| Author | Message | ||
| john degemis (Degemis)
Registered Member Username: Degemis Post Number: 20 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 68.113.38.16  Rating: N/A |
What is the best paint for a non-pro to use? | ||
| Ray Drummond (Ray_d)
Registered Member Username: Ray_d Post Number: 42 Registered: 4-2006 Posted From: 69.105.94.18 Rating: N/A |
Nason Fullthane single stage is reasonably priced and is pretty forgiving to use. Ray D | ||
| James Robinson (Jjrbus)
Registered Member Username: Jjrbus Post Number: 144 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 70.10.4.139 Rating: N/A |
Are you a non pro or a non painter? A bus is one heck of a 1st time project. Some have done it with different degrees of sucess. With the price of paint and the amount of work involved. I would prepare the bus and hire someone to do the actual spraying. Thorough prep work is important. Painters at places like Macco and other discount shop do a high volume of work and can be quality painters. you may be able to hire someone from one of these shops for a couple hundred dollars on a weekend. They may even be able to get you a discount on the paint and supplies. Only my opinion, ymmv | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 306 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 75.93.55.100  Rating: N/A |
As soon as I get our Eagle finished I'll let you know. Right now I'm leaning to ppg single stage. Trying to finish the prep so I can finally start laying on the primer. It is one big project for sure, but my labor is pretty cheap. I had lots of other work to do, like installing a new fiberglass breastplate. Which ate up a lot of time. Good Luck, Paul | ||
| Frank Allen (Frank66)
Registered Member Username: Frank66 Post Number: 88 Registered: 10-2005 Posted From: 207.200.116.13 Rating: N/A |
i used acrylic enamel with hardner on my bus , di real well and easy, holds up pretty well too. i did my own in the driveway and did it in sections top first then the bottom Frank allen | ||
| Wayne Ellenburg (Wlnburg)
Registered Member Username: Wlnburg Post Number: 17 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 12.201.101.247  Rating: N/A |
I am a painter for the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Prep is the key as far as looks and durability. I prefer a good enamel with a hardner. A base coat with a clear coat is the most forgiving. I would suggest that you try to find a painter that will work on the weekends and mentioned before. This is a huge job and will have a huge effect on the look and resale of the bus, should you ever dare I say sell it. I am contemplating putting a bedliner on the top of mine to ensure it is sealed and will not leak and them painting the sides. I have found a company that will coat the top for ~$1500 dollars. Paint, thinner and catalyst will be about $100 per gallon plus primer and equipment. If you do decide to paint it yourself get a operators manual for some of the well known guns such as Binks, Graco or Devilbiss and read the spray techniques. Most painters are afraid of running the paint so they end up dry spraying and this can cause a real ugly job and intercoat failure. You can always sand down a run and blend it in. Good luck and keep us posted. | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 273 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 71.55.194.133 Rating: N/A |
I have painted several busses and have had excellent results with enamel with hardner. When you mix the paint and put it in the gun remember to use the same mixture everytime as not to get different shades as per section. I could not paint but about 10-15ft from top to bay doors at a time and I have the same color all the way. I also had a cover[canopy type] covering my last unit and it still worked out pretty good. My color was a dark blue teal metallic and that was fun to spray. If you don't use metallic colors it is easier to do. The guns I used were sharp for primer[self etching] and binks for the finish coat. weren't bad for an ole countryboy. LOL gomer | ||
| don goldsmith (Bottomacher)
Registered Member Username: Bottomacher Post Number: 196 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 72.15.86.59 Rating: N/A |
You can use a retarder or slow thinner and roll the top with a good foam roller, 3/8"; good control of film thickness, less waste, much easier to handle on a 300 sq ft roof that's 10 feet off the ground, unless you have a gantry scaffold and no wind blowing. Acrylic enamel with hardener will last a long time, especially if the bus is stored under cover. | ||
| Paul Shadwick (Pshadwick)
Registered Member Username: Pshadwick Post Number: 3 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 207.14.218.225 Rating: N/A |
Any thoughts on the Dupi color Paint Shop product line? Sounds like it is pretty forgiving with a long recoat window. | ||
| quantum merlin (Quantum500)
Registered Member Username: Quantum500 Post Number: 41 Registered: 8-2007 Posted From: 67.41.221.134 Rating: N/A |
From lots of experience go with a PPG product. Urethane if possible. It will last the longest and spray the easiest. Good luck its a helluva big job. | ||
| john degemis (Degemis)
Registered Member Username: Degemis Post Number: 21 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 68.113.38.16 Rating: N/A |
What is PPG? | ||
| Ray Drummond (Ray_d)
Registered Member Username: Ray_d Post Number: 43 Registered: 4-2006 Posted From: 68.123.110.10 Rating: N/A |
PPG is the name of a paint company that at one time sold to all the car manufactures in Detroit. Ray D | ||
| Chuck Newman (Chuck_newman)
Registered Member Username: Chuck_newman Post Number: 269 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 67.159.22.187 Rating: N/A |
