sawset
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Post by sawset on Oct 8, 2020 3:56:30 GMT -8
From my supplier, .032 aluminum for the siding and roof material, I have my choice of three different aluminum sheet prepaint colors, white, beige, black. On the back side would be a clear coat.
If one were to finish paint a two tone pattern, common to vintage trailers, off white top, darker bottom half (in this case maroon), what would be a wise choice for base sheet colors.
All white, and prime/paint to suite?
Or use the prepaint colors to advantage, light top and top half, dark bottom half, and work with any pattern that crosses the line.
My current leaning is all white and work with the finish primers and paint. A uniform background I feel would be easier to work with. Wife says no no, need a dark background to get the dark red or we'll have a difficult time avoiding pink.
Opinions/experiences?
Edit: On second thought - We may go with TSC implement paint as a finish. I see they have both gray and oxide red primers available. I have samples of the aluminum, and could get a rattle can of each color primer and also the finish paint, and just experiment. Most examples I see out there are of people going white to start, never black - so I just need to talk her into that hopefully by example.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Oct 8, 2020 8:58:16 GMT -8
The white will most likely be Polar White, which is more like very bright refrigerator white, not a vintage "off white".
Painting a trailer, or even taping and painting graphic's is a lot of work no matter how you do it. The quality paints hold up much better to the sun UV rays. If the trailer is going to be stored outside use a automotive quality paint.
The clearcoat coating on the back side of the pre-painted aluminum skins is NOT UV sun safe. It will lift and peal like a 1980's GM car paint job.
For any color, or even if you use the mill finish side, just sand the aluminum with 320. Prime with a two part epoxy primer, sand the primer with 400, shoot your color coat. Remove the tape ASAP. It's much better to buy your masking tape from a automotive paint store, NOT the blue 3M tape from a hardware store. Use the special plastic 3M fineline masking tape (about $20/roll) to lay out your graphics for the best demarcation lines.
Use the same paint system from start to finish, don't mix brands.
John
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Post by vikx on Oct 8, 2020 10:45:49 GMT -8
We skinned the trailer in all polar white, then masked and sanded for other paint colors; either a Z or bottom zigzag pattern. We sanded the white to be sure the primer and paint would stick. We never had trouble with bleed thru.
Our usual primer is light grey Rustoleum oil based in a RATTLE can. Do not use Rustoleum auto primer in the quarts! For some reason, it doesn't stick correctly. Supposed to be identical to the spray cans, but it isn't. (maybe old on the shelf?)
According to owner's wishes, we usually used Rustoleum oil based quarts for the colors.
Automotive paint is expensive and takes special products. It dries to a hard durable finish and is worth it if you want a paint to last.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Oct 8, 2020 11:46:08 GMT -8
We skinned the trailer in all polar white, then masked and sanded for other paint colors; either a Z or bottom zigzag pattern. We sanded the white to be sure the primer and paint would stick. We never had trouble with bleed thru. Our usual primer is light grey Rustoleum oil based in a RATTLE can. Do not use Rustoleum auto primer in the quarts! For some reason, it doesn't stick correctly. Supposed to be identical to the spray cans, but it isn't. (maybe old on the shelf?) According to owner's wishes, we usually used Rustoleum oil based quarts for the colors. Automotive paint is expensive and takes special products. It dries to a hard durable finish and is worth it if you want a paint to last. I agree completely. The quarts of Rustoleum you buy in the big box stores last exactly one year outside in the Southern California sun before it chalks. The price of Rustoleum in quarts has gone from $12/quart (just last year), up to the current $21/quart at HD in my area. The Rustoleum works fine inside (painting wheel wells), or under the trailer "out of the sun". If you cut it with Acetone, it can be thinned for spraying, and the Acetone helps it dry quicker. The available color spectrum for Rustoleum is very limited, as is most of the over the counter paints sold. TCP Global is a good source for shippable, lower cost, quality automotive paints. Buying paint by the quart is expensive, compared to buying in gallons. Usually two or three quarts is more expensive than the cost of one gallon. John
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Post by danrhodes on Oct 8, 2020 18:20:28 GMT -8
When I researched my cheapskate paint job, I read a lot of reports of fading and chalking with TSC soy based Majik tractor paint. I went with Valspar enamel tractor paint from Amazon and it's held up great in the SoCal sun for several years. It went on easily with a $10 HF gun for a first timer like me.
