[Lost in NJ]

My brother recently got a catalog from Fastenal and noticed there was a semi-gloss acrylic enamel that is DTM and water based available from Rustoleum. This is the 5200 series paint and you can buy a hardener for it. It has chemical and solvent resistance so I wonder if it could be an economical but quality paint for chassis work since it is available in a semi-gloss.

At $58 a gallon it certainly has the price. I know guys have been using fish oil based semi gloss for chassis, but I experimented and found it to be soft and easy to mark with my fingernail after is set for a few weeks.

So does anyone have experience with the Rustoleum 5200 paint and the hardener? How good is the paint?

 

[302 Z28]

If any of Rustoleum's other products are a guide I would be very skeptical of it's durability.

Vince

 

[Lost in NJ]

I have used their fish oil products for a metal building and found they work great when the surface it properly prepared. I also found they do not work so good when the surface is not properly prepared.

More than one Model A show car has the fish oil semi gloss on the frame and other parts. I bought a quart and did my own testing with the fish oil semi gloss. I found it sprays nice from an HVLP and looks great. It takes a long time to dry and is not as hard as I would like. I found I could make white marks with my finger nail that did not just rub out. You could sort of polish them out, but you get a glossy area where you polished.

The industrial line is a low VOC product with a water base. This makes it more friendly for those who are looking to limit the amount of nasty vapors because of their residential house hold. This would help those who really can not or should not spray solvent based paints allowing them to more economically restore their chassis at home. No need to rent a paint booth. Hopefully with high quality results.

The problem is I do not believe that many are aware of the product line as it is only available through industrial supply houses. I was hoping someone who works in industry would have worked with the product and could comment on their experiences.

 

[302 Z28]

It needs to be said, that the use of water borne coatings insinuates that somehow safety and health standards could be relaxed....nothing could be further from the truth.

Vince

 

[cjperotti]

I haven't worked with it so I can't give you a recommendation either way. However, as you stated there are many who show up at different shows with similar products on their cars. There’s nothing wrong with it; more or less it’s nostalgia for the older folks and it has it’s enthusiasts.

Go for it. If someone doesn’t like it, tell them the cars for sale for the right price and they can do with it as they wish after they purchase it.

 

[barnym17]

If I had a $1.00 for everytime I told my nieghbor and brother that I would be rich.

 

[shine]

unbelievable

 

[robin58]

Threads and questions like this topic always make me wonder why does everyone always try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to painting something they've spent untold hours on fixing up? The few hundred dollars you might save will look mighty tiny when you have to redo everything.

 

[cjperotti]

They're not reinventing anything. As stated above there are enthusiest for that look. It's just one of the options for building ratrods or anything else they want to fix up a little. Besides most of these jalopies won't have close to expert work on them anyways. So using a cheap finish is less costly. This provides them an outlet to practice till they develope better skills that warrant better materials.

 

[robin58]

OK fair comment, but I wonder how many realize that in "industrial" applications recoating/repainting is done all the time as part of maintenance. Ditto on ocean going craft, offshore oilrigs, etc.

If the intent is to use it just on the chassis, nowhere near a gallon will be needed. You can buy chassis paint for around $30 a quart whereas most likely you HAVE to buy the gallon of the industrial item.

 

[Lost in NJ]

My question was multifold.

I am very aware of the different types of paint available.

The preferred paints all have solvents with substaintail smell and also Iso's. This is not compatable with residential painting with an attached garage.

This paint I bring up is water based which means it has substaintially less VOC solvents. It may also have the charasteristics sutible for frames and such and may even be thinned and brushed on with good looks. With hardener it may even be as durable as the low cost automotive type paints.

This paint may have some merrits for some restorers and I thought it would be good to find out more about this paint. I personally have already purchased the paints I need to do my chassis work so I am not inclined to buy something else at this point.

Keep in mind that there is quite a number of guys painting all the chassis stuff with fish oil rustoleum. More than one person has admited that their high end show car had rustoleum on the chassis. I would bet even more Rods are coated with rustoleum products.