Tremclad Paint Job Begins...

[Mark M]

Well, the first coat is on. And looks like garbage... Of course, the first coat usually looks horrible, but I am not happy with this one at all. So, let's have a look...

This one shows the pieces all sanded and ready for paint.




This is the side panels:




Here is the fender:




Someone mentioned that you get a lot of bubbles and you sure do. I had a lot of problems avoiding runs, as well. That got better as the paint set a bit and I could roll it again to smooth those over.

Does this look like the paint was too thick, too thin, anything else? I can also see a couple of spots of fish eyes on the fender, so I am going to have to sand those down and clean it again for a second try.

Any other thoughts from the experienced painters in the crowd?

It doesn't take much paint at all for these pieces. I mixed it 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner using a 1oz measuring spoon I bought for this and 3oz total was lots of paint. There is some odor, but not bad. If you have a sensitive nose or a picky spouse, you may not want to do it in your house. I do not find it very objectionable, but noticeable.

Mark

[Nessism]

Not familiar with that type of paint but I've used Rustolium quite a bit. It sprays real nice if you thin it with paint thinner (odorless smells less as the name implies). At any rate, not sure if Tremclad is the same but it sounds like you are using too much thinner. 2 to 1 is a LOT of thinning. Maybe try less and see how it goes.

[Mark M]

Not familiar with that type of paint but I've used Rustolium quite a bit. It sprays real nice if you thin it with paint thinner (odorless smells less as the name implies). At any rate, not sure if Tremclad is the same but it sounds like you are using too much thinner. 2 to 1 is a LOT of thinning. Maybe try less and see how it goes.

The people who have used the the roller method say to thin the paint a lot. I think I tried to put too much paint on in one shot. I will try the same 2:1 mix and a lighter coat for #2 and see how that goes. It is all an experiment at this point, so all I can do is feel my way through it.

Mark

[Guest]

Mark, I think it looks fine. It is after all the first coat. I am starting a Tremclad paint job myself and I believe you need to put 2 coats on, then sand lightly keeping the paint wet with a spray bottle of water. Everyone who has done this type of paint job says the first coat looked crappy.

Paul

[posplayr]

Since this seems to be an experiment

I would do the work on a scrap piece or something to just perfect your technique. I would be a pain to have to strip these pieces if you get a lot of build up and you need to start over .

My $0.02

Pos

[stiksave]

Mark, it looks like a bad reaction to the original finish. To save my prep work I would have primed it first. I like the concept, hopefully it works. This is mine after 2 part urethane, decals and before clearcoat.

[jmanz6]

The fisheyes are caused by the part not being completely clean and having some grease, oil, or other contamination on it. What did you use to wipe them down before painting? Could be a reaction between the original paint and the new one also. I would have primed them if it were me, but I use epoxy primer on everything. You may be able to overcome the fisheyes and bubbles with more coats but to me it looks like you are having a reaction to something on the original surface and that could cause the adhesion to be spotty and you could end up with peeling paint later on.

[Mark M]

The fisheyes are caused by the part not being completely clean and having some grease, oil, or other contamination on it. What did you use to wipe them down before painting? Could be a reaction between the original paint and the new one also. I would have primed them if it were me, but I use epoxy primer on everything. You may be able to overcome the fisheyes and bubbles with more coats but to me it looks like you are having a reaction to something on the original surface and that could cause the adhesion to be spotty and you could end up with peeling paint later on.

The fisheye is definitely contamination on the piece. Everything was washed with hot soapy water prior to wet sanding with 320, then rinsed and wiped with clean paper towel. The places that fisheyed are scratches on the surface of the fender that I think still have some dirt in them. The fender was quite dirty and greasy with some oil residue. I cleaned it heavily, but may have not been diligent enough. I will sand down the fisheye spots and clean those areas again with dish soap and hot water, then try again.

I was debating on the primer. The paint says no primer required except on bare steel, so i tried that first. I may sand it all down and try primer on the fender because it was giving me trouble. The side panels actually look to have good adhesion, but the coat is very inconsistent and uneven. Which is my fault, not the paint.

Mark

[stiksave]

Back in the day, I would wash the pieces down with a rag w/enamel reducer on it. It would remove old wax and oil residue that doesn't show, than a quick wipe with a tack cloth. Never a problem after this step. Just a thought.

Thanks,
Stiksave

[jmanz6]

You might try some isopropyl alcohol to do the final wipe down on the parts. I use it when I clean parts and it gets off dirt I didn't even know i had. Get the good stuff - at least 90% - the drug store should have 2 different concentrations. One will be something like 70% for general disinfecting and the other will be at least 90%. The stronger stuff has less water in it and will dry faster and clean better. You can also get a gallon of it at Home Depot or the like. Mineral spirits has too much other crap in it and paint thinner may just remove the paint already on the parts. Don't be stingy with the paper towels either. Use lots of cleaner and lots of clean towels. Then, blow off the parts with DRY comressed air (the air in a can works great for this). Hopefully this will save some headaches.

[Mark M]

You might try some isopropyl alcohol to do the final wipe down on the parts.

Good point, I did not do a degreasing after I was done sanding. I will sand the fisheye areas down and use the isopropyl to be sure it is clean.

Thanks,
Mark

[rudy]

Go to Canadian Tire or wherever they sell paint products and get actual Wax and Grease Remover. I think it's about $10 for a litre or so. It'll last you many projects, and it works wonderfully. It MUST be used after you touch the surface in any way with your hands. Hot soapy water just doesn't cut it.

Wipe with a cloth with Wax and Grease Remover on it until you don't see the cloth picking up any dirt anymore. Let the surface air dry, or wipe it dry with a clean cloth to speed things up.

Remember, prep is everything.

[OhioEric]

...GOOD thread!

[Mark M]

Well, for those that said it looked like a compatability issue with the original paint and the Tremclad, that appears correct. After sitting for 18 hours or so (indoors, with very low humidity), the paint still had not cured at all and was very soft and tacky. Feck.

So I did a test on the fender and turpentine just wiped the paint off with no effort... So I have now wiped all the first coat off everything and will scuff again and try a coat of primer.

The reason I think it is a compatability issue is that the white bled onto the black Tremclad I sprayed in a few spots and those runs were cured hard and I could not lift them with the turpentine. Hopefully, the primer will adhere well and cure properly or I need to find another paint system to try out.

More to come...

Mark

[stain]

I only thinned mine @40%