Frame Paint

I'm going to be painting my frame soon. I want to treat the rust first with an encapsulator or converter. Obviously, it needs to be safe for plastic, rubber, wiring etc etc too. Any recommendations?

 

Can you sandblast it?

If you sand blast it and paint it with a good primer that should be sufficient.

I have a frame that was rusted badly that I sandblasted and painted about 10 years ago and still looks great.

 

Sandblast first to get it cleaned up good, then I’ve had the best luck with black implement paint from the farm store. It covers well and looks decent when it dries.

 

yeah but how do you sandblast it with the wires on the frame?
I mean it may be too much risk to move them aside...brittle and old. Replacing those harnesses is another big undertaking.

 

The best.
POR-15: Professional Vehicle Restoration Products

 

Generally speaking it isn't the inside of the frames that rust. At least that hasn't been my experience. The inside of the frames generally collect a lot of dirt and grease and it actually tends to protect the frame.

 

I'm not looking to sandblast it and POR 15 is definitely a no go for me. There's a good chance I'll be back halfing this truck in the future so I'm just looking to slow the rust down and have it look a little better until I do the swap. Was doing a little research here and Corroseal had some good reviews but I don't know if it's safe on the wiring and plumbing.

 

Out of curiosity, why is POR 15 a no go for you?

 

If there's any cracks or places salt can get under it, corrosion is highly accelerated and out of view so it can get out of hand way too fast. Usually once it's discovered the damage is very extensive. Not to mention the removal of it is nearly impossible if I ever decide to take it back down to bare metal again. I'm sure it works well for you and your needs but I won't ever use it. I'd rather put nothing on the frame before that stuff.

 

If you're looking to do a short cut or touch up job, just pressure wash it with a good degreaser and get a couple gloss black Rustoleum spray bombs. No point in doing all the handwringing over more expensive products if you aren't going to do more extensive prep. Rustoleum isn't a long term, top notch solution, but it will get you through a winter season if you aren't up to doing more than that. Get it in the can and brush it on if you want a thicker coat. Once you close the hood and get under a trailer, nobody's gonna see it.

 

Probably because it is dog ####

needler and wire wheel work great for a half ### job, wrap as much air/wires as you can with tin foil