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Direct to metal paint

I've used a DTM primer sold at the automotive paint store but not that type.
 
Ace, the material in the link you provided is an acrylic water based product. That stuff will likely peel in sheets driving down the road. It was intended more for structural steel, lintels, bollards, hollow metal doors and frames, ect in the commercial industry.

Be careful with the "DTM" labeling......there's no substitution for good surface prep and proper priming!

IMO, use a catalyzed product or your surface tolerance/stability for recoating or repair will be a nightmare, show quality or not.
 
Ace, the material in the link you provided is an acrylic water based product. That stuff will likely peel in sheets driving down the road. It was intended more for structural steel, lintels, bollards, hollow metal doors and frames, ect in the commercial industry.

Be careful with the "DTM" labeling......there's no substitution for good surface prep and proper priming!

IMO, use a catalyzed product or your surface tolerance/stability for recoating or repair will be a nightmare, show quality or not.

Thanks. That does make sense. I'll probably prep/prime it good and rattle can it. I did an old scamp that way with the dupli-color aerosol and it actually looked good. A wet sand and buff would have topped it off.

I usually hold a can in each hand and stagger them to cover a bigger area.
 
Direct-to-metal oil based enamels have been around for decades. I doubt you'd be able to mix custom colors but they do come in a good variety. The problem with many is they don't tell you what they can be thinned with to spray. The last time I bought some was from Tractor Supply and they also had the proper thinner.

rotisserie 008.jpg
 
I've heard implement paint is great if done correctly. After it dries you can wet sand and buff to look pretty good. Just not a wide selection of colors.
 
I sell DTM paints in both water based and alkyd based products, in multiple finishes. It can be mixed into thousands of colors. As 69MBEE said, "It was intended more for structural steel, lintels, bollards, hollow metal doors and frames, ect.." It can be used though on any metal surface. The advantage of it is that you can paint "direct to metal" without priming. But, it really doesn't have any rust inhibitive properties (the water based does minimally to prevent any initial rusting when applied). So anything that will be exposed to any possibility of rust, should be primed first with a rust inhibitive primer. If you spray it, you can get a pretty nice finish.
 
DTM in the coatings industry is painting with a broad brush! Industrial enamels, baked enamels, acrylics, waterborns....all have their intended uses. Rust inhibitive primers only inhibit rust that is present and is by no way, a means to treat steel you intend to keep. Remember, rust is always trying to return to its original state, iron oxide and only needs moisture and air to do so.

I use a TON of Imron HG-D, which is a direct to metal product with high gloss retention. Great product for steel that will seldom get recoated for a LONG time, re: bridges, over the road trucks, trailers, roller coasters, ect. Cost is mid range ($200 per gal catalyzed typical, unless its red) when compared to two stage products. Cutting and buffing after a few days........like polishing concrete!

Now, using implement paint ($50per gal on average).....synthetic and alkyd based enamels.....color and gloss retention is much less. Prime as necessary, you can get spray cans of 2k primer/surfacer in spray bombs. Cure time is long, unless you have heat. However, if you add heat and a lot of air movement the gloss is reduced. Coating stability is also an issue when recoating and the use of a sealer will likely be needed or etching, lifting will occur due to the lack of compatible thinners (non penetrating) over a non catalyzed coating. Can it be done sure........I just like staying with systems I know that work.
If I was budgeting for a driver I'd, simply drop in quality of paint, use Nason or a comparable lower line refinish product or do the prep and take it to a Maako or Earl Scheib.
 
DTM in the coatings industry is painting with a broad brush! Industrial enamels, baked enamels, acrylics, waterborns....all have their intended uses. Rust inhibitive primers only inhibit rust that is present and is by no way, a means to treat steel you intend to keep. Remember, rust is always trying to return to its original state, iron oxide and only needs moisture and air to do so.

