what paint will hold up best

[timswi]

I pretty much paint all vehicles except ground contact stuff with PPG Deltron DAU or DBU depending on what I'm doing..Love that stuff.

 

[strum456]

I use epoxy primer on every metal part I paint. IMO, nothing compares to epoxy. Nothing is even in the same ball park.

 

[TomSeller]

It must be an issue with the site. I loaded pics but after posting it they disappeared. I tried two separate posts. Maybe one of the mods could help, if not I will try and repost tomorrow again. I never experienced it before.

Or maybe just give us the name, we can google it.

 

[ZAR2USA]

 

[ZAR2USA]

 

[drizler]

I use epoxy primer on every metal part I paint. IMO, nothing compares to epoxy. Nothing is even in the same ball park.

I entirely agree. There is nothing that comes close to epoxy, especially for places subjected to abuse. It's only problem (and it isn't really because you should do it anyways, is scuffing) Sure it'll "cross link " or whatever fancy term they use to say production lines can skip a process. Still all that cool chemical nonsense aside once it';s hard give it that extra step of lightly sanding with 400 wet or dry paper (the black stuff you can dunk in water) dry it and clean it again then topcoat. That extra little step will absolutely assure your top coat won't come off. This powder coating one-step crap:thumbdown: that everybody is using in production these days is nowhere near as tough, just cheaper to produce.

 

[strum456]

I entirely agree. There is nothing that comes close to epoxy, especially for places subjected to abuse. It's only problem (and it isn't really because you should do it anyways, is scuffing) Sure it'll "cross link " or whatever fancy term they use to say production lines can skip a process. Still all that cool chemical nonsense aside once it';s hard give it that extra step of lightly sanding with 400 wet or dry paper (the black stuff you can dunk in water) dry it and clean it again then topcoat. That extra little step will absolutely assure your top coat won't come off. This powder coating one-step crap:thumbdown: that everybody is using in production these days is nowhere near as tough, just cheaper to produce.

I agree. When painting over epoxy, I always spray a thin reduced coat of epoxy a couple hours before base or whatever paint I'm using. Most would call this a sealer, but it is just reduced epoxy to help adhesion. If the epoxy underneath is more than a few days old, then it will need to be scuffed, but I would still spray a reduced sealer coat.

The problem with the poweder coat on most equipment these days is the lack of surface prep. I find myself blasting new equipment and repainting it when it is new, because it is easier than dealing with rust and flaking powder coat later on.

 

[varmint]

The graphite paint I used is called E Z Slide, and I think I bought it a TSC store. Maybe $12 a quart?

 

[AGRIMAN]

I also notice that powder coated surfaces flake and rust/pitting forms behind the flaked 'skins'.

Powder Coating is no different than any other method of painting, if you don't prep the surface correctly you will have problems. If you are having issues with flaking, I will guarantee you it can be tracked back to either poor surface prep or no primer was used.

A Zirconium pretreatment followed by a zinc primer undercoat will stop any rust from forming underneath the powder in the event its scratched/damaged. Sandblasting is also an important part of proper prep, but you would be surprised how many people skip one or all of these steps.

 

[AGRIMAN]

After 12 years of working with Powder Coating, I have stopped using it. Too many issues for me.

What sort of issues are you having?

 

[AGRIMAN]

In case you are not familiar with this, to remove powder coat: Rough up the surface with coarse sand paper, and apply paint stripper. It will wrinkle right up.

Yes, the bond between the powder coating, and the metal is weak. Some have not come to that realization yet.

I have to disagree with you. I have owned and operated a custom/job shop powder coating business for over 10 years and come to the realization that the bond between the metal and powder is very strong when done correctly. If you can remove power with simple paint stripper easily, then here's your problem. The powder was not cured correctly, either it didn't reach the correct temperature or was not baked for the correct amount of time.

Aircraft stripper will remove cured powder, but it's not an easy process. The best stripper that I have ever used for removing cured power easily is a product called B-17 (Methylene Chloride) which is some seriously nasty stuff. It will take your hide off in less than 10 sec. and I speak from personal experience.

 

[ultrarunner]

Back in the 80's I restored and painted cars as a hobby... 30 years later the paint still looks great and people comment favorably...

This was shade tree stuff done outside in the driveway when conditions were just right.

The paint I used for 95% of my work is Dupont Centari Acrylic Enamel with Hardener... the other 5% was old fashion NitroCellulose Lacquer... I don't own one of the "New" guns... all old school Binks equipment...

Now, the guys that restore have to go out of State to buy product... guess I was lucky to do it when I did.

When I was buying paint for my second total restoration the DuPont rep happened to be at the paint store... real nice guy that was interested in my project... actually came to the house and gave me some free product and tips.

Can't imagine that happening anymore either...

I had friends that only used Imoron Black for the their Blue Ribbon show cars... I never did because I couldn't afford the equipment they had... real outside air respirators and such...

 

[mikehaugen]

A step up from that is, Sherwin Williams Ultra one, single stage urethane. It dries fast, and is not real cheap. But, it's not crazy expensive. The same product is available at NAPA paint stores, under the Martin Senior brand, as Tec One. This stuff only costs a couple bucks more than acrylic enamel. And, is a much better product. This is what I actually wanted to use on those airplane parts I mentioned.

Last time I inquired at napa (a couple years ago) they sold a product called crossfire. Checked it out on google and not too many people were thrilled with it.

I was recommended carbitz epoxy primer from a friend that used to paint dump trucks and garbage trucks and such. It's a Chicago company and not sure if it's available nationwide, seems like a small company. Anyone else have experience with it?