The $50 paint job - Rustoleum

[dentedvw]

We can't spend a lot on this paint project, but there is definitely a lot of project to paint. So, this is an excellent opportunity to try out the $50 paint job, you think? The famous $50 paint job: http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master ... paint.html
No doubt we will need to spend more than $50, but it's a place to start. I bought a gallon of Rustoleum's Elephant Gray, and a gallon of Mineral Spirits, foam rollers, pan, and tape.
The weather is not terribly warm, but at least it's mostly dry.
Should I wait longer, until it's quite a lot warmer? The yellow is obnoxious, and it's getting on my nerves. My wife says we should wait longer, until it's warmer. I do have a lot of other things to work on, like the interior, but I am waiting on a few more items, including another trip to Ikea, and a couch to magically appear that is acceptable to my wife. In the meantime, I could cut in the storage bins for which I have doors, and cut in the LED lights, because the school bus lights are another thing that drives me bonkers. Gah, they are so huge!

What does the collective think? Wait for warmer days? It could be months. It's about 56 during the day, but down to the thirties at night.

 

[Mulelover]

I say go for it. Paint the thing and get it over with. Your daytime temps sound high enough to me, but then I'm not any kind of expert on anything.

Personally if the color bothered me that much, I would have to paint it in order to move on and work on other projects. Just my own insanity raising its head.

Jackie

 

[Diesel Dan]

When using rustoleum paint, is it better to thin with acetone or mineral spirits? The instructions on the Rustoleum rusty metal primer I used called for acetone. I'm just wondering for when I do my finish coat. The primer mixed with acetone worked fine, but I had it mixed with ceramic beads for my floor, so it's hard to say how smooth it would have been with just paint. I did notice that as the paint dried it had a "watery/wet" sort of look to it in spots, as if somehow the acetone was not fully integrated/mixed with the paint. But I stirred it like crazy with one of those drill mounted stirring wands. I'd prefer to work with mineral spirits than acetone, just because it seems less toxic, and doesn't evaporate so quickly. But I wonder why the paint can instructions specified acetone and didn't mention mineral spirits? The mineral spirits can instructions specify that it can be used to thin oil based paint.

 

[lornaschinske]

More info http://rolledon.forummotion.com/


Who decided that "automobile" paint had to be "shiny"??? Why can't my skoolie be "textured"?

 

[GoneCamping-SKO]

I have to agree with most of those above, thin Rustoleum with 15% Acetone. Mine came out great looking, had a nice shine for about 3 years before it began to oxidize. I'm not sure but suspect some kind of clear coat would have helped it last longer.

It even cleans up well after sitting under a tree and being used as a full time live-a-board unit for 10 straight months...

 

[josetann]

That looks just like my paint job! Started out pink, FIRST thing we had to do was paint it white. Didn't even drive it home, took it to the in-laws (that's how desperate we were to get it painted ASAP). Quickly went over the existing paint with rough sandpaper, took way too long to remove some decals, ended up saying "heck with it" and used some primer in spray cans to cover the few remaining decals (just a few stubborn spots left), also used primer on some bare metal (had a few bare spots due to using a sander on the decals...they were really stubborn!), then used a special paint gun to spray rustoleum directly onto the bus (no thinner used, I forget the type of paint gun used...maybe HPLV?).

If you wait until it's really nice and warm, you may end up with a lot of bugs in your paint job. If you go for a quick second coat of paint, you'll give up on removing all the buggers and will just paint over them. I say do it now, as long as it's staying above freezing at night (dunno what happens to it, but I hear you should not let wet paint freeze).

 

[dentedvw]

Okay, well, maybe I will give it a shot this weekend. Oh, never mind, it's going to rain.

I have another few questions. How do you get into those tight areas, like the edges of all the million rivets, and should I worry about it with the rolled on Rustoleum?
There is a million rivets, ridges, etc, etc. And what about gaps? Is there something I can fill them with? There is one on the roof, and I suspect it's the cause of some of the leak I found from the past. Is there something I can fill it with, and then paint also?

I don't need showroom quality, I am just concerned with coverage at this point.

 

[dentedvw]

Also, considering the million ridges, rivets, etc, I am seriously considering using the Wagner power painter I have had languishing in the attic for years.

 

[lornaschinske]

.... I am seriously considering using the Wagner power painter I have had languishing in the attic for years.

I painted our pop-up with hunter green rustoleum with my wagner (the low/coarse spray pattern... meant to do it in high/fine but forgot). I don't think it turned out looking too bad. http://www.freewebs.com/schinskeapache/. It was just an old, old pop-up. It turned out looking a little dull (lots of thinner... too much?) and soft but it hardened up within a month. It was textured sorta like an orange but slightly smoother. And we had lots of hunter green ladybugs that month.

 

[josetann]

Okay, well, maybe I will give it a shot this weekend. Oh, never mind, it's going to rain.

I have another few questions. How do you get into those tight areas, like the edges of all the million rivets, and should I worry about it with the rolled on Rustoleum?
There is a million rivets, ridges, etc, etc. And what about gaps? Is there something I can fill them with? There is one on the roof, and I suspect it's the cause of some of the leak I found from the past. Is there something I can fill it with, and then paint also?

I don't need showroom quality, I am just concerned with coverage at this point.

Since we used a paint gun, that wasn't a big concern. Curious, is the stuff in the spray cans the same thing as the gallon jugs? If so, and since you're using a pretty common color (if you can't walk in a store and get a can of plain white paint...something's wrong), I'd guess you could use a few spray cans for those hard to reach areas. I'd go over it first using your roller, then see how hard it'd be to get those areas with a regular paint brush. Sorry if I misunderstood and gave a bad answer.

Have a picture of the gap you're talking about? Without seeing it, and being no expert, here's a quick fix that may or may not meet others approval (and again, a picture would help). If it's a gaping hole, spray some spray foam down in there (use the indoor/outdoor kind). Keep it leveled off (it expands as it cures). Once it's cured, go over it with some silicon caulking. Bonus points if you cover the whole thing with duct tape.

 

[dentedvw]

Duct tape... I am in the north, but not exactly Red Green's neighbor.
I will try to remember to take a picture of the gap. I chalk it up to hurried or careless production. There is a rib type thng on the roof, and it's at that junction of rib and roof sheet, the roof section sits a bit low. Inside, there is a rusty spot on the perforated ceiling where it looks like it may have leaked a bit over the years, when the wind blows it in, or when driving in the rain. Probably I will ge some GOOP brand silicone based stuff, because it gets pretty hard when it's fully cured, and doesn't shrink very much. Stuff a bit of backer rod, or foam in there to back it up, and seal it off.