Painting Questions

I finally got my 8n's hood body work and priming done. It took many many hours of body filling welding sanding, resanding,smoothing, and smoothing some more , etc... but finally got a hood that looks great with just a primer coat on it. Somewhere in the past, a previous owner apparently ran the 8n into something. It was missing it's grill, and the front end was pushed in. So I had to straigthen it out, along with fixing a whole bunch of rust through spots, and welding the thing back together structurally. I bought a cheaper aftermarket grill for now. I sorta regret not buying an OEM grill but it will do for now.. maybe I can find a deal on an exact original someday and replace it (or I'm thinking of making a "Ford Farming" grill cover.. Anyways....
I have a few questions still for some of those painter expert types out there. I used Rustoleum rusty metal primer on my hood and I asked a friend of mine who paints tractors professionally (as a side job) if it would be okay to use automotive paint like PPG over it, and he said it would be fine. Here are some of my other questions:

Clear coating: After base color coating, is it necessary to sand before clear coat? It seems "counter intuitive" if you have a really nice glossy paint job, to scuff it up to clear coat over it. I have heared guys say to use a really fine sandpaper and wet sand to prepare for the clear coat. I would like to shoot for a really glossy finish. What would you guys recommend?

What type (or brand) of clear coats are compatible with TISCO paint? TSC paint?(I called BPS and they would not say yes or no to clear coat being used.) Rustoleum? If you clear coat, it seems logical that you could even get by with a cheaper base coat because you are protecting it and giving it gloss with the clear.

I still haven't decided if I want to spend the money on PPG automotive paint, or go with TISCO, TSC, Rustoleum, etc. My last tractor looks good with the PPG. There are so many choices out there, which is good but also bad.... because it makes the decision harder. Anyone else ever gone through this??

Thanks, Scott

You might want to reconsider your use of the Rusty Metal Primer, based on what Rustoleum has to say about it:

NOTE: Rusty metal primer should only be used on heavily rusted metal. For lightly rusted or clean metal surfaces use Rust-Oleum clean metal primer.

Can I use Rusty Metal Primer and Clean Metal Primer on my car? Stops Rust Auto Primer is formulated for use with automotive touch up paints. Rusty Metal and Clean Metal Primers should only be used if top coated with Rust-Oleum paint.

Can I use Rusty Metal Primer on clean metal? No. The fish oil that is in the primer needs to penetrate into rust to seal out air and moisture. If there is no rust, the oil will rise to the surface making adhesion of the finish coat difficult.

See here and here.

I'd check with your friend again and verify that he has actually done it (PPG over Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer) successfully himself since the manufacturer definitely does not recommend it. If it were mine, depending on how must actual rust was under it, I'd either strip the Rusty Metal Primer and start over with totally different products or continue using a Rustoleum topcoat.

As far as clear coat is concerned, I believe you are talking a single stage color coat that doesn't require a clearcoat at all. The paints you mention are single stage paints and are not "base coats" as in the automotive base/clear systems where the base color coat is not glossy at all and requires a clear coat over it to protect it and give it gloss. Unless Rustoleum markets a clear coat specifically recommended by them for applying over the Rustoleum color product you are considering, I'd forget the clear altogether. That goes for TISCO and other similar paints also.

Rod

Thanks,
Scott

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