Preferred paints

[OldPaint]

I see lots of mods, and most are very handsomely painted, so I gotta ask what you guys typically use for paint on your mods projects.

I bought an old trailer from a work buddy in anticipation of getting a tractor, and started cleaning it up to make it look a little better, I picked up some rattle cans of Krylon Farm Implement paint from the local parts house, and I have to say, I'm quite impressed. Even with just one coat, after a year of sitting out in the weather, the paint is holding up quite nicely with a few exceptions where I didn't clean enough rust off. I was originally just trying to grind out the rust and just cover it up until I could get it to a proper paint shop, but now, I don't think I'll bother. The trailer's probably 40+ years old, but still got good bones, and it's a **** of a lot cheaper than a new trailer. If I can remember, I'll take a photo of the can and post it back here sometime after Xmas.

Just curiosity, more than anything else, because I'll probably stick with the Krylon. I always thought it was cheap paint, but this stuff hangs in there pretty good.

 

[MF243RedTop]

I've had good luck with TSC farm and implement paint by Rust-Oleum...as good or better than paint from a dealer.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/tractor-automotive-paint

Have you used a rust treatment before?
If not look into it.. it takes a lot of work out of prep and converts the rust to a paint ready surface..



My rust converter of choice but there's lots out there.

 

[KennyG]

I've had good luck with Rustoleum, as long as I let it alone long enough to harden. It takes weeks to get to full hardness but then it's really tough. If you have much to paint consider going with quarts and a cheap ($10 from Harbor Freight) HVLP gun. Works a lot better than spray cans and is cheaper too.

 

[3Ts]

The paint prep and primer is key to a durable top coat.
The Ospho that MF24 mentions is also my first choice in prep & primer.

 

[jaydee325]

For a project involving something in the power sports category (motorcycles, ATV, UTV etc), Colorrite.com has a great on line tool to look up the color codes. You can either order the paint and materials from them or take the paint code to your favorite vendor.

 

[PILOON]

Some 12 years ago I bought a used snow blower.
I took it to a DIY sand blasting location* and stripped it down to bare metal.

Immediately took it home and spray primed with a grey Tremclad primer and next day added a coating of red Tremclad.

To this day 90% of the primer has held while maybe 60% or so of the enamel still shows.
It is natural that the fan, auger and chute would suffer the most wear mainly due to sand, gravel, stones etc.

A good job is all in the prepping!

*they had 3-4 200 CFM compressors, hoods with fresh air etc. and rack to raise smaller projects.
They rented the air by the hour and sold the abrasive by the sack.
I did a few vehicles there and later blasted some furniture as well.
Did a fantastic job on metal patio chairs.
Hard wood furniture came out really well as long as there was no dry rot.
On soft woods blasting made a very interesting raised grain effect.

Sand blasting has the advantage of creating a toothy surface that primers can really hold onto.

One major project was to completely sand blast a 24 x 36 log cabin that had 30 years of ageing on it.
That took a whole day and 15/20 bags of medium. result was fantastic, back to like new.

 

[chim]

I've had great results with Pittsburgh AUE coatings. They're two-part and hold up well. The snowblower in the picture was refurbed and used 5 years before the picture was taken. Other than the scrubbing in the fan chamber, it was still looking real good. Sold the blower along with the L3200 about a year ago.

There are other two part paints from True Value and Rustoleum that I have tried for odds and ends as well. I think the important thing is to use a coating with a hardener.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Krylon is good . With the fan spray even better. Most all my equipment I have painted with rustoleum qts or gallons and a brush. Paint flows out nicely and looks great.

 

[EddieWalker]

About 10 years ago the Federal Government changed how paint companies had to go about making paint to save us from Man Made Global Warming. Some companies figured out a way to do this and still have good quality paint, others failed miserably. All have to charge a lot more money for decent paint. Valspar/Sherwin Williams/Zinnser/Rustolium is all the same company, and they are what I consider the standard of what other paint companies should be. If you can find find a paint of similar quality for less money, go for it. To be safe, and make sure my clients are happy with what I do for them, these are the only paint brands that I buy for jobs that I'm hired to do.

 

[WranglerX]

Pretty much a fan of Rust-Oleum products other than house paints.......

