Rustoleum...or cheap single stage automotive paint?

[Zeus33rd]

With all the paint threads goin on right now, I started wondering....

If the primary reason for using Rustoleum is cost... why not just use an equivalently priced single stage automotive paint? With some quick Google searching, I found Rustoleum anywhere from $25-$50 a gallon. And some single stage kits for $50-$75 a gallon. If I'm gonna get better results for spending only $25-50 more on paint...

Or is there another reason for using the Rustoleum stuff? Is it easier to apply? Is there any advantage to it over a cheap single stage?

So basically, for you paint guru's....

Why not something like this-

http://www.paintforcars.com/kits_candyapple.html

Over this-

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=130

 

[Big6ft6]

If you have experience painting and have the equipment, I'd use single stage auto paint (or better) without a question. Real auto paints have health hazards and time-limit "shooting" windows (before hardner/activator hardens) that added stress I didn't need on my first paint job.

Before you do any shooting with any paints that require activators (all urethanes) be sure to read up on Isocyanates. Just good "spraying isocyanates" and read up. To be 100% safe you need a positive pressure ventilation system which will set you back $400+ all by itself.

I used rustoleum becuase I was using a $60 turbine sprayer and had never painted before and using rustoleum sounded less "intimidating" and allowed me to go forth with gusto! And ignore the warnings and complexity of "real" painting and just try it and see what happens, which just seemed like a sacralige approach with "real" paint.

I've been preparing to paint my 71 pontaic for years, saving every Car Craft article about DIY paint jobs, and it alwasy seemed so complicated, hours of sanding and tiny little details that if forgoten could "ruin" your work. I would read remarks from experienced painters like NEVER use one these turbine sprayers, it will turn out like crap, have to have a booth, have to do x, y and z...so it just made it sound like I didn't have the quipment and I wasn't prepared to do a "real" paint job. The farthest I got was installing 220V in my garage for a compressor 2 years ago.

when I read all about these guys rolling rustoleum on in ther driveway, heck how can I screw that up? Using rustoleum, if I didn't feel like sanding to perfection...oh well fine...if I didn't feel like laying base epoxy-sealer before primer and wet sanding with flat blocks, fine....guide coat? no thanks.

And with my $60 turbine sprayer..in fact it should be even easier than the roller technique, and it was!

So in the end I think it was just the peace of mind I got from using rustoleum that I didn't have to be perfect, along with a little health/safety benefit of using an enamel vs some of the othe stuff (isocyantes). Plus it is easy and cheap to touch up! It may fade in a year or two (or sooner) but I've heard lots of different experiences. That is part of this experiement to see for myself how long it lasts.

 

[diesel4me]

Actually,Rustoleum comes in other varieties than the usual "Industrial coating" that you see at home centers--you can get other types that require a hardener or catalyst,epoxyan "Imron" type product,,etc,even a coal tar emulsion "paint" that is used on tanks and pipes buried underground,which might make a good chassis paint..

If you go to auto parts stores that sell paint and body supplies,you'll probably find they sell a line of enamel paints in "Fleet Colors" that many companies use to paint truck fleets and equipment,it might come in a few varieties,like a "straight" Allklyd Enamel",and others that can use a catalyst or hardener,for much less expense than the typical "car paint" that is a two stage system...We used to sell "Limco" brand fleet paints I think R-M bought them out though--other companies like Acme,Sherwin-Wiliams and Dupont might still make an inexpensive enamel like those..
I have been out of the auto paint & body biz since the mid 1990's,and a lot has changed since then,so I might not be "right" today!..haven't kept up with all the changes made since then--I know laquer was outlawed and many acrylic enamels have been pulled from the mrket since I used to mix and sell paints!..

 

[Zeus33rd]

If you have experience painting and have the equipment, I'd use single stage auto paint (or better) without a question.

I used rustoleum becuase I was using a $60 turbine sprayer and had never painted before and using rustoleum sounded less "intimidating" and allowed me to go forth with gusto! And ignore the warnings and complexity of "real" painting and just try it and see what happens, which just seemed like a sacralige approach with "real" paint.

