Ok, I just primered the back-end of Rusty for paint ~ I got Rustoleum 'Safety Red' industrial enamel ~ but I'm going to be honest, *enamel* paint has never thrilled me to death.

What are you guys using ~ what's got the hardest finish?

Yes, I'm talking about SPRAY paint!

Krylon over Rustoleum. Dries faster and is more scratch resistant.

there was a thread on spray paint in general within the last month.

spray gun or spray can? not much in a spray can will be durable.
in a spray gun, base/clear is the best but it gets scratched easier, but at least you can just reclear it. acrylic enamel is the toughest, but not as easy to blend repairs.
for an off-road vehicle, probably the best would be heavy equipment paint.
just some ideas.

rustoluem hard hat paint.

Rustoleum industrial paints wear pretty good. I used the white on my trailer and camper and it's holding up well. It just takes a long time to dry.
If you're going to spray something with a gun, Imron is super tough paint. It's what UPS and the airlines use on a lot of stuff that sees heavy abuse. Buffs out easy and can be made shiny again without a lot of work. It's expensive and you have to spray it though.

Rustolem makes an Applience Epoxy that is supposed to be very hard. Only comes in gloss black and gss white that I have seen.
One problem with very hard paints is that they aren't very elastic, they would work well for something that isn't going to flex, like bumpers, cages, axles, skid plates and the like but probably not so well on something like body panels. it would have a tendancy to crack.
This paint does take several hours to dry before you can handle it tho.
Darrell

Rustoleum High Performance enamel.

Somewhere there is some Old guy sitting around doing one of these :rolleyes: muttering something about the search function :D

Somewhere there is some Old guy sitting around doing one of these :rolleyes: muttering something about the search function :D
:laughing: :laughing:

I have had good luck with the Rustoleum "Hard Hat" stuff. But like was mentioned, hard paint on a bodypanel will crack and flake. You could use house paint...Thats pretty flexible :flipoff2:

I did search ~ came up with a ton of build up threads.

This paint is for Rusty's Tube work ~ the body panels ~ or what's left of them ~ will be flat-black.

[QUOTE=Snoopy]I did search ~ came up with a ton of build up threads.

This paint is for Rusty's Tube work ~ the body panels ~ or what's left of them ~ will be flat-black

The Old guy isn't saying much lately, but http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3456905&postcount=31 he seemed to have a plan :flipoff2:

I like the industrial paint at napa. Its cheap and goes on pretty good. I believe it has lead in it though, so wear your bandana over your face.

The Old guy isn't saying much lately, but http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3456905&postcount=31 he seemed to have a plan :flipoff2:
Nice work ~ that'd be the way to go if I had better equipment and more time. I'm looking for aresol stuff.


I know.. :shaking: :rolleyes: :shaking: :rolleyes:

Napa's Implament paint ~ I remembered that stuff 5 mintues too late ~ Napa closed before I could get in there. I'll be checking in on that tomorrow ~ I remember how well it came out on RockScout.
http://www.dandcextreme.com/club/trailrides/08.04/56.jpg
http://www.dandcextreme.com/club/trailrides/08.04/57.jpg

Rustolem makes an Applience Epoxy that is supposed to be very hard. Only comes in gloss black and gss white that I have seen.
One problem with very hard paints is that they aren't very elastic, they would work well for something that isn't going to flex, like bumpers, cages, axles, skid plates and the like but probably not so well on something like body panels. it would have a tendancy to crack.
This paint does take several hours to dry before you can handle it tho.
Darrell

I've used Epoxy Appliance paint on things like shocks, calipers, shifters, etc. for years. Holds up very well for stuff like that. It is VERY hard and un-elastic and chips out so you wouldn't want to use it on body panels.

Oh, and that OLD GUY will prolly tell ya to use DuPont Imron 333

I used bulldozer/heavy equipment paint........specifically komatsu yellow paint on mine. It has held up well. Easy to spray on and looks good for a novice paint job. Still looks good two~plus years later.

You could use house paint...Thats pretty flexible :flipoff2:


Yeah, but you wind up with something that looks like the spare tub in my driveway! :flipoff2:

Hammerite paint dries fast .( 15 minutes betweeen coats)and has microscopic glass beads in it. No primer needed and it will cut through oil and water. Nasty smell and exspensive, tho, compared to reglar rattle can( about $5 ea).

Equipment paint is cheap, $35 a gallon. If you have a good paint supply store they should be able to put it into spray cans for you. Probably a little more expensive than just getting a gallon. If you have air, Harbor Freight has cheap paint guns (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=30224) .

James

chalkboard paint

I used krylon paint with rustoleum primer underneath then i put on a clear coat of some sorts. I drug the rear end against a tree like a weak later and it did not scratch or chip. I was impressed.

chalkboard paint
Don't take this the wrong way but: Are you serious?

I was thinking of using that stuff for the black highlights. Have you used it? Does it dry true-black and flat-black? Does the dirt wash off it easy?

Marine enamel.

Pacific Endura-- Super tough Paint , stays shiny w/o wax. It,s Hard.

Actually rattle can paint can be as hard as spraygun paints. Just there's little or no hardener in it so it takes a while to dry. I've painted many PC cases with it, all to a mirror finish. What needs to happen though is a thorough drying period before polishing or waxing. I give parts a week to bake in a warm environment before handling.

For hardness, a laquer seems to be best. Hand mixed paints with elastomeric additives work best for scratch resistance.

(BTW, I used to work in an autobody shop, so I've been around all kinds of paints. http://www.user-error.com\cases\burbie\sides_after.jpg and
http://www.user-error.com\cases\yellow_server\case_assembled_outsi de_2.jpg )

Snoop,

Go to your local wrought iron/ornamental iron place. I have one here in Bakersfield called Jaguar Wrought Iron. They can sell you an industrial enamal ornamental spray coating. It comes in a spray can and dries like powdercoat. Wear latex gloves when using it. I just did my axles with some that was left over after I had an RV gate installed. It is great.

If you want the be$t, Dupont Imron, industrial race paint.

Yeah, but you wind up with something that looks like the spare tub in my driveway! :flipoff2:Or Toms Chevy! :laughing: