Painting a bus. Why does it seem like so few actually prep?

[dbhost]

Okay guys and gals, as I go through my research on building a Skoolie (I think I have found the type of bus I want to get now, just need to find the actual bus!) I am seeing a lot of threads here, and youtube videos where people simply start slapping paint over the factory school bus yellow without so much as hitting it with any sort of wax remover, deglosser, and / or sander.

How on earth are people getting even passable finishes without doing any sort of prep work? Are they just not showing the work that went into prepping it for paint? Are they using some sort of self etching paint that doesn't need additional prep work (although I would suspect you would want the surfaces to be wax and tar free!).

How is this happening?

[Tango]

I can't imagine even bothering with a few rattle cans without proper prepping (?).

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by dbhost

Okay guys and gals, as I go through my research on building a Skoolie (I think I have found the type of bus I want to get now, just need to find the actual bus!) I am seeing a lot of threads here, and youtube videos where people simply start slapping paint over the factory school bus yellow without so much as hitting it with any sort of wax remover, deglosser, and / or sander.

How on earth are people getting even passable finishes without doing any sort of prep work? Are they just not showing the work that went into prepping it for paint? Are they using some sort of self etching paint that doesn't need additional prep work (although I would suspect you would want the surfaces to be wax and tar free!).

How is this happening?

I'm doing quite a bit of prep work. Inside and out. Taking forever but it will last.

[Robin97396]

Speaking from painting farm equipment, if there is a good oxidization coat on the paint of the vehicle, paint will stick to that very well. It's not wise to paint over wax obviously.
Rattle cans will change the color of a vehicle but it's so paper thin you'll likely be washing through it with a few years. A good quality high gloss equipment paint is about the best to use. You can have it tinted if you don't like industrial colors. Other than that a couple quarts of of good quality high gloss house paint does pretty well, lasting about 20 years. You can see it's not a real paint job if you're close, but from 5 or 10 feet away it looks ok. I'd imagine my medium bus would take about 6 quarts but I haven't decided on a color yet. No $5k paint jobs here.

[Scooternj]

I spray-bombed mine (the sides that don't face an empty lot) just to keep the neighbors quiet. Once I've got it where I wanted, I intend to prep and paint with an HVLP gun with ACE Rust Stop by the gallon. Although I am using a self-etching primer on the roof before repainting it white.

[cadillackid]

ive seen some pretty darned good foam rollered paint jobs on equipment.. theres something they add to the paint cant remember what its called.. hardener?

-Christopher

[Tango]

Yes..hardener makes a big difference in oil based paints. As the name implies...it does make the finish...harder. There is also Floetrol. It aids in (once again as the name implies)...making paint flow better. Between them, you can get an excellent finish with a roller or even brush. My dad, who was a painter by trade, painted all of his cars ('33 Studebaker, '48 Chevy & '59 Chevy) with a brush. And they looked great and the finish lasted for years. With a little homework and proper prep, it is possible to get an excellent finish with minimal equipment.

[tincaneasybakeoven]

farm paint from atwoods, black is great to use but silver takes a special touch to get a passable finish with intermediate scraping to remove the fuzzies. there is a greater chance to get a mil or 2 finish on a rolled coat finish over spray gun work. highly recommend silver over white. anecdotal hand on the finish, bright winter day says white is 1/3 to 1/2 warmer than silver. stand next to the mistress while the suns going down and feel the radiated heat on the non sun side.silver works!

[Frayed Knot]

We spent days with scrapers, hours of applying Goo Gone, and then a couple of days wet sanding. Rivet. Rivet. Rivet. We then sprayed on Rustoleum by the gallon, with hardener, for a pretty durable finish.

[Hank's P-O-S]

As someone who didn't do any prep work I can say its not a "passable" finish.
There are runs and uneven texture in some places. However I don't care because I did it to be legal not to look nice.
I am also chronically short on time and money. Over the last year I have worked on the bus around 24-30 hours in total and I have a bus that is painted enough to be legal every where, seats removed, wired, and have a kitchen built.

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by Hank's P-O-S

...because I did it to be legal not to look nice...

Which illustrates again that we all have different priorities and not all of us possess the same options in terms of strength, endurance, knowledge, time, or capital.

I plan to do a 'legal' paint job on mine as did Mr. POS (OK if I call you "Hank"?), but don't wish to leave a nightmare for whoever I sell it to. Still thinking about how best to proceed.

[Hank's P-O-S]

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

I plan to do a 'legal' paint job on mine as did Mr. POS (OK if I call you "Hank"?), but don't wish to leave a nightmare for whoever I sell it to. Still thinking about how best to proceed.

Yes, I prefer Hank.
That completely makes sense to build you bus in a way that it is easily sell able, and agree that people should really do a better job than I did.

That is the reason I didn't care though, my bus will never be sold. As soon as my bus needs any kind of major work the plan is to park it and use it as storage/ cabin and hopefully Ill have enough money to buy a better bus then.

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by Hank's P-O-S

Yes, I prefer Hank.
That completely makes sense to build you bus in a way that it is easily sell able, and agree that people should really do a better job than I did.

That is the reason I didn't care though, my bus will never be sold. As soon as my bus needs any kind of major work the plan is to park it and use it as storage/ cabin and hopefully Ill have enough money to buy a better bus then.

And my plan is to use the gutted bus as a moving van-with-rustic-facilities and sell it at the other end.

[ol trunt]

Don't ya love it when a plan, any plan, comes together?

[Arvik]

i sanded (scuffed up every square inch of the bus), then wiped it down with light soapy water. sprayed Ospho on any rust spots, then primer over the Ospho, then rustoleum pro with roller and brush.
if you take a vacuum to the roller first it cuts down on the fuzzies. i used a 1/2 inch nap roller cover.
there are pics in my album of this all going down.

[Arvik]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Don't ya love it when a plan, any plan, comes together?

hey trunt i been debating wintering around palm springs CA, then i be right on edge of joshua tree. what your take on the area, good for skoolies in the winter?

[austin1989us]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Other than that a couple quarts of of good quality high gloss house paint does pretty well, lasting about 20 years.

That's what I used. I went to a paint store (an actual store that only sells paint, not the paint counter at home depot). I asked them what I could use to paint 30 year old sheet metal that still has a pretty good base coat from the manufacturer, but I wanted to change the color. They recommended a latex/acrylic house paint.

I quickly hit every surface with a power sander, then wiped the dust off with acetone. The acetone really brought out the original yellow, and made it look less faded. I used foam rollers. I could still see yellow through the first coat. It took about three coats before the color I bought really started to show.

I'd say it took a little north of 3 gallons to paint my 26' bus. It's still relatively fresh and I still have touchups. I've only got 1,100 miles and 1 month on the paint job.

[REDD]

Hand sanded mine [took a weeks holiday before they shut the paint shop down at work], lost track after 50+ hours, washed it down with wax tar and adhesive remover. Paint it with ICI single stage matte green and matte black, no primer required. It covered very well with one coat, we painted it twice. Used three gal of green, 1 gal of black. I've got three gal of green left over to fix f ups and changes along the way....haven't even got the under storage lids open yet, still seized shut. I still have to cut the back out for the ATV's.