but it looks like everybody is saying there is no good way to clear it so as to increase the shine AND retain it. If a low cost body shop job is $750 for a regular paint job (NOT looking for input on this, just a number I threw out there fellas LOL) and a rattle can job is $50, maybe a rattle can and body shop clear job could be $350 and worthwhile." So for me at least, a lot of these things I could guess may not work or be a good idea, but I didn't know why and now I do.

 

All that being said, hopefully this will keep going a while longer and produce come more good info. :popcorn:

[jtdesigns]

Wahoo,,, 98% of a good paint job is prep. I could spray a gallon of house of color (=big$$) on something and if I didnt sand it with the right grit, and make sure to get all grease n wax off it would be pointless.. Spray paint can be done with good results,,, like CW's truck for instance, it looks good, but I guarantee when it gets hot and that paint gets soft it won't look as good and it will never last as long as a base, clear, or a single stage acrylic enamel.. If you do all the prep, buy all your paint, then take it to a painter I bet you could get by with a good paint job for cheep.............

[ORCA]

98% of a good paint job is prep. I could spray a gallon of house of color (=big$$) on something and if I didnt sand it with the right grit, and make sure to get all grease n wax off it would be pointless.

 

Agreed. A paint job is only as good as the prep work.

 

So how did all of you who have rattle can'd your junk prepped it? Sanded, primer, then paint? Any other extra steps?

 

Let's keep this thread going. Soon we'll all have fresh paint jobs.. :cheers:

[ICEBOX]

rattle can rulzz

[Car RamRod]

that's a wreckless avatar

[mvusse]

If you have (access to) an air compressor, an sprayer does not have to be expensive. Harbor Freight carries a huge selection, starting at under $20.

 

I have never bothered with clear coat, but instead used single stage premixed colors from NAPA. MSA Acrylic Enamel I believe it is called. I've had good results with it for not too much $$$.

[ICEBOX]

Yes MSA is our ( NAPA )premix colors !

I will take a pic of the chip chart and post it later. maybe tomarrow

[chicofuentes0224]

Wahoo,,, 98% of a good paint job is prep. I could spray a gallon of house of color (=big$$) on something and if I didnt sand it with the right grit, and make sure to get all grease n wax off it would be pointless.. Spray paint can be done with good results,,, like CW's truck for instance, it looks good, but I guarantee when it gets hot and that paint gets soft it won't look as good and it will never last as long as a base, clear, or a single stage acrylic enamel.. If you do all the prep, buy all your paint, then take it to a painter I bet you could get by with a good paint job for cheep.............

 

Guys what grit sandpaper on a palm sander should I use?

Is any primer in a can good?

[jtdesigns]

Wahoo,,, 98% of a good paint job is prep. I could spray a gallon of house of color (=big$$) on something and if I didnt sand it with the right grit, and make sure to get all grease n wax off it would be pointless.. Spray paint can be done with good results,,, like CW's truck for instance, it looks good, but I guarantee when it gets hot and that paint gets soft it won't look as good and it will never last as long as a base, clear, or a single stage acrylic enamel.. If you do all the prep, buy all your paint, then take it to a painter I bet you could get by with a good paint job for cheep.............

 

Guys what grit sandpaper on a palm sander should I use?

Is any primer in a can good?

Use 180 on paint, then prime it then use 320.. Not all primers are created equal... You want something with a "high build" something that states its a primer filler..

[chicofuentes0224]

After you sand, what do you wipe the dust off with before painting?

[jtdesigns]

After you sand, what do you wipe the dust off with before painting?

 

ok first wash your truck with some dish detergent, scrub it real good and get as much dirt you can off it. sand it with some 180,, spray your primer sand it with 320, get some wax and grease remover wipe it on wipe it off Danial-son,, take you a tac rag and lightly wipe the panel your about to paint, then paint... You know when you do the 320 its better to use some water and wet sand it.. But thats alot of prep just to spray bomb it..

[ORCA]

If you have (access to) an air compressor, an sprayer does not have to be expensive. Harbor Freight carries a huge selection, starting at under $20.

 

Anyone have any recommendations on cheapo spray guns? I've got a compressor and there is a harbor freight store in town... :banana:

 

Here's one I found on their website for $30:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=43430

 

It says water based finishes only...? This wouldn't be the right type of paint for an auto would it?

 

BTW here's some cheap sprayers from harbor freight: LINK

 

I'm getting really amped to spray my truck...

[mvusse]

After you sand, what do you wipe the dust off with before painting?

 

spray your primer sand it with 320, get some wax and grease remover wipe it on

 

Never seen 320. 330 maybe? That's what used.

[jtdesigns]

After you sand, what do you wipe the dust off with before painting?

 

spray your primer sand it with 320, get some wax and grease remover wipe it on

 

Never seen 320. 330 maybe? That's what used.

 

Never heard of 330.. 320 is an automotive grade of sandpaper, is 330 for wood, or construction?

[chicofuentes0224]

J, what's a tac rag and can you explain the wet-sanding please.

[jtdesigns]

J, what's a tac rag and can you explain the wet-sanding please.

 

Check out all these videos..

 

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/62441_car-painting-tac-rag.htm

[BREEZE1]

 

I have this gun. Its just a cheap’o. Its like any other tool, it depends on who is behind it!!!

here i am using it on the VDUB!

here is my old man using it on my old yj!

Ive had this gun for over three years and it still works as good as the day i bought it. so i guess its ok!!

[chicofuentes0224]

Breeze .ya got any other pictures of that YJ with that color? And what color and paint did you guys use for that?

[WahooSteeler]

After you sand, what do you wipe the dust off with before painting?

 

spray your primer sand it with 320, get some wax and grease remover wipe it on

 

Never seen 320. 330 maybe? That's what used.

 

Never heard of 330.. 320 is an automotive grade of sandpaper, is 330 for wood, or construction?

 

"eh, 320, 330, whatever it takes" :D

[BREEZE1]

Its the same color as the new 350Z. I realy liked that color!

[Sir_Brando]

Fella's. Found this great thread doin a little searching. Bumping it because rollyourcar.com is no more. I went ahead and used the wayback machine and am posting the findings and some other links in the thread cause its great info.

 

Roll-On paint job on an XJ - http://earlyxj.com/paint.htm

 

rollyourcar.com - Here is the wayback link for the site:http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20090227115244/http://rollyourcar.com/default.aspx there are several pages to the website, I'm posting the important ones in order here

 

Enjoy!!

 

Home

Welcome to Roll Your Car.com!

 

This site is dedicated to the "paint job on a budget" process -- a method for painting cars that is cheap, safe and exciting! In most cases, a nice paint job can be achieved for $100 or less, with no special tools required.

 

Use the menu at left to begin navigating!

 

 

Introduction

Introduction & History

 

Basically, this process is about painting a car using a roller. The basic steps include:

 

* Preparing the car, and scratching the surface with some 400 grit (or so) paper or a scuff pad to prepare for paint

* Thinning and applying paint (various paints and thinners can be used)

* Wetsanding (to remove imperfections and any orange peel)

* More paint; more wetsanding

* Polishing

 

This idea of hand applying paint to cars, though it has been around for awhile in various forms, recently became very popular (online, anyway) due to a post by 69chargeryeehaa on the Moparts.com bulletin board. The original thread (some 43 pages) can be found . That thread was locked and placed into the tech archive, and 69chargeryeehaa started another thread, which was locked and placed in the tech archive in May 2007; it can be found . The newest thread as of May 2007 (part 3) is .

The process has benefits and drawbacks, I will try to summarize those here:

 

* Benefits

o Inexpensive

o Convenient

o Easy, after some practice

o Safe, compared to spraying catalyzed paints containing isocyanates

o Easy to repair/touch up

o Helps move slow projects along..

 

* Drawbacks

o Can be time consuming

o May not be as durable as hardened automotive paint

o Shine typically not as refined as a basecoat/clearcoat job

o A metallic paint job may not be possible

 

I feel, as do the multitude of others who contributed to the above message threads, that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks in many cases. Would I paint a Viper with this method? No. A daily driver? Maybe not. Would I paint a work truck with it? Yes! Would I paint a weekend cruiser with it? Sure!

