painting the frame

[RGV72BLAZER]

well, will be starting to put everything back together on my '72 Blazer in the coming months. been too busy this semester with school, new baby, and other things so i haven't been able to do any progress, which is why i'm looking forward to the summer. the first thing to be addressed will be the frame. i know the preferred method is to sandblast and then powdercoat (which would cost me $300) but i'll still be welding on the rollcage & bumpers and rocksliders so i kind of don't see the point in this option , but i may be able to get a sandblaster. so if i sandblast it, can i just then throw on some apoxy & then paint it with POR15? i want durable paint that won't fall off when mud sticks to it. my other option would be to get it sandblasted locally, then apoxy it & por15 it. (if that sounds right ). my final choice would be to sand it by hand, apoxy it, and then throw on some por15. but then again, i read that por15 actually works better if there's some rust actually still present on the surface... ...well any help would be appreciated...thanks

 

[Greg72]

From what I've read, POR-15 is not meant to be used over other paints or primers.... it is meant to bond directly to rusty metal.


It's not cheap either. Why not just suck it up and do the powdercoat? It might be smarter to design your "consumables" like rocksliders and bumpers to be bolt-on items anyway. Welding them to the frame will just make it a lot harder to repair/replace them once they get destroyed or mangled.

You now have my $.02........so your budget is now $300.02

 

[RGV72BLAZER]

so your budget is now $300.02

thanks for the help...but wouldn't it be better to get them welded on? plus i could use the extra money to get a better winch or something else

 

[Greg72]

What's so great about welding them on??? Unless you're planning to gusset the hell out of the mounting points, the frame is barely 1/8" thick steel. It's only going to be as strong as the base metal you're welding to....

Building a bolt-on mount with 1/4" plate on both sides would be MUCH stronger (and removeable!)....


Keep pondering there, Sly..... the answers are out there!

 

[RGV72BLAZER]

i think that's the problem...i ponder TOO much...lol...damn Greg, you're always very helpful...thanks

 

[CarnivoreMan]

POR15 is cool crap, but ya it is spendy... I just checked one website and it was about $150 a gallon. I used it on my Mustangs floors though and it does hold up well when applied properly.

So with that price in mind, I would second the powdercoating option.

 

[RGV72BLAZER]

holy crap...i hadn't even priced the stuff...lol...thanks for the heads up

 

[ryoken]

POR15 is not the proper option if your going to blast it...

You'd be much much better off with some zinc, epoxy primer and black Imron.. And you could still weld to it down the road..

 

[Greg72]

POR15 is not the proper option if your going to blast it...

You'd be much much better off with some zinc, epoxy primer and black Imron.. And you could still weld to it down the road..

When you say "zinc" are you referring to an etching primer???

 

[ryoken]

yeah, zinc chromate... I write it so much here, I got lazy that time...