Paint issues - What did I do wrong? Need help

[ID Bronco]

Back story: My son is a senior, he worked on his truck and built his own sliders for his senior project. It was his first fabrication attempt. He learned to weld, design, build, ect.

As he was finishing it up, time was an issue (imagine that with a 17 year old) so when it was time to paint them, he wiped them with acetone and we painted them with with Rustoleum hammer finish paint that was supposed to have it's own primer. That sounded great since time was a major factor.


Well, it looked great initially but just two weeks later it began to flake off in large chunks. (they are welded on so it's pretty discouraging) What has to happen now? We will have to cut them off and re work them when the weather gets better, but what do we need to do to make it right long term?

 

[Hickey]

Wow! That's a serious adhesion problem. The acetone should have cleaned it enough. Maybe you need a zinc primer despite Rustoleum's claims.

 

[Spork]

If it were me I'd hit it with a wire brush or sandpaper and rough up the surface a little, then spray with a primer and then paint. Of course a lot of this depends on temperature, I wouldn't be messing with paint unless you have somewhere warm to let it sit for a few days to dry.

 

[dutchman]

If it were me I'd hit it with a wire brush or sandpaper and rough up the surface a little, then spray with a primer and then paint.

This. I had a similar thing happen with my sliders and bumpers. When I repainted them I took a wire wheel to them then hit it with a couple coats of primer and paint. Held up pretty good after that.

 

[Marsh99]

acetone wipe, self-etching primer, and a couple coats of Rust-Oleum bed liner has work the best for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-2...484681889&sr=1-1&keywords=self+etching+primer
https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-248914-Automotive-15-Ounce-Coating/dp/B003CT49B2

 

[mbryson]

This. I had a similar thing happen with my sliders and bumpers. When I repainted them I took a wire wheel to them then hit it with a couple coats of primer and paint. Held up pretty good after that.

acetone wipe, self-etching primer, and a couple coats of Rust-Oleum bed liner has work the best for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-2...484681889&sr=1-1&keywords=self+etching+primer
https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-248914-Automotive-15-Ounce-Coating/dp/B003CT49B2

Issue could be related to not letting the acetone "flash" off totally, poor surface adhesion or a combination of a few hundred other things. Best solution I've ever found is use a good mechanical method for adhesion (wire brush as mentioned would be more than enough) and a good wipe down with wax and grease remover. Sandpaper is usually plenty for mechanical adhesion. More modern paints seem to really work better with an self-etching primer, sealer (depending on primer used) and then paint.

---mechanical prep (sandpaper, wire brush, whatever)

---CLEAN surface (not sure about acetone but I've had great results with wax & grease remover for 25ish years)

---let the wax/grease remover flash off the surface for about 15 minutes, tack cloth the surface if you are trying to eliminate dust and

---spray your etching primer, sealer and then topcoat(s)

 

[ID Bronco]

Great advice, I am happy to see my thought process wasn't too far off. I really thought the acetone would have prevented this but we will re do it when it warms a little.

Thanks

 

[Hickey]

Was WD40 used at all while building the sliders? My wife ran a body shop for several years and would always cringe when I used it in the garage. She said it wasn't allowed in her shop because of the difficulty of removal in the prep stage.

That wax/grease remover may be a better plan.

 

[BCGPER]

WD40 and ArmorAll are the debil to painters...

 

[mbryson]

Was WD40 used at all while building the sliders? My wife ran a boy shop for several years and would always cringe when I used it in the garage. She said it wasn't allowed in her shop because of the difficulty of removal in the prep stage.

That wax/grease remover may be a better plan.

WD40 and ArmorAll are the debil to painters...

NASTYNASTYNASTY shit

 

[frieed]

I'd bet it looked great until sometime after the paint was scraped off the bottom due to being "sliders". If you expose bare steel to Utah road salt no surface prep will protect you. The rust eats into the metal and proceeds to undermine *all* surface preparations. Inspect periodically, clean (grind to bright metal), prime, and re-coat.

 

[mesha]

Like others have said, that seems like a prep issue to me. The bare metal wasn't etched properly.

 

[ID Bronco]

Was WD40 used at all while building the sliders? My wife ran a body shop for several years and would always cringe when I used it in the garage. She said it wasn't allowed in her shop because of the difficulty of removal in the prep stage.

That wax/grease remover may be a better plan.

No WD40 or equivalent was anywhere near us. We rushed, trusted the acetone (was recommended) and it didn't work. I'll use these recommendations when I do them again. We will definitely use an etching primer.

I'd bet it looked great until sometime after the paint was scraped off the bottom due to being "sliders". If you expose bare steel to Utah road salt no surface prep will protect you. The rust eats into the metal and proceeds to undermine *all* surface preparations. Inspect periodically, clean (grind to bright metal), prime, and re-coat.

Actually it's been winter since it was done, so no scraping at all yet. It began coming off the top first. I've had lots of real sliders and always touched them up once in a while. That's why I didn't get them powder coated, so I could touch them up later.

Like others have said, that seems like a prep issue to me. The bare metal wasn't etched properly.

10-4

 

[Bart]

Personally, I would clean it up the ways that have been stated, but then I'd use a converter on it that changes any remaining rust to primer, then a good self etching primer on top.

 

[ID Bronco]

Personally, I would clean it up the ways that have been stated, but then I'd use a converter on it that changes any remaining rust to primer, then a good self etching primer on top.

any recommendations on a good "converter"

 

[frieed]

Phosphoric acid (available at Home Depot by the gallon in the paint dept.) is the prime ingredient in most rust converters (sometimes plus a vinyl sealer). Converts Iron oxide to Iron Phosphate which is much more stable. Sand a bit to smooth it out then paint.

 

[RogueJeepr]

Wax and grease remover OR some quick dry Thinner. Etching primer in light coats.
If using rustoleum get semi gloss. Their clear coat seems to attack its own paint. Even after it dried for a week.
Just my experience.

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