 

Acknowledgements

 

A big THANK YOU to:

 

* 69chargeryeehaa (Martin) - the guy who introduced this method to the masses

* Countless folks who came to Moparts to share their experiences (you know who you are!) and helped to fine-tune this method

* Microsoft, for providing this website platform at no cost (you can get your own too, it's called Microsoft Office Live)

 

About

 

On Moparts, my name is Exit1965. In "real life", my name is Dave and I live near Sacramento, California. I initially became very interested in the process because I was (still am) restoring a 1967 Dodge Dart GT. I had been doing the bodywork myself, and was approaching the point of needing paint, but was dreading the fact that I would have to either shell out a minimum of $600 to several thousand dollars to have the car painted by a body shop. The $600 job would be/could be a crap-shoot quality-wise and the big $$ job was not something I wanted to shell out for.

 

When I read about this method on Moparts, I immediately began experimenting with it. On the threads linked above, you can see the results of experimentation. Through my experiments (though they were not very scientific!) I wavered back and forth over whether I'd end up painting my car with this method or not. I had concerns over shine and scratch resistance.

 

In the end, I decided to give it a whirl and painted my car red. Then I decided a red car wasn't right for me, so I painted it off white. Later, Marq, another long-time contributor to the Moparts thread, introduced the idea of using topside boat paint instead of the Rustoleum (or Tremclad if you're Canadian) that I and others had been using up to that point. I did some more experiments with the topside boat paint, then painted my car again using Brightside (a brand of topside paint).

 

The most significant part of this paint job process for me is that it helped move the whole project along. Since the paint was a (potentially very expensive) unknown part of the restoration of my car, I was dilly-dallying with the bodywork and the rest of the project. After painting it, I jumped whole hog into getting it running, and finally, it is running and driving, you can see video here.

 

Materials

Materials

 

Below is a table listing the materials needed for this type of paint job.

 

Item: Primer

Type: Spray or other

Brands: Various

Where?: Auto places, home improvement, Walmart

Cost: $3-5/can; $7/qt

Notes: I have used many different primers, or no primer at all, under the paint I have applied. Cheap rattle can primer works fine. Some type of primer (be it actual primer, or rattle can Rustoleum in a color close to your final color choice) should be used over Bondo, otherwise the Bondo will suck in the first 2-3 coats of paint.

 

Item: Paint

Type: Either a single part polyurethane (like topside boat paint) or an oil-based enamel

Brands: Boat paints: Brightside, Petit Easypoxy, West Marine topside paint, Epifanes. Oil-based enamel: Rustoleum, Tremclad other "rust paint" brands.

Where?: Boat paints: Marine supply shops (West Marine). Oil-based enamel: Walmart type stores, home improvement stores; paint stores

Cost: Boat paint: ~$30/qt Enamel: ~$8/qt

Notes: The original paint used for the process was oil-based enamel such as Rustoleum and Tremclad. Marq introduced the idea of using topside boat paint; many people (including me) find the boat paint to have a better gloss. A typical car will take 2-3 quarts of paint. You may want to get some mason jars to store the paint/thinner mixture.

 

Item: Thinner

Type: Mineral spirits

Brands: Various

Where?: Home improvement stores, paint stores

Cost: $8/gallon

Notes: The "low odor" type seems to dry slower than the standard type. The standard type can be found at some paint stores and may be labeled as "Paint thinner - 100% mineral spirits". From what I've read, mineral spirits works to thin many different brands of paints. It does not seem to be necessary to use the thinner that the paint manufacturer specifies.

 

Item: Roller

Type: High density foam roller

Brands: Various

Where: Home improvement stores

Cost: ~$6 / 5 pack

Notes: These are sold at big stores such as Home Depot and Lowes. They are sometimes labeled "Pro" grade and are high density foam. They are usually white in color.

 

Item: Tray

Type: 6" roller tray

Brands:

Where: Home improvement stores

Cost: $1

Notes: The ones I use have bumps to squeeze paint out of the roller.

 

Item: Tape

Type: Blue painters tape

Brands: 3M

Where: Walmart, home improvement stores

Cost: ~$3

Notes: The blue stuff is easy to remove when done painting.

 

Item: Sanding block

Type: Foam sanding block

Brand: 3M

Where: Home improvement stores, Walmart

Cost: ~$3-4

Notes: These are semi-firm foam sanding blocks that come in various grits. They are designed to be used for sanding, but I used them to wrap the sandpaper around during wetsanding.

 

Item: Sandpaper

Type: Various grits: 400, 600, 1000, 1500, 2000

Brand: 3M, others

Where: Walmart, auto paint shops, auto parts stores

Cost: ~$3-4/pack

Notes: Get the waterproof kind.

