Tremclad Paint Job Begins...

[TheCafeKid]

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

Wipe all your pieces down with rubbing alchohol. This will get any greasy/oily residue (even soap and finger prints are enough to cause issue) off the pieces.

[PAULYBOY]

enamel reucer, laquer thinner, isopropyl alcohol all lack a key ingredient that wax and grease remover has, mainly to break down and remove silicone remnants. I use 80% alcohol between coats to keep everything clean, but the only final prep before paint that will pretty much guarantee a real clean surface is to use the wax and grease stuff. I use high quality paper towel, becuase they are lintless. Also, this time of year is really bad for static electricity which can cause havoc in a different way with paint and prep. If you're not in a heated area with a humidifier, be careful to release the static buildup, otherwise it may cause your paint to go on in little blobs here and there. Its the basic theory behind powder coating, the surface is one polarity, the paint another-you know the rest.

[Mark M]

I only thinned mine @40%

Well, mine was thinned at 33% so I should have been fine. I don't think the thinning had anything to do with it because the white that got onto the black rattle can Tremclad I sprayed cured properly and stuck fine. I think it is either a paint compatability or surface prep issue. The fisheye was definitely surface prep, but I am not sure on the side panels.

I will see what the primer can do for me tonight. Good thing it's a long winter...

Mark

[Mark M]

All right. I wiped all the white off, scuffed again with 320 wet and then wiped it all down with isopropyl alcohol. For good measure, I wore nitrile gloves while wiping stuff down and for all the painting. I also thinned the primer a bit less than I did with the white, closer to 3 parts paint to 1 thinner. The primer went on much better, still a bit bumpy, but I think that is my fault for trying to put too thin of a coat on. It is not the end of the world, a bit of sanding and maybe one more coat of primer will have it all nice and smooth. The primer is also drying as it should, the paint has been on maybe an hour and I can already touch it with no tack left. Much better all in all.

Just one pic of the parts in primer this time:




Mark

[rudy]

I also thinned the primer a bit less than I did with the white, closer to 3 parts paint to 1 thinner.

Mark

I use Tremclad for my frames. I spray it through a paint gun, and have found that a 3:1 is pretty close to perfect. That would be a good consistency for rolling too. I've also found that when thinned, it dries a LOT faster.

Keep up the good work. I might try a paint job like this some day.

[Mark M]

Success! I hope, anyway... I sanded the primer with 400 wet, then rolled on a coat of white. I thinned this at 3:1 and it was pretty good. I think it could be a touch thinner, but it was not bad and leveled itself off nicely with no bubbles left at all that I can see. Now to see if it dries properly or not. It has been sitting for close to 2 hours and is already less tacky than the first run ever got.

And in all their warty glory...






Mark

[Mark M]

Just a quick update. The white did indeed cure properly overnight and now has a hard shell finish with a very high gloss. I was worried last night because it stayed tacky for quite a while after painting, but a couple of PM's with Rudy suggested a fan to keep the air moving and assured me it would dry eventually.

So, the next step is wet sanding with 400 and another coat tonight, then wet sanding with 600, then hopefully the final coat.


Mark

[mcloud]

Does anyone use/ recommend T.S.P. cleaner (trisodium phosphate) as a degreaser

[Mark M]

Does anyone use/ recommend T.S.P. cleaner (trisodium phosphate) as a degreaser

I think it would leave a residue behind that would cause paint problems. But it is a nasty cleaner if all you wanted was to degrease parts. I would also be careful with it on bare aluminum, it may blacken the surface or cause other problems.

Mark

[Planecrazy]

Wow ... only three coats? The Tremclad guys that originated the idea typically had eight or nine (or more) very thin coats before they arrived at what they considered a finished product. If you're getting there with only three coats you're definitely doing something right!

Keep at it - looking good so far!

Regards,

[rudy]

Just a quick update. The white did indeed cure properly overnight and now has a hard shell finish with a very high gloss. I was worried last night because it stayed tacky for quite a while after painting, but a couple of PM's with Rudy suggested a fan to keep the air moving and assured me it would dry eventually.

So, the next step is wet sanding with 400 and another coat tonight, then wet sanding with 600, then hopefully the final coat.


Mark

Glad to hear that it worked for you.

[jmanz6]

I would go for a few more coats. You have a very thin film of paint right now. If you get a stone chip you will definately go thru to the primer and maybe to the original finish. The extra coats give you more film thicknes which helps with durability as well as having more paint to allow for the final sanding and buffing.

[Mark M]

I would go for a few more coats. You have a very thin film of paint right now. If you get a stone chip you will definately go thru to the primer and maybe to the original finish. The extra coats give you more film thicknes which helps with durability as well as having more paint to allow for the final sanding and buffing.

At least 2 more, if not 3 depending on how it looks.

Mark

[Nessism]

High film build has less chip durability than a thin film; thicker is definetly not better. Not saying you shouldn't add more coats, just don't over do it.

[Mark M]

Coat number 2 is on and looking much better than #1, as expected. I did a much better job flowing the paint on and eliminated almost all of the pebbling effect I was getting before. Now it looks like light orange peel instead of a rough surface. If I keep this up, coats #3 and #4 should be glass smooth. Reducing the white at 3:1 is near perfect for rolling.

I did oversand a bit on coat #1 and had a bit of the background showing through this coat still. I also cut through a couple of edges on the side panels and need to be more careful for the next couple of coats if I want the edges to have color left on them... I figure it will take another 2 coats to completely cover and give the white some depth. The gloss Tremclad is very glossy and should result in an extremely nice finish once rubbed out and buffed up.

And here we are:



Any comments, etc. welcome.

Mark