Dale

 

[Sberry]

Any paint is better than none in some sense but there are a couple types of paint jobs. Scuff and shoot, sand, sandblast, custom, fast sale car lot typoes or super durable for expensive equipment in harsh environment. Imron types and Corlar epoxy primer being about the best but is coatly, industrial is cheaper and almost as good for finish but very durabkle. It all doesnt need to be perfect all the time.
I got no idea about all the magir rust converter stuff, have never used it, I spose its good. But while there is a best and at one point,,, and some of it was worth it I keepall kinds around and use spray cans more than I used to. Expensive paint is well worth it in the case of hi prep and hard service but if you dont use it regulae end up with some on the shelves and its hard to salvage and I like some common equipment enamal around fo0r more common work along with a touch up gun,,,, but the **** is cheap really and goes a long ways to get some color on it, I paint the flats you can see, stuff that has to stop rust but no one crawls uder with a creeper for a car show. Th enamel goes on smooth with a sponge brush, I try to score a little hardener when I want to zip it up a little, it dries faster and a bit more shine and I dont always use as much, stingy or even a little on a wet coat.

 

[Sberry]

I bought that stuff at n auction with some other stuff and was dingy, clean, scuff mask and paint. A lot of equipment fluff up dont even bother with primer simply use 2 spray coats. Common paint is so much less hazardous than specialty stuff, both during spray and dry. My point being there is a lot to read about paint if you try hard enough but not such some simple how to.
Learning to be fast and adequate, the difference between a trailer and a new jet airplane is different. A deep secret to good sandblasting is to hit it with maroon Scotchbrite after to smooth it before prime and blow it off with air, good to go. I dont use any of that ****, treater, washer nada, nothing, scuff blow and shoot.
The shot in pic 3 was right after a revovation was about 20 yrs over do. The space where the ladders are was stacked with crap I hadnt used in for ever.

 

[fried1765]

I've had good luck with TSC farm and implement paint by Rust-Oleum...as good or better than paint from a dealer.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/tractor-automotive-paint

Have you used a rust treatment before?
If not look into it.. it takes a lot of work out of prep and converts the rust to a paint ready surface..

View attachment 681010

My rust converter of choice but there's lots out there.

YEP.......OSPHO is GREAT!
I use it on everything steel!

 

[Sberry]

Been painting 35 years and never used it. Not that its bad, just never occurred to me I guess. When I wan the best paint job I can get its sandblast, followed by maroon Scotchbrite and blown off with air and Corlar epoxy primer followed by Industrial Imron.
None of the other stuff, no treatment, no etch primer, none of it. Simple blast smoo

thed with scuff pad to clean sand and smooth spikes from blast so they dont poke thru the primer. If not blasting use mostly 150 paper and maybe a zing with 220 for a bit better finish. Paint 15 or 29 years old in this pic been in the all season weather.

 

[orezok]

It reminds me of the old story when a guy comes knocking on the door and sez "I need some work, is there anything can do"? The affluent homeowner sez, The porch outback needs to be repainted. There is a gallon of paint and a brush next to it. An hour later the guy knocks again and see "It's all done, but you got the pronunciation wrong, it Porsche!"

 

[electrycmonk]

<snipped>
Have you used a rust treatment before?
If not look into it.. it takes a lot of work out of prep and converts the rust to a paint ready surface..

View attachment 681010

My rust converter of choice but there's lots out there.

I found this on Amazon..... then went to their website... then found out a local dealer is ACE Hardware. Found our local had 2 gallons & was price comparable to Amazon. Got them Thursday. Tested it yesterday with a spray bottle(spritzer bottle) first on the old grinder then the trailer I’m preping to paint. Pretty cool stuff folks. I’m diggin’ it. Picks to follow later today.

 

[electrycmonk]

So, the picture with the cub cadet behind it was taken Saturday. It had received at least 3 16oz spritzer bottles of the green juice on Friday to look that way. The torched out metal floor was piled up on the gooseneck. Next to that pile is the tailgate I’ll be welding into the little trailer soon as the rain let’s me....


Saturday afternoon it got tipped up on its tail and the belly of the frame got its own 3 16oz bottles of spray which made this white stuff show up today from the rain...







checkout the petina look on the grinder now.