 

 

 

Method

Method

 

First, everyone's method is slightly different. This goes for the paint people use, the amount of thinner, the sandpaper grits, the polish, and so on. I will do my best to integrate other people's ideas/techniques into this list, and at other times I might suggest something I haven't tried or seen tried, but I will base most of this from my own experience using both Rustoleum and Brightside (a marine topside paint). What I did is pretty similar to the way 69chargeryeehaa initially layed it out. You will probably come up with your own variation. Where the paint job really matters is in the preparation and then the final sanding/polish. You could apply 2-3 really thick coats, have tons of orange peel, then as long as you wetsand it out and polish it, you'll be OK. You might prefer applying 5-6 thinner/medium coats and dealing with little or no orange peel.

 

As for what type of paint to use, I have used both Rustoleum and Brightside (a marine polyurethane topside paint). I like Brightside better; the initial shine is far better than Rustoleum, and it has UV inhibitors and Teflon in it which should help with durability, color retention and clean-ability. The marine paint is several times more expensive than Rustoleum type paint, but it is still cheap.

 

The most important tip I can offer is that you should practice before you start in on painting your car. Practice on something that is vertical, such as a car door. If you practice on something oriented horizontally (like a hood), you will not notice problems with paint runs that you might notice if painting something that is vertical, which include the most visible areas of your car.

 

 

* Preparation

o Do the bodywork, sand off the rust, etc.

o If you have Bondo on your car, it is a good idea to paint or primer over the Bondo before you go trying to paint your whole car. This is because the Bondo will suck up the first 2 or 3 coats of paint you roll on. When I painted my car, I would primer over the Bondo using various types of rattle-can primer, then quickly feather it in with the surrounding paint (using 400 grit wetsanding) and I was ready to roll over the panel. If I were to do it again, I would rattle can primer the area, then use a rattle can paint like Rustoleum to color the area a similar color to the paint I planned to use. I used an off-white color for my final paint, so I should have used a white colored enamel as a substrate for the final rolled paint. The reason for this suggestion is that (for a color like off-white, anyway), dark colors such as primer, or a rust colored factory undercoating, take longer to color over. Preparing the substrate with color similar to your final color will result in fewer coats of final color being needed to achieve 100% color coverage.

o Use blue painters tape to cover things you don't want painted, such as weatherstripping. The good blue painters tape is pretty easy to take off, even weeks later.

o Make sure before you paint, you go over the car with mineral spirits to remove any dirt, grime, oil, etc. It couldn't hurt to use a tack cloth after that step.

o The surface should be dry before painting (i.e., wipe off all the mineral spirits you used to clean, and give it a chance to dry).

o Try to be inside a garage when painting; the paint does not dry fast and the fewer things that fall into it, the better.

o If after applying paint, you see an area that needs to be Bondod-- I have used Bondo right over Rustoleum, without sanding down to bare metal. Once you've done the bodywork and Bondod it, just go over the whole area with some 320 or 400 grit paper to get it smooth and feather it in, put some primer or spray-paint the same color (or close) to what you're using; feather that in with some 400 grit, then pick up the roller and continue with the paint job.

 

* Mixing

o I did not keep good notes on the ratio of mineral spirits to paint that I used; but a good rule of thumb is to mix the paint to about a 1% milk type consistency.

o I would prepare the mixture in a large mason jar; that way I wouldn't have to stop during the paint job to mix up more paint. Just mix more than you'll need in the mason jar, keep the cap on tight and you'll have it ready when you need it.

o Do not shake the paint to mix it; stir it. Shaking it will result in many bubbles, which are bad.

 

* Application (This will need to be done from 3-10 times depending on color and paint thickness)

o Again, this is what worked for me, but I have read about variations.

o Get your roller good and full of paint in the reservoir of your roller tray.

o Push (hard) most of the paint out by rolling it 8-10 times over the bumps on the roller tray.

o When rolling a door (for example), roll side to side, in approximately 12-18" sections. With (in my opinion) the right amount of paint in the roller, you would have to press firmly on the roller while you're painting the car. The first 1-2 rolls over an area would be moderate speed and firm, followed by some lighter rolls to even things out.

o I would roll side to side in 5-6" strips (the roller is 4"); so when painting a door, I would do those sized horizontal strips, going from top to bottom until the door was covered.

