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Tue May 09, 2017 6:32 pm

Xevin wrote: notchboy wrote: First off. Its not the right way to do it. Not when you consider the potential value of the old classic you are fixing up. Do it right - its done once. This is a half ass band aid that will make your bus look super cool for awhile. :wink:

That said. I did it to my 76 panel. It was used as a truck with a past life as a suedo pedifile cruzer. I sprayed it on though with paint thinner mixed in at like a 20 to 80 cut? Ill have to ask my cuz.

See the results below - and as others have said there are many many many vids and threads on Rustoleum or Tremclad painting for the lazy baller on a budget. :lol:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7204810#7204810

Poor bears all covered up for in grey paint :lol:

I was good with that.

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Tue May 09, 2017 6:35 pm

This is better than the bears :lol:

Tue May 09, 2017 6:42 pm

But you pulled so many chicks with the Bear Bus. It was such a panty dropper. :wink: 8)

Tue May 09, 2017 7:42 pm

OB Bus wrote: tjrm63 wrote:
painted my bus last year in my driveway, used a cheap Harbor Freight HVLP paint gun with my little compressor. Yes I used the Rust-Oleum oil based paint, I used 2 quarts of the Royal Blue and 2 quarts of white. I mixed the paint with acetone and Japan dryers, the acetone thins the paint and makes it go on smooth and it dissipates quickly un like paint thinner. The Japan dryers helps the paint cure quickly since oil base paints take a long time to dry.

Looks good! What was your ratio of paint/acetone/Japan dryer?

50/50 on the paint and acetone and a couple capfuls of Japan Dryer, you can add more dryers if it's cool out

Tue May 09, 2017 8:17 pm

I guess there are as many approaches and opinions as one can imagine. Really nice looking results posted here!

naturally it would be nice to hire a pro and drop a few grand on the project - but that's just not in the cards right now. The jobs shown that use typical rustoleum look fine, but I'm afraid it might chalk and dull after a season or 2 of UV exposure.

But I'm very intrigued by this combicolor paint which is apparently designed for smooth high density roller application. It's made to flex, has a high gloss finish, UV resistant and you can even add clear coat. The examples are pretty remarkable. The only catch is - you just can't get it here in the states. I think I will continue my search for a supplier in the UK that will ship me a few liters across the pond, and give it a whirl.

Wed May 10, 2017 4:49 am

Can u guys buy foam rollers ?
I'm a house painter here in Australia and we still use oil based paint on our woodwork.
When I paint a door I use a foam roller to apply the paint and I smooth it off with the brush.
I use Penetrol too ,they come out looking like glass.
I will one day paint a spare panel to see how good it can look. :D

Wed May 10, 2017 5:36 am

lolight70 wrote: Can u guys buy foam rollers ?
I'm a house painter here in Australia and we still use oil based paint on our woodwork.
When I paint a door I use a foam roller to apply the paint and I smooth it off with the brush.
I use Penetrol too ,they come out looking like glass.
I will one day paint a spare panel to see how good it can look. :D

Of course we can buy foam rollers. I painted the replacement front fenders for my truck a couple of years ago using Alkyd enamel and a smooth roller, the finish is nearly as good as one could be with a good spray job. Definitely better than a 20' paint job.

Wed May 10, 2017 8:30 am

I use Alkyd paints all the time for undercarriage and engine tin. It's very durable, especially when mixed with the proper hardener. Rustoleum is an alkyd enamel.

I prefer to get my Alkyd paint from the local automotive paint supplier. I believe it's a PPG brand. If it's mixed with the proper hardener, it becomes far more chemical resistant than without. Gas and carb cleaner will not wipe it off. It takes very little hardener, 16:1. I apply it direct to metal when doing undercarriage and tin, just like VW did. You could also roll it on if you're a masochist.

Here's the data sheet:

http://englishcolor.com/ecs_-_ecucitc/LIC_CPC_files/ALK200%20TDS.pdf

Wed May 10, 2017 3:47 pm

You can save even more time by using a broom, or floor mop..