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sawset
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Post by sawset on Oct 9, 2020 4:52:05 GMT -8
So, hmm. Looks like I've gotten past the material prepaint thoughts. White for all should work. She sees me pouring over this stuff, and when I re-argued go with white, prime to cover, topcoat to color, with a few tidbits of info from here, she said, ok. That was about it. Easier than I thought. Just shook my head and let it go. She's the interior decorator, so now she's free to have at it. I pulled a few more quotes from online: "My experience Alkyd enamel paints tend to fade quickly" "If you want a finish to last go with an acrylic enamel" "TCPglobal is a good source" Things are starting to make sense, a little. Hearing things several times from different sources makes unknowns a little easier to understand.
TCPglobal has a 2part acrylic enamel: AE - ACRYLIC ENAMEL SYSTEM Seems to be about the most general and least cost of their automotive products.
TSC has their tractor paint, far cheaper, but is an Alkyd enamel, with comments more about fade than not. Valspar I think is also and Alkyd enamel. Fade comments are usually associated with any amount of red in it. Go figure. We'll be spending some time in Marana AZ, just outside Tuscon, so UV would be a concern.
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sawset
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Post by sawset on Oct 9, 2020 9:36:54 GMT -8
Do not use Rustoleum auto primer in the quarts! For some reason, it doesn't stick correctly. Supposed to be identical to the spray cans, but it isn't. (maybe old on the shelf?) Anyone with insight into this. Painted aluminum as supplied - overcoats of primer or other finishes - and adhesion issues?
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Post by vikx on Oct 9, 2020 9:49:22 GMT -8
We bought our Rustoleum Automotive Primer quarts at Auto Zone. Both times I used it, there were adhesion issues. One trailer was old sanded paint, old metal. The other was a combo of new metal and old. Both were treated as we had always done; sanding, air blowing, cleaning and a final wipe of solvent. The only two that had issues (out of at least 10 trailers) were primed with the Rusto primer in quarts.
When the same (?) primer was applied with rattle cans, no adhesion problems.
I like light grey primer, which is a little hard to find. The darker colors tend to be more difficult to cover but once done, it doesn't bleed thru.
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John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Oct 9, 2020 11:22:45 GMT -8
So, hmm. Looks like I've gotten past the material prepaint thoughts. White for all should work. She sees me pouring over this stuff, and when I re-argued go with white, prime to cover, topcoat to color, with a few tidbits of info from here, she said, ok. That was about it. Easier than I thought. Just shook my head and let it go. She's the interior decorator, so now she's free to have at it. I pulled a few more quotes from online: "My experience Alkyd enamel paints tend to fade quickly" "If you want a finish to last go with an acrylic enamel" "TCPglobal is a good source" Things are starting to make sense, a little. Hearing things several times from different sources makes unknowns a little easier to understand. TCPglobal has a 2part acrylic enamel: AE - ACRYLIC ENAMEL SYSTEM Seems to be about the most general and least cost of their automotive products. TSC has their tractor paint, far cheaper, but is an Alkyd enamel, with comments more about fade than not. Valspar I think is also and Alkyd enamel. Fade comments are usually associated with any amount of red in it. Go figure. We'll be spending some time in Marana AZ, just outside Tuscon, so UV would be a concern. LOL, it's good to seek second opinions. My advice comes from someone that's actually done this stuff, it's not just internet fodder! Regarding TCP Global paints. They offer many different kinds of paint, but it falls into two basic groups. They sell a program of standard colors, and a program where they will custom mix any color to match any factory color back to the 1900's. In both programs, they offer all of their different kinds of paint. The cost of paint in the standard colors is much cheaper because it's sold as a system and includes the required hardener. You have to purchase a gallon of temperature sensitive reducer, in addition to the color. Note, they offer a lot of colors in their standard color system, for example they offer 17 different whites, and 19 different reds in the standard system. Unless your trying to match the color shade of a vintage vehicle there's no reason to use their custom mix program. Acrylic Enamel is the lowest quality (lowest cost) paint sold by TCP Global. For just a few more dollars you can upgrade to their Acrylic Urethane paint. My Covid Project this spring, was rebuilding a 1970 Early Bronco that was rolled over. After the metal work was done, I painted the truck inside and out with TCP Acrylic Urethane in a metallic gold which was "custom mixed" by TCP to match the original 1970 Ford Color (their color match was perfect). It was done in a single stage, not a base coat, clear coat system. I'm not a pro painter, I have no spray booth, and spraying a single stage metallic is more difficult than a opaque color. The paint job was done in my driveway under a 10 by 10 E-Z-Up canopy. It turned out nice. It did not require a color sand, and buff. Prep is the key to any finish. It cannot be over stated. As "Manly Men", we take pride in never reading the instructions until after we have a problem. You will receive a MDS (Material Data Sheet) when you buy automotive paint. If you read, and then follow to the letter, the instructions, you will have a good out come. It will talk about proper surface prep, the ambient temperature that you can spray, the relative humidity that you can spray the product, the