o If you get bubbles, you can either blow on them, or roll over the area LIGHTLY with the roller (do not add any paint to the roller before doing this). This can help do away with bubbles and runs. Also, the practice of lightly rolling over an area (with no extra paint) a few minutes after the first time you paint it, will help even things out and blend in one "strip" (the 5-6" horizontal strips) with the next.

o Keep in mind to apply LIGHT COATS -- light in terms of not a lot of paint per coat -- of a fairly light mixture (referring to the thickness of the paint mixture). If you try to put on too much of a thin paint, it will run; if you put on too thick a coat, you will have orange peel and/or runs. Orange peel can be sanded out -- it won't be there if the mixture is thin enough, but a thin mixture will require more coats. When I was using Rustoleum, I put on thin coats of thin mixture and had very little if any orange peel, but it took 8-10 coats to color. When I switched to Brightside, I put on thin coats of a thicker mixture, and I had orange peel, but it covered in 4-5 coats.

o First coats tend to be splotchy/orange peely and otherwise bad looking. I would end up lightly wetsanding them with some 600 grit paper, to get them smooth, then the 2nd and 3rd coat (with about a day in between), then wetsand.

o For door jambs, engine bays, etc., it is easier to use spray cans or spray the paint on if you have a compressor. I used a compressor and gun to paint my door jambs, and used a refillable rechargable spray can from Harbor Frieght to paint my engine bay. Using one of those refillable cans allows you to get the exact same color since you're using the exact same paint you're rolling with (although it doesn't need to be thinned quite as much). The Harbor Freight refillable can did not last very long, but it paid for itself the few times I was able to use it.

o A common question is whether this paint can be put on plastic or fiberglass which may flex. The answer is YES.

 

* Wetsanding - done after each 2 coats (or after the very 1st coat if it's orange peely)

o Some people have wetsanded the same day as painting (after 10-12 hours); I waited at least a day before any wetsanding. Dry time will depend on temperature, humidity etc.

o Wetsanding helps you get out the orange peel (if any) and also removes debris such as dog hairs and dust specs.

o You can get by wetsanding every 2 coats, but if you happen to have lots of orange peel, another coat of paint on top of it is going to make life more difficult. If you have orange peel, consider sanding it smooth, then on your next coat use a thin application of a thin mixture to avoid orange peel. If you are putting orange peel free coats on, you can wetsand the debris out every 2 coats until it's done.

o I preferred to use rougher grits (400 or 600) on the first few coats, and finer grits on the last few coats (1000 or 1500).

o Have a spray bottle with water in it, a water container, your foam sanding block wrapped in paper, and go to work! Start by spraying the surface with water, and then dipping your sanding block/paper in water then start sanding it side to side. Use a rag to wipe off the surface. You can use water or mineral spirits on a rag to make it shine -- look at it from the side and you will be able to verify that the surface is uniformly smooth, orange peel is at acceptable levels or non-existant, and the surface is ready for the next coat.

o Make sure you wipe down the area with a rag and water (to get wetsanding residue off), and before you paint it, clean it again with mineral spirits (as you do before each coat).

 

* Polishing

o I have not gotten to this step yet in any detail (as I work on the rest of my car), but I am really impressed with the work that Aussie Driver (Moparts handle) has done on his Miata. He recommends using Poorboy's SSR2.5 (swirl and scratch remover) and a cutting pad; though others have achieved good results with other brands of polishing compounds.

o An orbital polisher such as a Porter Cable 7424 is a well recommended tool.

o You may not need to do any final wetsand/polish if you are satisfied with the smoothness of the surface, and the amount of debris that have landed in the paint.

o A third option is to to spot wetsanding/polishing on the final coat. If you find an annoying dirt speck or dog hair, wetsand it out with some 1500 grit paper, and polish that area back to a shine.

[ParadiseMJ]

I have a Wagner sprayer that I've used for my house, decks, fences etc. There are different spray tips and atomizers for different paints. The tip for the deck stain did a very good job but it was really hard to control the volume, but the deck sucked up what pooled or ran. I also did an oil based primer on my utility trailer and again it worked fine but took longer to clean the %&@#*% oil based paint out of the sprayer, hose and tip than it did to shoot the job.

 

Like it's been said above I'd practice on a piece of the SAME TYPE of material (like an old fender) through a couple base coats and clear coat before committing to the whole job with a Wagner or "homeowner" type sprayer.