Wed May 10, 2017 3:51 pm

Careful, I might try that..

Wed May 10, 2017 8:48 pm

Well, here goes....

Rustoleum 2x spray bombs/rattle cans....pre-murals and flames....has held up pretty well if you keep it covered...

...and with murals/flames/graphics....

The yellow definitely fades with UV exposure.....

Don't know how this would stand up to everyday use.....

Wed May 10, 2017 8:56 pm

Clatter wrote: You can save even more time by using a broom, or floor mop..

That's classic, I needed a laugh today, too funny =D>

Fri Jun 02, 2017 11:51 am

DIY Painting update:
Well, I took the plunge and tackled the project with roller in hand. Maggie is happily back to wearing her original 1972 Texas Yellow.

If any one is thinking of doing the same, I'm happy to share a little bit of what I learned. First of all, you have to manage the expectations: you are NOT likely to get a "showcar" quality job with a roll-on DIY project (but, does anyone really expect that?). That said, if you're into driving and enjoying a fun, slightly quirky, hippie camper - you can certainly get satisfactory results. Don't let any of the elitist tell you it can't be done.

If you're going to go to the trouble of DIY roller painting, DON'T go the rustoleum route. It might look good at first, but the paint properties are not such that it will stand-up to UV exposure without chalking.

I learned was that what you need is a Urethane Modified Alkyd paint. Rustoleum makes a product called "Combicolor", but it is apparently only available in the UK. Sherwin-Williams makes a U.M.A. paint as well, called "SherKem". Their guy told me that it is very popular with farmers and municipalities for painting their equipment. What I settled on was a Benjamin-Moore product "Super Spec NP", but the main reason for that was that my brother could get me a discount from the hardware store he works at.
They did a nice job of matching and tinting the color from a sample of the original paint I brought into the store.

The entire project cost me about $100! ! (And I've also got a gallon of white, for wheels, bumpers and pop-top!!)

Apply with a small dense foam roller and use a brush where necessary. The paint dries to a very nice hard shell automotive gloss. It has some good self-leveling characteristics that eliminate all but the deepest of brush strokes and roller marks. Be forewarned however, that the flip side of that is that it dries very slowly. I mean VERY slowly! I found it still somewhat tacky in places after 72 hours!

The biggest challenge I had was insects landing in the freshly painted surface. You are going to want a pair of tweezers in your pocket while you are painting to remove them. One's that are stuck deeply in the finish: avoid the urge to dig them out, and just wait til dry and lightly sand.

Both Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore only sell this by the gallon. (I think the Rustoleum Combi-Color is available in smaller cans.) I thought a gallon might be way more than I needed, but you are going to want all of that.

Here's a pic, while still in progress.

Good Luck!

Fri Jun 02, 2017 12:07 pm

You should post before & after pics. I'm sure it looks better than it did & you're keeping it from rusting away.

Fri Jun 02, 2017 12:24 pm

The before pic is basically my avatar . . .

I'll put up another when she's complete and buttoned up.
Oh . . . I almost forgot to mention another side benefit of the roller approach -
Those 2 little strips of painters tape you see in this "before" photo? That's the entirety of the masking that I did! (But, I was blessed with a fairly steady hand.)

Fri Jun 02, 2017 1:18 pm

Yeah, it looks better... you cheap bastard. :lol:

Fri Jun 02, 2017 1:44 pm

I prefer: "resourceful bastard" - heh heh

Fri Jun 02, 2017 1:46 pm

Good job,man

Thu Jun 22, 2017 5:12 pm

Just to close the loop here is a photo of my <$100 DIY paint job with Urethane modified alkyd. I started buffing and waxing the finish up a little at a time. It Seems quite durable. I'm quite happy with the results.

Thu Jun 22, 2017 5:47 pm

So did the finish end up a satin or more towards a gloss? Hard to tell from the picture.