I've been preparing to paint for years, saving every Car Craft article about DIY paint jobs, and it alwasy seemed so compliced, hours of sanding and tiny little details that if forgoten could "ruin" your work. I would read remarks from experienced painters like NEVER use one these turbine sprayers, it will turn out like crap, have to have a booth, have to do x, y and z...so it just made it sound like I didn't have the quipment and I wasn't prepared to do a "real" paint job. The farthest I got was installing 220V in my garage for a compressor 2 years ago.

but when I read all about these guys rolling rustoleum on in ther driveway, heck how can I screw that up with my $60 turbine sprayer..in fact it should be even easier. And it was.

So in the end I think it was just the peace of mind I got from using rustoleum along with a little health/safety of using an enamel vs some of the othe stuff. Plus it is easy and cheap to touch up!

Your thread played a major part in my posting this one. Really got me thinking a little more seriously about what to do with my fat pig of a truck and the fade fest that is it's paint job. Great thread by the way....It's awesome to read un-biased and candid opinions/experiences on a project. Keep it up.

Anyways...what you say here-

I've been preparing to paint for years, saving every Car Craft article about DIY paint jobs, and it alwasy seemed so compliced, hours of sanding and tiny little details that if forgoten could "ruin" your work. I would read remarks from experienced painters like NEVER use one these turbine sprayers, it will turn out like crap, have to have a booth, have to do x, y and z...so it just made it sound like I didn't have the quipment and I wasn't prepared to do a "real" paint job. The farthest I got was installing 220V in my garage for a compressor 2 years ago.

Hits the nail on the head I think. What is a "real" paint job anyways? As far as I'm concerned, in this context, "real" is in the eyes of the beholder. Like you said in the other thread, the 4x4 world has more of a "cut it off, do it, try it and see what happens attitude"...with everything except paint. lol

I suspect it's just some kind of mental block brought on by all the car craft articles and "auto body snobs." I think I'm gonna guinea pig one of these cheap single stage kits and see what happens.

 

[RootBreaker]

well i will be painting my truck soon.. getting there... got to get the clutch hose bought and in... then i can drive it... so paint is next..

i went to till paint (local paint shop that has a few offices) and talked to the dude... told him it is a mud truck that i dont want to pay alot for paint... something easy to touch up if it gets extremely gouged....

he said just get farm equipment paint.... oil based that you roll on and $36 a gallon...

im going this route.... i asked im if i can spray it as i dont know anything bout paint.. he said.. oil based will bleed together so no need...

 

[Smokinthehippies]

I think I'm gonna guinea pig one of these cheap single stage kits and see what happens.

well thats what we're all waiting on!!!
no one wants to spring the coin and risk being the dummy that did it the wrong way.

you can be our dummy.

 

[dhcomp]

I'll volunteer my roof if someone wants to give it a try!

I want to rattle can it, but haven't had the time to prep.

 

[dirtygoat]

I just picked up a couple of gallons of PPG Commercial Performance Coatings AEU-100 from a buddy for the bus... It's Acrylic Urethane Enamel and he gave me two bottles of the Catalyst hardener... Basically the same thing as the single-stage system you posted...

I've never painted anything auto related with anything other than a rattle can... My neighbor has a sprayer that he has done a few orange peal jobs in his driveway using Rustoleum and said I could use it...

Today I'm trying to find some primer that I can hit the bare metal and spot prime spots that I fixed... Not even sure what primer to use with this...

Anyone have any advice??? And by "advice" I mean, walk me threw it step-by-step...

Not trying to hi-jack your thread, but if you go with the single-stage system also, this may help both of us...

Thanks...

 

[Zeus33rd]

well thats what we're all waiting on!!!
no one wants to spring the coin and risk being the dummy that did it the wrong way.

you can be our dummy.

Shiit...Wrong way? I've painted a car before...a '91 Grand-Am waaaay back in the day, 10+ years ago. Did the black paint fogging, guide coat, block sanding, wet sanding blah blah ass ache thing. And it turned out great. HUGE amount of time spent though.

I have an 80gallon compressor and a tin covered portable car port thing that would be ultra simple to rig into a temp paint booth. I'd have to buy some sort of paint sprayer and the paint/supplies, that's it.

This is the truck in question by the way-

Fade fest.

I'd have to do something about the drivers side doors, but otherwise it's pretty straight.

