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Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:32 am

So I'm painting my bus with rustoleum. I know this may not be the greatest way of doing it, but I am. I'm using the HVLP sprayer from Harbor Freight. Since whenever I ask in the body/paint forum, my posts get deleted, I thought I'd give you guys a try, since I know others have used this or a similar method. Can anybody tell my how much I should thin (if at all) the rustoleum enamel before spraying it over primer?
Thanks!

Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:54 am

agreendaya wrote: So I'm painting my bus with rustoleum. I know this may not be the greatest way of doing it, but I am. I'm using the HVLP sprayer from Harbor Freight. Since whenever I ask in the body/paint forum, my posts get deleted, I thought I'd give you guys a try, since I know others have used this or a similar method. Can anybody tell my how much I should thin (if at all) the rustoleum enamel before spraying it over primer?
Thanks!

Look at the instructions on the can. Or write rustoleum.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:11 am

or just experiment, trial & error is how you get the best result. Get a couple pieces of sheet metal & spray them with diffrent mixtures to see what one turns out best for you, but make sure you prime the sheet metal with whatever type of primer your gonna use on the bus.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:12 am

The paint is dirt cheap, just start playing with it.

Mix 2 onces paint 2 onces thinner. Too runny, add 2 more ounces paint and see if it sprays any better. Just play with it.

I brushed on rustoleum gloss white for the roof of my bus and it seems to have worked.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:26 am

I did this one with a roller.....grand total was less than $40 including the materials.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:36 am

Here's my old 79, I sprayed the top with rattle can paint & the lower is piant I bought to paint my living room with :lol: :lol: it ROLLED on nice, but had no shine :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: damn semigloss

Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:40 am

Great, thanks a bunch guys. There are no instructions as to thinning on the can, except to use acetone or mineral spirits. Guess I'll just have to give it a try and see what happens! I've heard everything from 50/50 to 95% paint, 5% thinner.
David_594, that sounds like a good plan. I'm going to do the bumpers first, so I guess they'll be the guinea pigs!

Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:41 am

For the experimenting I would start off with a piece of cardboard.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:45 am

The big issues with Rustoleum are its viscosity and its drying time. Even thinned, Rustoleum is difficult to atomize uniformly through an HVLP set-up. Dry time is extensive and allows the paint to attarct and accumulate a good deal od dust and other airborne debris. If you don't want to use regular automaotive paint, you can use some of the inexpensive ready mixed auto paints from Walmart.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:02 pm

VDubTech - Wow, that looks professional! Did you mask that 'V' in the front and why did you paint a line down the center of the window?

Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:31 pm

Your new paint gun should come with instructions, depending on which tip (orifice) you use will depend on how much thinner you use. I prefer a drip cup, which is no more than a regulated device to time how long it takes for the cup to drain, to long and the paint needs more thinner.

If you get the gallon size it usually has directions for thinning and which thinner to use.

Industrial paint is great stuff, really tuff and cheaper than automotive finish. Done a few vehicle with it. The only draw back is it does fade at a faster rate than automotive finish.

Have fun, practice a little on some cardboard sheets to get the knack for laying down a smooth even pattern.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:41 pm

Runamuck Bus wrote: VDubTech - Wow, that looks professional! Did you mask that 'V' in the front and why did you paint a line down the center of the window?

Are you talking about the front? I didn't paint a line, it's a '62 Split Window....they were built that way. And yes, I did mask off the white and the grey. I painted the grey first, next day I taped it off and did the white. Didn't thin it all, $7 a quart high gloss from Home Depot. It was 96 degrees the day I did the grey and 98 the day I did the white....drying time was next to nothing.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:27 pm

busman78 wrote: Industrial paint is great stuff, really tuff and cheaper than automotive finish. Done a few vehicle with it. The only draw back is it does fade at a faster rate than automotive finish.

What if you hit it with a clearcoat afterwards, any idea??

Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:33 pm

Runamuck Bus wrote: VDubTech - Wow, that looks professional! Did you mask that 'V' in the front and why did you paint a line down the center of the window?

Which Window? If you're talking about the side window that is the way they are made. They slide sideways instead of going down into the door.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:15 pm

Runamuck Bus wrote: VDubTech - Wow, that looks professional! Did you mask that 'V' in the front and why did you paint a line down the center of the window?
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this was sarcasm... :wink:

Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:36 pm

Here's the link I saved for when I do the same thing: http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...826c302d09.

The appropriate post is about 10 down by "69chargeryeehaa". I found the link through this site but I don't remember how.

Hope it helps.

PT

Mon Dec 31, 2007 4:54 pm

^^^Thats a beautiful bus you got there VDubTech.^^^

Anyway, paint your bus whichever way you want, its your bus. As for me, I'll be putting alot of "rockergaurd" on my bus come spring, in a bid to protect it from rock chips from all the gravel roads I have to drive on, preventing the inevitable rust. 8)

Mon Dec 31, 2007 4:54 pm

agreendaya wrote: Runamuck Bus wrote: VDubTech - Wow, that looks professional! Did you mask that 'V' in the front and why did you paint a line down the center of the window?
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this was sarcasm... :wink:

No, this guy is serious. :shock:

Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:03 pm

If you MUST use Rustoleum, and if you have little or no experience with a spray gun of any sort, then you might as well just use spray cans. It's the exact same stuff that they sell in quarts and gallons but it is already thinned.
The best way to get a nice finish from a rattle can is to heat up the contents before you spray it. Drop a couple cans in a bucket of HOT water for ten minutes and the paint will flow much better, lay down better, and dry faster.

Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:15 pm

Boy, sure wish the body/paint forum people coulda told me this before I went out & bought a sprayer. I do believe it woulda been a bit more expensive to buy sufficient rattle cans, but whatever. Thanks again for the advice.