pot time life, the recoat times, even the surface temperature. Follow the rules, they are your friend. Equipment for painting, you need plenty of air volume, not necessarily pressure. You will most likely be spraying with a HVLP (high volume low pressure) spray gun. A small air compressor will not keep up with a HVLP spray gun. The harder you work the air compressor the more condensation you will get into your lines. You need a way to cool the air and collect water moisture. It's lots easier to spray paint if you have a consistent air pressure. Make sure you research "spray painting at home". You will find good information on The Hamb (a Hot Rod board), or on Southern Urethanes. Primer, yes you will get lots of opinions. In general, you use a lighter tinted primer under a lighter top coat color so it covers better with fewer coats. You cannot go wrong by using a two part epoxy primer under quality top coat paints when painting aluminum. The old school way was to use zinc chromate primer, the new way today is to use epoxy primer. TCP Global, and Southern Urethanes both sell low (lol, ok lower cost) automotive quality epoxy primers. As with top color coats, you need to follow the MDS for instruction on prep and when to spray primers. Buy your normal Acetone locally for gun clean up, no point is paying for freight on Acetone. John
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Post by danrhodes on Oct 9, 2020 17:40:02 GMT -8
John is the recognized expert, but for the cheapskate like me, I used a harbor freight 21 gallon compressor ($125),their purple hvlp gun ($12), their inline water separator at the tank and disposable water filter at the gun ($5) and got a good result. I think using valspar hardener helps with the uv resistance so even my black is good as new after 5 years.
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carlc
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1965 Shasta 1500
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Post by carlc on Sept 28, 2021 20:05:23 GMT -8
Hi all, Sorry to resurrect this threat, but I am confident that the knowledge base on this thread is exactly what I need. I am doing a complete rebuild on a '65 Shasta. I recently put on my new skins (from Hemet Valley RV) and I am in the process of choosing colors to paint. Some questions: 1. The skins have the polar white color from the mfg. What is the exact process for putting on new paint? Do I have to sand, etc? If so, do I do the roof too? I was really hoping to not paint the white part at all and only do the bottom with the classic chrome zig zag with the seafoam/surf green color. However, I ended up scratching more than I anticipated and now I need to paint for sure. 2. I saw another thread for the seafoam/surf green color, but couldn't find what colors people have used. Any suggestions? 3. Seems like getting the z to stay shiny is tricky and some don't recommend it. Should I just try something like this. I really like the chrome z, however, I am way behind my wife's expected camping date so I need to get this moving. 4. What color white paint would you recommend on top of the polar white? Something similar or less bright (trying to get as vintage as possible even though this is a complete rebuild). Thank you in advance.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Sept 29, 2021 6:41:55 GMT -8
1. The skins have the polar white color from the mfg. What is the exact process for putting on new paint? Do I have to sand, etc? If so, do I do the roof too? I was really hoping to not paint the white part at all and only do the bottom with the classic chrome zig zag with the seafoam/surf green color. However, I ended up scratching more than I anticipated and now I need to paint for sure.
This will explain painting the polar white... 2. I saw another thread for the seafoam/surf green color, but couldn't find what colors people have used. Any suggestions? I used a 1957 Ford Willow green on the camper above.
3. Seems like getting the z to stay shiny is tricky and some don't recommend it. Should I just try something like this. I really like the chrome z, however, I am way behind my wife's expected camping date so I need to get this moving. This may interest you. I did the polished Z on this camper...
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carlc
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Post by carlc on Oct 2, 2021 20:17:12 GMT -8
Thanks nccamper,
These were extremely helpful.
I think I will go with the painting and not do the stipe that will need to be polished. I like how you did the second camper. Regarding the polar white, I see that you left the top of the trailer alone and just left it the way it came from the trailer. I like idea, however, I have some holes and dings that need to be repaired. How would you handle fixing those and painting. Would you just touch up the polar white? Do you have a color that matches?
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Oct 3, 2021 0:03:14 GMT -8
Define “holes in Dings”? 3 inch holes? Massive dings that are more like dents requiring bondo? Or a hole the size of the screw and a ding with a tiny scratch?
tiny holes and scratches can be touched up with paint you find on Amazon or eBay in tiny bottles and it matches pretty well. If you have scrap leftover skin it’s good to use a piece to experiment with. I had to buy three different touch-up paint before I found one that matched. Unfortunately the one I have is not labeled and it’s been some time since I bought it.
you could also call Hemet valley and ask them if they carry touch up paint now. At the time of my last restoration they didn’t carry one.
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carlc
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Post by carlc on Oct 3, 2021 12:43:57 GMT -8
Just some screw and staple holes. Nothing major. Thanks for the common sense answers. I will take your suggestions.
Carl
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