Paint Your Wagon - with a roller!

[eatcustard]

After the paint has hardened you can give it a final light flatting with 1500grit wet and dry, before you buff it up

[dugcati]

yup.. thinning it down a little more has achieved a far better result just gonna give it a bit more practice on these covers then I think start on the van by oik'ing off the boot/the glass then attacking it more full on

[pocolow]

yup.. thinning it down a little more has achieved a far better result just gonna give it a bit more practice on these covers then I think start on the van by oik'ing off the boot/the glass then attacking it more full on

What % thinners did you use to get the better finish? You have to remember than when painting the covers off the van, they will be horizontal , whereas most of your van will be vertical and more prone to runs with thinner paint.

[dugcati]

yea I was aware of the vert/horizontal thing

I mixed 15% initially as advised by covkid et al...the last coat I put on was around 20-25% as you say though I was painting flat so it's going to give a better finish

[CovKid]

Temperature plays a part. Start around 15-20% than add more if its too thick. Once you get the mix right for the ambient conditions, you're away. 20% is probably about right in winter months, 25% about right now. Shoild be somewhere between milk and evaporated milk consistency.

Next, further polishing and buffing in year two, finishing with colour magic turtle wax: (its that smooth, you can see me taking the photo!)

[CovKid]

LATEST:

http://www.paintshop.ie/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - they will give a 15% discount on the Rustoleum if you quote 'Ralph - Covkid' from 80/90 when ordering.

The page you want: http://www.paintshop.ie/Steel-Protectio ... pcoat.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You'll probably need to ring to get the tin sizes needed though.

Ralph - Covkid

[eatcustard]

Covkid

That looks as good as a pro paint job

[CovKid]

Just shows you how good it can be if you put enough paint on and flat properly. It can actually surpass many spray paint jobs if you put in the time, and certainly beat modern car finishes. If you look at most production cars close up, the paint job isn't too great. As Chickenkoop once said, manufacturers now produce a finish that is 'acceptable' at a certain distance but in no way compares to what was expected as standard years ago. I see Rustoleum as a paint and surface filler - its a combination of the two really. If you make a mess of an area you can flat back to smooth, roller it again and get it right.

Certainly scratches (ie keyed paintwork) is less hassle using this stuff. Much easier to repair and correct.

[eatcustard]

I agree with modern paintwork and German cars being the worst followed by Honda.

Just got some G3 cutting paste for a very good price

[dugcati]

right folks; welcome to ... dumb question time from Doug (you can go 50-50 and phone a friend still....)

* How do you know which way to go with the thinners - colder= more/less - damper=more/less
* I'm guessing that rollering Rustoleum is like all other painting - to so put as thin a coat on as you possibly can? (I know it talks about thin layers on the wiki)
* When the bubbles don't 'pop' is that a sign of bad mix/wrong application/wrong weather
* how many coats are people applying until you get a decent thickness as looking at my 1st coat on my covers I'm guessing I'll need around 4-6 coats - even though on the wiki it says 3-4
* The above point - does that suggest I might be applying too thinly/have it mixed thin thinly?

Sorry for the stooopid questions!

Doug

(maybe I might get a mahoosive bath and just 'dip' the whole van in paint.. ... hmm could lead to stick brakes, dim headlights and smeary windscreens though!)

[CovKid]

Could be too thin Doug. As long as you're not laying it on too much paint it won't run - if it does its too thin. As I said further up, mix should be like thin evaporated milk. Bubbles come out if you very lightly run your roller (weight of roller only) across the surface if you see any. The thinner ratio isn't a science, more something you get a feel for and there should be a very slight sticky noise to the roller when you're using it. 3-4 coats should obliterate whatever is beneath but white can be harder - also wild colour changes such as blue to red.

If paint is drying too fast, you may not lose the bubbles so easily. Theres only a small window of time during which the paint is workable. To be honest I found I only got bubbles with a new roller so maybe run it in on an old door or something. Once the roller is saturated and devoid of air, its great for 45 mins or so. You can also wrap the roller tightly in a plastic bag if you need to break for lunch.

[bootscooter]

I'm about to get myself a Doka that's going to need some rust treatment and paint at some time shortly, and am seriously considering this option.

1 question; can you paint over the Rustoleum with rattle cans, ie if I wanted a single colour base then added a camoflage pattern with rattle cans?

Cheers, Jon

[CovKid]

Rustoleum is certainly available in rattle cans so yes, but can't advise if you're mixing paint types. It would seem the ideal way to paint your DOKA and any touching up will be easy with camo anyway. Be great to see it when you've finished!

[eatcustard]

I have read somewhere that spray rusto and rollered rusto dont mix well.
It can cause blistering.

Will look for link

[Russonly]

Silver anyone? £6.50 a can delivered - 9 cans still available - don't know what size can it is though!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RUSTOLEUM-SOMMTH- ... 286.c0.m14