I screwed up painting my frame. I need confrimation on what I did wrong.

[CalsXS2]

I used VHT Roll Bar & Chassis paint. My frame is now starting to rust 3 week's later. I am not blaming the paint at all. I'm sure it was my prep work,,, or lack there of.

So I was sandblasting my frame. Black cloud's started rolling in. I thought I had to get this frame painted. Blew it of with my airgun. Went to get my paint thinner. Damn. I'm out. Starting really to get dark. So I just hit it real quick with a tac rag,,, and painted it with the spray can's. I ran to a buddy's house to have him help me get it in the garage and hang it up for drying. No sooner than we walking in the garage, it started pouring rain.

I believe this was my downfall. It did turn out really good looking. After a week of curing, I started bolting everything back on. Then one day I put a bare seat pan on there, and just laid an old seat cover on it,, just to see how it looked. Well the seat cover had old foam crap in it, and left droppings all over.

So about a week later, I start trying to brush off the frame. Some of this stuff isn't coming off. It's rust!!

Now what to do to fix it.

I am obviously not a good painter. I think my option's are the following.

1. Leave it alone. Just sand out the rusty spot's, and give it a touch up. Simplest. My skill level.

2. Sandblast the frame again, and re-paint with the VHT epoxy spray can's. Again. My skill level.

3. Sandblast the frame again and paint it with an automotive type paint. This really is above my skill level. But my Kid did buy me a cheap HPLV spray gun from Harbor Freight for father's day. From the review's,, they are supposed to be one of the cheap tool's that work pretty good.

He's trying to convince me that I can do it. I'm just scared to try, and waste a bunch of money and not end up any better than the spray can's.


So. Do you guy's agree that my prep work sucked, and that's what caused the rust. Or do you think it was from the rain coming in.

How should I fix it.

 

[FB71]

Combo of issues, based on my limited experience. Incomplete metal prep, poor painting (environmental) conditions, poor paint choice. Bare metal needs to be properly cleaned, usually with a phosphoric acid based water soluble solution. Environmental humidity and temp are important; low humidity and moderate temps, no rain. I've never cared for VHT paint, never been satisfied with its finish. I painted my frame with good ol' Rustoleum! I used the Industrial paint in a rattle bomb, over top a thin coat of Rustoleum clean metal primer. Let it dry for 24hrs in the basement, then cured for a week in the sun during summer. Came out looking like a paint shop did it. (almost)

 

[jd750ace]

You really need to get a primer under there. The rattle cans of epoxy are not always the best. You can spray automotive polyurethane pretty darn good with a PreVal kit. They don't cost much and don't fog up half the world in use either. We use them all the time on aircraft.

 

[tonyc]

Powder coat. for me it is cheaper and more durable.

 

[650 bobber boy]

I personally don't like powder coating frames cause if the frame starts to crack it doesn't always show through the coating...

 

[jsmith1107]

I agree with Tony, PC is the way to go.

 

[Tomterrific]

Tons of guys have sprayed bombed frames with the cheapest paint they could find and it turned out a factory finish. In your case I'm almost certain the paint was not thick enough to cover the bare metal. Spray bombs have very thinned paint to get a nice finish. Many, many thin coats are the rule. I think you can sand the bad spots and repaint the entire frame.

You also may be correct about the weather. Bare steel and moisture do not mix well. I like to spray parts on my blacktop driveway in the sun. The one time I don't mind baking in the heat.

The way I look at original paint, it has been in place for 40 years why sandblast it off? Rough it up and use the old paint for the base of the new paint.

Tom, no expert on painting.