Why did my paint turn out like this?

OutbackL130 · Sep 4, 2013

I'm always painting around the shop whether its something I built or restored. I cant figure out what happened to my jd paint job. The paint I used is rustoleum and I did the same process as always with the same brand paint, yet it turned out dull and textured or rough feeling.

Its kinda hard to see in this pic but compared to some other things I've painted you can still tell the difference.

This is the undercarriage of my jeep I painted with the exact same paint and primer except black. It is very smooth in appearance and feel.c

The next two pictures are of my welding cart and hydraulic tubing notcher. I built them both from scratch so they were just raw metal when I painted them. The pictures dont do it justice. Their finish is flawless smooth and would rival the appearance of any powder coat. I used no primer at all on these it was just straight enamel paint out of a rattle can. And to tell you the truth this paint job seems more durable than my tractor paint job. I can scratch the tractor with my finger nail but the cart and notcher have been under daily use and still look new.

I just would like to know where I went wrong on the tractor. I may email rustoleum as they were always helpful with my questions in the past, but I wanted to see what the experts had to say here first.

94BULLITT · Sep 4, 2013

Too high of humidity or it was sitting outside and dew got on it.

streamin · Sep 4, 2013

Yep, looks like moisture settled on it before it was cured enough. sometimes you can buff it out but time wise it could be just as easy to re shoot.

farmgirl19 · Sep 4, 2013

Your paint "blushed". As others have said, it happens when the humidity is too high at the time of application.

Soundguy · Sep 4, 2013

I can't see the surface of the paint.. but a rough texture can also be from too much air / not enough fluid.. almost powder coat feel to it.

murphy1244 · Sep 4, 2013

What was the temp when you shot it?

Midniteoyl · Sep 4, 2013

At first blush

thumbsup

I would have to agree that the humidity was too high, or, you did late in the day and moisture settled.

Gator6x4 · Sep 4, 2013

A retired automotive painter told me one time when spray painting with rustoleum to use acetone as the thinner. Since being given this information I have had good results when spraying rustoleum.

OutbackL130 · Sep 4, 2013

I was worried about humidity before starting. It's almost always humid here in georgia during this time of year. I watched the weather channel before starting and waited for the relative humidity level to be below 85% per the label on the paint. Even though it still felt humid outside in this rain forest we now live in.

Finished up the prep work late in the day and I decided to wait till the next morning to paint. I painted from morning to about 5. It took a while since I was painting everything on the tractor. I had it torn down to the frame.

I may reshoot the body, however, as long as you guys think the rust prevention of the paint is still as good then I may leave it. Once the tractor gets some dirt on the fenders a glossy smooth paint job wont really matter to me anyways. I mainly wanted to stop the rust as this is how it was before which was the reason I decided to use the rustoleum "rusty metal primer" and paint.