"$50 paint job" using Rust-Oleum/Tremclad?

[dentarthurdent]

I haven't tried it but there is an article that sounds like the same idea here:

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/body/hrdp_0707_1962_ford_falcon_budget_paint_job/index.html

 

[Roasting8]

I also read the article in Hot Rod magazine and they did a good job with it. For Hot Rod, it cost them about $98 to do the falcon. They say it took them about 6 coats.

 

[lapeer20m]

i've sprayed a couple of buses using rustoleam commercial by the gallon (available at home depot) and been very pleased with the results. I've found that if you spend another $100 on a cheap automotive clearcoat you won't be dissapointed! It makes the rustoleam shine, and more importantly keeps it from fading for years. One thing i found is that acetone is far better than mineral spirits when it comes to thinning rustoleam.

 

[lapeer20m]

i didn't measure real accurately when mixing acetone/rustoleam but i would estimate that i used a bit less than 1 part acetone for every 3 parts paint. I first tried dumping in a bit of acetone directly into the paint gun, then filling the rest of the way up with paint. I discovered that i still need to use a stirring stick, just shaking didn't seem to do it.

i used a cheap dewalt orbital sander....i assume it was cheap, i didn't buy it. When preparing the bus for paint, it's not necessary to remove all the paint down to bare metal. Instead, just try making the painted surface un-shiny. I used maybe 200 grit sand paper and just quickly went over the surface. I did a full size 72 passenger bus in just a couple/few hours.

any lettering should be removed with some other method. I used a wire wheel on an angle grinder, but that's not a very good method. perhaps heat and a scraper?? i wonder what others have done.....

then is use paint thinner (actual mineral spirits, none of that safety non flamable non-toxic crap) and a bunch of heavy duty paper towels (1 at a time) to clean the bus. I go over it at least twice. This gets rid of all the paint dust you just created while sanding. Then spray on the primer. let dry. then you can go over any spots that are not to your liking and wet sand with 400 or 800 grit....then prime again, let dry, sand, repeat. ok, i dont' usually repeat this step too many times, afterall, it is just a bus. I've read that actual automotive primer sprays on much thicker which helps with sanding down the high spots...but i've never used it.

between each coat i wash again with paint thinner rags

then i paint with rustoleam

then i recoat

then i clearcoat

 

[Roasting8]

I also heard that you can clean the surface with scouring powder and a green pad (that's if you don't have a good sander), but that would be a lot of work to clean a bus.

Tomorrow, I'll try to finish putting up the furring (I found an old Skil drill in the garage) and start putting up the walls (That's if I'm not too affected by the Capt.).

Robert

 

[GoneCamping-SKO]

I sprayed my bus with Rustoleum Hi-Gloss White. Came out really great. On the Rustoleum label it said for spray painting to thin it down 10-15% with Acetone. Bought a spray gun at Harbor Frieght for $9.99, and sprayed it outdoors... wasn't worried about a bug or two.. I didn't have an air compressor either, but the bus had one for the air brakes and there was a service port so I could plug the air line into it. I didn't sand it either, just washed it with a pressure washer, and wiped it down with straight Acetone (watch out, those fumes will get you high)... It came out very nice!

 

[Roasting8]

That paint job looks good. It'll probably look even better with either chrome wheels, wheels painted with silver, or alloy wheels.

Your conversion is looking really good.

Happy New Years.

Robert

 

[KC10Chief]

I sanded my entire bus with a cheap, Craftsman orbital sander. I used 150 grit if I remember right. I didn't go down to the metal unless the paint was in really bad shape in that spot. I rolled the black on on my bus with a foam paint roller. I wish I had sprayed it. I sprayed the flames on. My paint is Dupont Imron. I got it for free though. It's expensive if you have to buy it. $100 per gallon for black, $500 per gallon for red, and $700 per gallon for yellow! Also, if you're going to spray your paint on, buy yourself an organic respirator. They sell them at Home Depot. Breathing in spray paint can KILL YOU!!! Polyurethane paints get in your lungs, solidify, and then you suffocate to death.

 

[lapeer20m]

a box of latex gloves from http://www.galls.com is also a great investment. not only for painting, but for all kinds of messy bus related chores. I bought 4 boxes when i sold the last bus.....

 

[Roasting8]

Today I got a Ryobi 5" random orbit sander (yeah I know what you're thinking, "Ryobi", but it was cheap and it does the job.) I think I paid $39 for it, I also picked up a pack of 10 5" 220-grit sanding pads. Am I doing something wrong, or do those little 5" sanding pads only last for about two minutes tops before you've got to put a new one on?

I think I'm going to use foam rollers instead of spray painting, cheaper and less of a hassle (at least for me.) I agree with Lapeer about the school bus letters, those things are a pain! I wonder if a hair-dryer would work on them? (How did the rest of you get them off your buses?)

I'm planning on using rollers also. I don't really have anywhere to paint my bus, so I'll have to paint at the storage site.

As far as the letters are concerned, I used razors to scrape off the letters (they were vinyl) and then used acetone to remove the glue. The razors worked great, but the acetone left a sticky residue.

I saw, in one site, that one guy used an eraser to remove the letters.

the web page is: http://jeubfamily.com/bus/bus-page-4/

I hope this helps.

Robert

 

[KC10Chief]

I removed my letters with the sander. They were painted on. But I had stickers and other stuff that I scraped off with a razor blade. You might try a different grit sandpaper. Maybe 100 grit. Also, I thought rolling the paint on would be less of a hassle, but it's not really. It's a huge PITA. I'd spray it if I were you. Find somebody with a big air compressor you can borrow, and just buy a cheap spray gun at Home Depot. Your windows should all come out pretty easily. I can have all of the windows down the sides of my bus removed in under 10 minutes. Then you can just mask off the holes and spray! Trust me, I've done both methods, and spraying is the way to go.

 

[skidfrog]

just watching some videos right now on paint prep / one guy using a heat gun says its easy.....and "Goo Gone" to clean up.....although it took a long time. Carb cleaner ?..... One person using a rubber "decal eraser" wheel / disc on a drill stripping stickers off easy.

It seems most are painting rustoleum directly on ( thinned ) without a primer....but if a primer is designed to grab and hold that schoolbus yellow really well I guess I'd go for it !?. I'm thinking avoid black anywhere if you live in the south ....I expect that would bake you inside.