painting/prep question....????

okay so im working on replacing and fixing holes/rust in/on my floor. and ive been doing a lot of wire brushing. and i need to put some paint back on there. i was just using some rustoleum rust converter spray paint. so after i have wire brushed and its down to bear metal, and there is dust and crap everywhere....what should i use to prep the area before spray painting it???

thanks, Matt

 

You may want to sand with some 60-120 grit to rough up the surface a little.

Use something that will degrease, clean, and leave no residue. That normally means it will smell badly and you'll need good ventilation. I prepped my pickup bed by washing with a TSP cleaner, then I followed up with wiping it down with Xylene.

This might be overkill for what you're trying to do, but it will definitely clean the metal so paint will stick.

 

I wirewheeled my frame then gave it good coating of permatex rust converter #81775. It turns it black and acts like a primmer. So far, I've been very impressed with it. After the permatex, I used the Rustolum rust converter primmer, then a coat of one part epoxy primmer, then paint.

Might be overkill but I dont' what to mess wtih the frame again.........

 

well right now im working on the floor. so say i just welded in a peice of sheet metal. i have old rusty metal and new metal. so welded in a new piece than i wire wheel the area. now i have a sorta bear metal surface with a bunch of dust and particles that was thrown around by the wire wheel..... so i was thinking just blow it off...than _____________?? than paint it.

now what i have been doing is wire wheel it. its all dirty so used some contact cleaner in a spray can just cause i have some can's laying around.
HERE

than i painted it with this HERE

so my question is...what should i prep my dusty metal for the rustoleum...is the contact cleaner good or no?

 

Your local auto parts store will sell a grease and wax remover in the paint section. Blow/wipe all the dust you can out of there and then use that stuff. Works wonders, sorry I dont have a brand name for ya..

 

Ive heard of people using rubbing alchohol because it cleans and drys quickly. the fellow that told me about it said you could buy it in a 5 gallon bucket for like 20$
cant help with where though, sorry

 

Acetone works well too...can buy large amounts at Home Depot in the paint department. Not sure about rubbing alcohol.

 

As Colorado Baja stated, use a wax/grease remover to clean the area. This should suffice. Since you are using rattle can paint, it shouldn't be too problematic for the paint to stick. Do multiple light coats so that you don't get wet paint build up, let dry nice and hard for a day or so when you are satisfied with the job. You may want to scotch brite a few inches around the welded areas to rough up existing paint to the original floor, so everything blends in smooth, and so the paint doesn't lift where you did your repair. Go a little beyond the repair area for a cleaner look, and durability. You don't have to go to bare metal for this, just rough up the existing paint, clean, and shoot.

 

Start off by Scotch Briting the area to be painted, then acetone or lacquer thinner followed by wax and grease remover and you will be golden.

I have been on a truck bedliner coating kick lately. Did the CJ5 bumpers front and rear, did the lower half of the International Scout and the same with the motorhome...lower half. It hides a lot and looks awesome, not to mention the durability.

Good luck. PM me if you have any questions. I do bodywork and paint.