[777funk]

I was going to use Rustoleum "Professional" oil base in the gallon can for $35 since it's a piece of crude machinery, but after the time it took to prep for paint, I tested a small area and it fails the fingernail paint removal test after a weekend of hot sun baking. It may hold up, but even at just $35/gal and just for a skid steer... Just can't do it.

Is there something 2k that's sub $100 for the kit that will fit the bill? I'm not going for a full auto finish (prime, base, clear, color sand) obviously, but I would like most of the paint to still be there in 10 years.

[John long]

Southern Polyurethane (SPI) makes a white epoxy that would be excellent. $96 dollars per gallon, but two quarts plus catalyst would give you a gallon of ready to spray material. As far as I know, SPI is the only mfr of epoxy that puts UV protection in it.

John

[777funk]

I did some searching and found a 2k primer sealer for $100 for the gallon kit. Not sure of the quality but feedback is good. They also had a 2k urethane around the same price.

https://www.ebay.com/p/High-Gloss-Br...75/10004760827

I have used SPI in the past and liked the product. May use it again. Would be around $200 for their gallon of each part.

[John long]

Originally Posted by 777funk

I did some searching and found a 2k primer sealer for $100 for the gallon kit. Not sure of the quality but feedback is good. They also had a 2k urethane around the same price.

https://www.ebay.com/p/High-Gloss-Br...75/10004760827

I have used SPI in the past and liked the product. May use it again. Would be around $200 for their gallon of each part.

Your pricing is correct but surely he will not need two gallons mixed for a fork lift. Two quarts each will.give him a gollon sprayable.

John

[Hipster_G]

Originally Posted by 777funk

I was going to use Rustoleum "Professional" oil base in the gallon can for $35 since it's a piece of crude machinery, but after the time it took to prep for paint, I tested a small area and it fails the fingernail paint removal test after a weekend of hot sun baking. It may hold up, but even at just $35/gal and just for a skid steer... Just can't do it.

Is there something 2k that's sub $100 for the kit that will fit the bill? I'm not going for a full auto finish (prime, base, clear, color sand) obviously, but I would like most of the paint to still be there in 10 years.

Most of these low end oil based paints lose there gloss fairly rapidly so how much appearance vs durability is required is the question. Typical of oil based, alkyd enamels, and synthetic enamels. Most are also very slow to cure.

With that being said I have used the Tractor Supply paint with the hardener on equipment and trailers. While durable and you can still wipe it down and clean it up, in 6 months time the gloss was 90% gone. If long term appearance is a bigger issue step up from the oil based/alkyd/synthetics to an Acrylic with hardener or a 2k urethane.

I have painted a few forklifts and typically you'll get a lot less distance out of the paint materials painting bars and cages then you would a flat surface. A small one will take every bit of a gallon.

[777funk]

Good to know about the tractor supply material. I'd guess it's like rustoleum. I've read of adding the same hardener to it for a little harder results. Sounds like results are what you pay for. I bought a clear kit for $60 shipped from the Speedo guy on ebay. I have mixing tints and have had good luck tinting 2k clear in the past. So that and a little titanium white and hope to have something better than the Rusto I was thinking of using.

[Hipster_G]

Originally Posted by 777funk

Good to know about the tractor supply material. I'd guess it's like rustoleum. I've read of adding the same hardener to it for a little harder results. Sounds like results are what you pay for. I bought a clear kit for $60 shipped from the Speedo guy on ebay. I have mixing tints and have had good luck tinting 2k clear in the past. So that and a little titanium white and hope to have something better than the Rusto I was thinking of using.

I never tried hardener in the rustoleum. They don't offer one and things usually bite one in the rear when playing mad chemist.

I have used the Speedo 130 clear. Rediculous gloss. I was in disbelief.

[55 Tony]

Two weekends ago I painted my tandem trailer that has seen better days. I used semi gloss rustoleum black with left over reducer and with a hardener. (I think the hardener was left over from Summit brand Hot Rod Black.) You can also use the same hardener from tractor supply. It dried and set up pretty fast but I followed the directions and waited until the next day for a second coat. The first coat was so glossy from the hardener that I returned the second quart and used a quart of satin black I've had sitting for maybe 4 years (unopened). Even the satin came out really glossy where I put it on a little heavy. 24 hours and it almost passed the fingernail test, 48 hours and it's hard. I wasn't prepared for so much gloss on the fenders, now they look like crap with all the dents I didn't fix. Just got back from using the trailer this afternoon and so far the paint is tough as nails, stronger than I had expected. The trailer is pretty beat up so I wasn't going to any extremes with prep work. I spent a little over an hour on it with a pressure washer which took off most of the last paint job and any loose stuff. That's it.