I use a TON of Imron HG-D, which is a direct to metal product with high gloss retention. Great product for steel that will seldom get recoated for a LONG time, re: bridges, over the road trucks, trailers, roller coasters, ect. Cost is mid range ($200 per gal catalyzed typical, unless its red) when compared to two stage products. Cutting and buffing after a few days........like polishing concrete!

Now, using implement paint ($50per gal on average).....synthetic and alkyd based enamels.....color and gloss retention is much less. Prime as necessary, you can get spray cans of 2k primer/surfacer in spray bombs. Cure time is long, unless you have heat. However, if you add heat and a lot of air movement the gloss is reduced. Coating stability is also an issue when recoating and the use of a sealer will likely be needed or etching, lifting will occur due to the lack of compatible thinners (non penetrating) over a non catalyzed coating. Can it be done sure........I just like staying with systems I know that work.
If I was budgeting for a driver I'd, simply drop in quality of paint, use Nason or a comparable lower line refinish product or do the prep and take it to a Maako or Earl Scheib.

I wasn't referring to specialty coatings like the Imron HG-D or 2 component coatings.
I think the OP was interested in a simple and cheap solution, open the can and slap it on.
 
"I wasn't referring to specialty coatings like the Imron HG-D or 2 component coatings.
I think the OP was interested in a simple and cheap solution, open the can and slap it on."

Yeah, I get it! I had a neighbor, when I was a kid....('78) that brush and rolled his bread truck with flat latex paint. Needless to say he never took it to a car wash! It probably functioned as well as his budget intended. Same neighbor also applied black indoor/outdoor carpet to his VW bug, LOL, every kid in the neighborhood used to walk by wiping their feet off on the fenders!

Grab a scotch brite, some dish soap and have a car wash, with a clean surface that's abraded or scuffed, a good alkyd urethane will at least hold up to the rigors of rain and driving down the road. If you applied the DTM acrylic in an environment that gets a lot of moisture/rain, it will fail once moisture finds a loose edge.........result, peeling in sheets. Alkyd Urethane will be a bit color fast, depending on the color chosen but will hold up better than Industrial Alkyds. Heck, you can pick that up at a local Sherwin Williams.
 
I've used PPG's Commercial Performance Coatings Epoxy on several projects, good stuff and cheaper than most.
 
I've used PPG's Commercial Performance Coatings Epoxy on several projects, good stuff and cheaper than most.


PPG's another great source for coatings. Be careful finishing with epoxy coatings as they will "chalk" when subjected to outside elements. I recommend urethane, if going that route.

If you don't mind the semigloss/flat look, Xalta Corlar (epoxy mastic) or my personal favorite as it is cheap! Macropoxy 646, a SW Industrial product(limited to white, gray and black). A lot of guys use it on rat rods in lieu of Hot Rod flat black. It's surface tolerant and sticks to dirt (but I don't recommend painting over dirt)!
 
PPG's another great source for coatings. Be careful finishing with epoxy coatings as they will "chalk" when subjected to outside elements. I recommend urethane, if going that route.

If you don't mind the semigloss/flat look, Xalta Corlar (epoxy mastic) or my personal favorite as it is cheap! Macropoxy 646, a SW Industrial product(limited to white, gray and black). A lot of guys use it on rat rods in lieu of Hot Rod flat black. It's surface tolerant and sticks to dirt (but I don't recommend painting over dirt)!
I'm a Benjamin Moore dealer, so Sherwin Williams and PPG are the enemy !!! LOL.
BM has some good industrial coatings. They have an alkyd urethane, #P22 that has a very high gloss and can be mixed in thousands of colors. They also have excellent epoxies under their Corotech line.
 
I'm a Benjamin Moore dealer, so Sherwin Williams and PPG are the enemy !!! LOL.
BM has some good industrial coatings. They have an alkyd urethane, #P22 that has a very high gloss and can be mixed in thousands of colors. They also have excellent epoxies under their Corotech line.

Stands to reason as I see your in NJ! PM in coming!
 
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