 

[RootBreaker]

now look at that heap... what a pile of junk... throw it to the curb.. and ill be right there to pick it up.... problem sovled u dont have to paint it!!!!!!!!!

 

[Smokinthehippies]

good luck making it out here first!
i'm closer, since i'm gonna be here to buy him a brew, i'll take that heap out of his driveway too.

thats what the brother hood is for right?

 

[chulisohombre]

i just spray bombed mine with krylon rust tough enamel.it self settles and was very easy and im impresed how it turned out with being rattle can.i used also krylon galvanizing weld through primer on the bare metal after sanding and bondo work.its supposed to help with keeping rust away and seems took the paint real well.i know you are looking for gallon 1 step and my friends have done their cars with duplicolor with very good results.if you do the mixing of the paint yourself ive also seen bad results from friends who got the mix slightly off and the paint went on alright but never hardened or just looked horrible with the wrong pressure in the gun.wasted the first bit of paint and had to sand it off and redo that part of the car.if this is the first time i would stick to the one step paint unless you know a friend that has done paint before and knows how.

 

[RootBreaker]

does the rustoleum resist fading better?

back in 1993 i painted my truck with $20 worth of rattle can flat black.. dont remember the brand.. but in 2 yrs.. run your hand over it and it would pretty much oxidize off into your hand....

 

[90'K5]

When I paint Becky I am planning to use Interlux Brightside, its a marine boat paint that is suppose to have more UV resistance than rustoleum or normal oil based farm paint. I've used it on small parts in the past by rolling and tipping and had good luck with it coming out pretty clean - minimal orange peel. After application you are suppose to wait a few months for the paint to cure, then buff and wax. I've never went that far but I have seen some pretty nice pics of several that have.


If you can sift through the bullsh!t, there is a ton of info and pics on this board. http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

 

[NorCal_Chris]

Biggest advantage of rustoleum i see is...

You have the big gallon of paint, paint your rig.

Get a big scratch, grab a peice of sandpaper, sand it down, grab the equivelent spray can of the same color, apply a few coats, wetsand, polish and it looks back to how it was.

Plus even if you dont sand it down, you can get a scratch and just grab your handy spray can and color match.

I know about 4 or 5 people that have rustoleum paint jobs and its all the same as far as how much they like it, and how durable the fisnish is.

 

[dirtygoat]

I'm gonna try the single-stage kit on the bus...

Here's what I got for a top coat...

And this is what I picked up today for primer...

We'll see how it turns out... I'm into it for $40, that's cheaper than Rustoleum...

 

[rjfguitar]

Myself I see no reason to use Rustoleum. You can buy a Nason single stage solid color for about $100 with the reducer and all. At least then you have a true automotive paint that probably will resist fading longer than Rustoleum.

If you wanted to get real fancy, you could put a clear coat over the top of a real automotive urethane. Don't know if you can with Rustoleum?

 

[Big6ft6]

I'm gonna try the single-stage kit on the bus...

Here's what I got for a top coat...


And this is what I picked up today for primer...

We'll see how it turns out... I'm into it for $40, that's cheaper than Rustoleum...

Dirty Goat, it should look great! And last longer than anything like rustoleum. However be careful when you're spraying, any urethane has isocyanates and this are VERY HARSH on your mucus membranes and can cause occupational asthma. If you breath the stuff in while spraying you won't know it until the next day. You can sometimes get away with organic chargcoal filter respirators if you spray quick, but charcoal filters can be fill up in just a few minutes, then you start breathing unfilitered air. The only 100% protection is a positive pressure fresh-air ventilation mask. It is also absorbed through eyes and skin so you need 100% coverage for your body. A lot of guys do it with charcoal regular filter masks, and are o.k., just be careful! Type in isocyanate into google and read up on it. It scared the bejeezes out of me.
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Filtering_out_isocyanates.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/paint-body/1639179-safety-and-isocyanates.html

 

[Big6ft6]

KidJethro, I would die to have a truck that clean!! Looks great already!

 

[dirtygoat]

Big6ft6, thanks for the heads up... I had no idea and out of all the places I went to today none of them even questioned me about my obvious lack of experience...

I'm gonna look into some local rental places and check on a fresh air hood...