Oh, I got a lot of it all over my hands during clean up and damn that hardener set up quick. Lacquer thinner didn't touch it. Xylene started to take it off but started burning my skin really bad. I won't try THAT again! Took a couple days for the black to go away.

[777funk]

Charcoal lighter fluid takes oil base off hands if you get it right away. Not sure if it will work for your concoction though. Sounds like you improved it. I tried some random 2k hardener this morning on a few small parts. We'll see if what I have helps.

['48 Austin]

Majic paint with hardener from Tractor Supply is a good paint at a very reasonable price. Certainly good for skid steer. Nason paints are very good but more pricey and good for street rod or car restoration.

[55 Tony]

Originally Posted by 777funk

Charcoal lighter fluid takes oil base off hands if you get it right away. Not sure if it will work for your concoction though. Sounds like you improved it. I tried some random 2k hardener this morning on a few small parts. We'll see if what I have helps.

Yes I'd be interested in how it works. Tricky part is how much hardener. The stuff I used was 1:4, which is a lot. I used less.



On another trailer years ago I used Majic paint from Tractor Supply and the sun faded it very quickly. I think it was on the primer directions basically said to "put it on heavy" and the stuff did not want to dry/cure. I was on the phone with their tech guy and had him read the directions off a can. He said the directions are wrong. It took a couple weeks until I could put the black on top, he had them send me a check for my full purchase amount. He also outright told me that it *will* fade in the sun, no doubt about it.


I'm about ready to sell that trailer since I never seem to use it, I may use up some left over clear coat on it to make it look pretty to sell. Or maybe just do some rustoleum over it to freshen it up.

[777funk]

What I had on hand was a 1:2 hardener and I mixed it about there in the rustoleum. It didn't seem to help in this case. But it was worth trying. Maybe another hardener I have on hand would be better. Obviously just an experiment to test on scrap. At $35 plus tax a gallon, rustoleum isn't really too far off from real paint.

[Hipster_G]

The way I look at using another hardener, say acrylic hardener in a non acrylic paint, or a urethane hardener in a non-urethane paint is that there is nothing for the hardener to combine with to make the chemical reaction. You can end up with a sticky mess that never dries.


I have spoke to several on another site where rustoleum roller paint jobs were the rage and several have said little difference in the way it cures where mixed in mixing cups side by side. One with and one without hardener. Rustoleum offers no hardener.

The real problem is when people get tired of dealing with the piss poor gloss and want to put an automotive grade paint on top of the oil based oil contaminated disaster of a paint. Not fisheyes, now whale eyes.

These paints (rustoleum, Tractor, alkyd, synthetic) are good for their intended applications if all you ever want it to be is protected. They are not an appearance product and don't accept other paints on top of them very well. Sometimes you can't even put more of the same product on top of itself without wrinkling or lifting. Solvent penetration back into an un-catalyzed finish.

[777funk]

Originally Posted by Hipster_G

The way I look at using another hardener, say acrylic hardener in a non acrylic paint, or a urethane hardener in a non-urethane paint is that there is nothing for the hardener to combine with to make the chemical reaction. You can end up with a sticky mess that never dries.


I have spoke to several on another site where rustoleum roller paint jobs were the rage and several have said little difference in the way it cures where mixed in mixing cups side by side. One with and one without hardener. Rustoleum offers no hardener.

The real problem is when people get tired of dealing with the piss poor gloss and want to put an automotive grade paint on top of the oil based oil contaminated disaster of a paint. Not fisheyes, now whale eyes.

These paints (rustoleum, Tractor, alkyd, synthetic) are good for their intended applications if all you ever want it to be is protected. They are not an appearance product and don't accept other paints on top of them very well. Sometimes you can't even put more of the same product on top of itself without wrinkling or lifting. Solvent penetration back into an un-catalyzed finish.

I agree with you 100%. It's really just making the project near impossible to easily do it right if desired in the future. Maybe for something that isn't worth much or just a hobby project. I don't think I'll paint even an old push mower with rustoleum now that I know more about it. Never really played with it in the past and didn't know much about it. I now see why guys here don't use it even if it is cheap.

[matt167]

Valspar paint is likely what the OEM uses, if you buy it off their parts counter.

Over the winter we semi restored an LS170 with rattle can Valspar that was the correct New Holland color. All of the farmers are jealous of our now near mint skid steer