I get asked this question frequently, so let's start a discussion on this topic. To be up front, I'm not a professional painter. However, I've painted a few vehicles, and brought dozens of Jeep undercarriages back to life. What I do may not be "the way", but it has worked very well for me over the last 20+ years. I'll be completely up front and say there is no magic or "secret sauce". This is all about a willingness to do it correctly, not cutting corners.
Whether you'll succeed or fail is dependent on one thing. That is, your end result will equal what you put into the job. This is true of anything we do with our Jeeps, but is especially evident when restoring the bottom of them. As was stated, I'm not saying what I do is best. What I can state is what has repeatedly worked for me.
Over the years I've used several methods, including mixing primers and paints. The one that has been most cost effective, easy, and durable is the following:
1. Disassemble whatever your painting as much as possible - This makes the likelihood of great job much, much higher.
2. Wash and de-grease everything you'll paint - If you don't do this, the paint will only come off later.
3. Remove any rust scale - An air scaler works for heavy stuff, as does a grinder with a flap disc (80 and 120 grit). Medium to lighter stuff can be removed with a set of wire wheels/brushes on a drill.
4. Once #3 is done, hand sand and smooth out the surfaces with 120 and 220 sandpaper.
5. Dust everything off and wipe down with mineral spirits.
6. Any rusty areas get Rust-Oleum "Rust Reformer" (don't use this on non-rusty surfaces)
7. Any bare metal gets Rust-Oleum "Self Etching Primer"
8. Any surfaces that have been covered with "Rust Reformer", or that have existing sanded paint, get Krylon "Rust Preventative Primer"
9. Once the above is done, cover with Krylon "Satin Enamel" - I use Krylon, because it dries fast (8-10 minutes) and is very durable.
10. Follow up with touch up coats as needed.
Here's an example of what you get when you follow this procedure
Beyond the frame, the same principle applies everywhere else
More to come on some tools and methods!
Whether you'll succeed or fail is dependent on one thing. That is, your end result will equal what you put into the job. This is true of anything we do with our Jeeps, but is especially evident when restoring the bottom of them. As was stated, I'm not saying what I do is best. What I can state is what has repeatedly worked for me.
Over the years I've used several methods, including mixing primers and paints. The one that has been most cost effective, easy, and durable is the following:
1. Disassemble whatever your painting as much as possible - This makes the likelihood of great job much, much higher.
2. Wash and de-grease everything you'll paint - If you don't do this, the paint will only come off later.
3. Remove any rust scale - An air scaler works for heavy stuff, as does a grinder with a flap disc (80 and 120 grit). Medium to lighter stuff can be removed with a set of wire wheels/brushes on a drill.
4. Once #3 is done, hand sand and smooth out the surfaces with 120 and 220 sandpaper.
5. Dust everything off and wipe down with mineral spirits.
6. Any rusty areas get Rust-Oleum "Rust Reformer" (don't use this on non-rusty surfaces)
7. Any bare metal gets Rust-Oleum "Self Etching Primer"
8. Any surfaces that have been covered with "Rust Reformer", or that have existing sanded paint, get Krylon "Rust Preventative Primer"
9. Once the above is done, cover with Krylon "Satin Enamel" - I use Krylon, because it dries fast (8-10 minutes) and is very durable.
10. Follow up with touch up coats as needed.
Here's an example of what you get when you follow this procedure
Beyond the frame, the same principle applies everywhere else
More to come on some tools and methods!
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