Wlnburg, I'm going to be painting the fluted stainless steel. What have you found to be the best technique to prep stainless steel? | ||
| Wayne Ellenburg (Wlnburg)
Registered Member Username: Wlnburg Post Number: 18 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 128.158.122.21 Rating: N/A |
Chuck I would scrub it with a green scotch brite pad and with Trisodium Phosphate mixture per the instructions. This will remove the grease and roughen the surface. Wear gloves. Then prime it with a wash primer. There are several different brands. We use a product from Sherwin Williams. Here is a link to the data sheet. http://www.paintdocs.com/webmsds/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=STORECAT&prodno=035777435052&doctype=PD S&lang=E This primer contains phosphoric acid and will bond well with the SS. Then any primer should stick to the wash primer which goes on very thin about .5 mil and paint as you normally would. | ||
| David Lower (Dave_l)
Registered Member Username: Dave_l Post Number: 40 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 69.196.133.195  Rating: N/A |
Wayne is there any chance of the paint striper leaching out from the rivit heads later on and messing up the paint. Dave L | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 309 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 75.93.55.100 Rating: N/A |
That's one thing I was worried about. I sanded all of paint off, it took a long time but it looks pretty good. I don't have many rivet heads so what's the best way? Either way it's a lot of work. I only used stripper on the air intake louvers. I found some aircraft stripper in a spray can. Took off about 10 layers of paint after repeat applications. | ||
| Wayne Ellenburg (Wlnburg)
Registered Member Username: Wlnburg Post Number: 19 Registered: 6-2008 Posted From: 12.201.101.247 Rating: N/A |
The trisodium phosphate is only a detergent. It should rinse completely. I thought you were going to paint bare stainless. Is there paint to strip? | ||
| Keith Wood (Ft6)
Registered Member Username: Ft6 Post Number: 2 Registered: 8-2008 Posted From: 12.51.220.74 Rating: N/A |
If you have to ask the question that way, the answer is to use the paint put on by the professional that you hire to do the job! ;) If you really want to tackle it yourself, then it just depends on how much you want to spend on paint. Go look at some of the hot rods and collector cars in your area, talk to the owners, and you will get a pretty good idea A), what paint gives the results you want, and B), how expensive and how much trouble that choice might be. Don't be too surprised if someone offers to do the job for you at a fair price -- some of these guys love a challenge, they have PROFESSIONAL equipment, they have the experience, and in some cases, they need to buy a certain amount of paint every year to keep their "shop discount" at the distributor. If you're planning to just redo the paint I see in your avatar, you can do a good job with a Wagner painter, but it won't come out as well as having it done by someone who does it a lot. Drop into your nearest PPP dealer, talk to them and they can tell you about paint and probably find you someone to do the job. | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 799 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.3.173.51  Rating: N/A |
Paul, Talk to the people at your local automotive paint supply stores. They can give information about the different paint systems/brands, prices and may be able to recommend painters in the area that do side jobs. Jack | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 800 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.3.173.51 Rating: N/A |
Talk to the people at your local automotive paint supply stores. They can give information about the different paint systems/brands, prices and may be able to recommend painters in the area that do side jobs. Jack | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 310 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 75.93.55.100 Rating: N/A |
Hi Jack, I have been picking the brain of the owner of the PPG store here in Abilene. He has been great help. Taking the Eagle to a friend of mine to have the aluminum original rear light holes plated and welded up today. Might swing by Jim's House of Color and pick some more. I want his opinion on what she looks like now it's bare. Getting closer! Thanks, Paul | ||
| Ray Drummond (Ray_d)
Registered Member Username: Ray_d Post Number: 45 Registered: 4-2006 Posted From: 68.123.110.10 Rating: N/A |
Be careful, I have got a lot of good info from paint stores, but also a lot of bad info. I always check two sources. Ray D | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 323 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 216.221.91.79 Rating: N/A |
I have been checking sources and products for over a year. I think I made the right decision, at least for our application and cost. We will see how all the internet and paint store help has paid off. Hope to finally lay on some epoxy primer and paint when I get back home. I got rained out last weekend, it was a wash out in Abilene. | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 140 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 208.81.157.90  Rating: N/A |
You can't be too careful with these products. Remember, if you smell them at all when working with them, it is too much. Very serious PERMANENT heath risks can result. BTDT. Pretty tough to do outside. A plain respirator does not do it. A supplied air system can not be isolated well outside either. Please be careful. Don 4107 with zero sense of smell, almost no sense of taste and other things due to exposure. | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 324 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 216.221.91.79 Rating: N/A |
Thanks Don for the added information. I hear ya! |