Roller painting a classic
Discussion
Evening all,
I thought I would share some work I am currently completing on my 1982 air-cooled T25 campervan. The van had previously been roller painted (perhaps 15 years ago?) but the finish was now quite dull, patchy with the inevitable seam rust and other knocks and dents and rust in it.
I am part way through but I will update when fully finished. I spent several weekends repairing the rust, treating with vactan (a highly effective rust converter) and flatting back. The job was not perfect, but we use the van for camping holidays rather than showing it at concourse events.
Picture during prep work.....
I thought I would share some work I am currently completing on my 1982 air-cooled T25 campervan. The van had previously been roller painted (perhaps 15 years ago?) but the finish was now quite dull, patchy with the inevitable seam rust and other knocks and dents and rust in it.
I am part way through but I will update when fully finished. I spent several weekends repairing the rust, treating with vactan (a highly effective rust converter) and flatting back. The job was not perfect, but we use the van for camping holidays rather than showing it at concourse events.
Picture during prep work.....
Luckily the rust was not too bad.
So after prepping I went for the same colour by Rustoleum -Marlin Blue. It is now typically discontinued so had to pay a bit extra to have it mixed up. Rustoleum combi color seems to be the recommended paint. With some trepidation I rollered the first coat on.
You need to mix the paint with about 15% white spirit. The roller needs soaking in the paint for about ten minutes squeezing out air bubbles. With a new roller, I always got some air bubbles but these can be retouched for about five minutes after application and eventually they disappear.
I made a few mistakes
1. Don't return to any area already painted after ten minutes to try to get rid of bubbles. It will look s
t.
2. Don't return to a defect after ten minutes with a diluted paint brush to retouch. It will look st.
3. If the foam roller end falls off, don't keep painting with the rest of the roller. It will have small foam bits and look st.
So, after the first coat, the shine is there but with some defects. Notice some quite bad orange peeling......
And the following morning some nice beading on the front.....
So after prepping I went for the same colour by Rustoleum -Marlin Blue. It is now typically discontinued so had to pay a bit extra to have it mixed up. Rustoleum combi color seems to be the recommended paint. With some trepidation I rollered the first coat on.
You need to mix the paint with about 15% white spirit. The roller needs soaking in the paint for about ten minutes squeezing out air bubbles. With a new roller, I always got some air bubbles but these can be retouched for about five minutes after application and eventually they disappear.
I made a few mistakes
1. Don't return to any area already painted after ten minutes to try to get rid of bubbles. It will look s
t.2. Don't return to a defect after ten minutes with a diluted paint brush to retouch. It will look s
t.3. If the foam roller end falls off, don't keep painting with the rest of the roller. It will have small foam bits and look s
t.So, after the first coat, the shine is there but with some defects. Notice some quite bad orange peeling......
And the following morning some nice beading on the front.....
After another week to let the paint dry further (it is recommended to leave longer, but I need the van back on the road and need a new gearbox fitting too), I flatted back again, cutting through in some places.
I corrected some of my original mistakes too, before masking up again and completing another coat.
As my technique improved this seemed to go much better and I did not make the same mistakes as the first coat....although made some different but less major mistakes.
This now seems really good. Two coats has used about half a 2.5 litre tin.
There is definitely a level of orange peel, but from a distance it looks really good. I can't wait to get it all assembled again......
If my patience will last, I will wait another two weeks (weather dependent) then hand cut back with 1500 wet and dry. And then finish with my dual action polisher with 'some' cutting compound. At that stage I will update the thread with the best and worst bits....
I thought it might be helpful for other classic owners on a budget.
I corrected some of my original mistakes too, before masking up again and completing another coat.
As my technique improved this seemed to go much better and I did not make the same mistakes as the first coat....although made some different but less major mistakes.
This now seems really good. Two coats has used about half a 2.5 litre tin.
There is definitely a level of orange peel, but from a distance it looks really good. I can't wait to get it all assembled again......
If my patience will last, I will wait another two weeks (weather dependent) then hand cut back with 1500 wet and dry. And then finish with my dual action polisher with 'some' cutting compound. At that stage I will update the thread with the best and worst bits....
I thought it might be helpful for other classic owners on a budget.
My Triumph Toledo was roller-painted over its original baby-poo brown (supposedly 'almond'). It's not exactly orange-peel effect, it's the material of the roller that provides the 'stippled' look. Mine is semi-gloss NATO green (the previous owner had done it in matt green but some panels didn't quite match so I redid the whole car, only cost about £60 in paint and rollers).
He'd also done the curved section wing tops and around the windscreen in stone chip. I just lacquered the black parts. With a set of MGF alloys, it's a bit different. Although quite rare now (often confused for a Dolomite), there are plenty of baby blue and red ones out there.
No polishing required, just washing off with a hosepipe:
He'd also done the curved section wing tops and around the windscreen in stone chip. I just lacquered the black parts. With a set of MGF alloys, it's a bit different. Although quite rare now (often confused for a Dolomite), there are plenty of baby blue and red ones out there.
No polishing required, just washing off with a hosepipe:
- a bit of real world classic ownership is a welcome contrast to Singer Porsche articles!Hyde said:
I wasn't aware that automotive roll on paint was available, looking good though as you say a little bit orange peel.
Keen to see it once you have cut back and polished.
Not as common as it used to be - used to sell Valentine's Valrex & Valflash enamels in the motor factor I worked in in the mid 70s - but brush (or roller) coach paint still readily available & usually a few post & pics in various Land Rover forums.Keen to see it once you have cut back and polished.
This is not me & I have no connection of any sort but often recommended on LR forums & might be of interest: https://paintman.co.uk/
ETA Used rollers a few years ago to repaint the inside of my boat. Used Hempel boat paint.
As you work lightly 'tipping off' with a high quality paintbrush helps to remove any bubbles & smooth out orange peel. If you do get orange peel then it may help to add a little more of the appropriate thinner to help the paint flow out.
Edited by paintman on Thursday 12th May 10:28
Glad to see this sort of thing still being done... so many folk seem to think that vehicles need to have huge sums of money thrown at them to be any good.
Have brushed, or rollered a few vehicles over the years - including a hardtail chop, a custom built cafe racer, my 2.5l Herald/Vitesse convertible and a restored Triumph Spitfire, among others.
I built a "Cal' look" Herald back when I was young and impecunious... Brush painted with Canon Repaint, came up like glass after much cutting. Still looked great many years later.
Have brushed, or rollered a few vehicles over the years - including a hardtail chop, a custom built cafe racer, my 2.5l Herald/Vitesse convertible and a restored Triumph Spitfire, among others.
I built a "Cal' look" Herald back when I was young and impecunious... Brush painted with Canon Repaint, came up like glass after much cutting. Still looked great many years later.
I have brush painted a few boats.
IMHO, it's all about using the tools and techniques that you get on with.
Best result I've had is perhaps using a foam 'Jenny' brush and one-pack polyurethane paint.
If the tools, temperature or technique are wrong, it goes bad quite quickly.
Practice on something that doesn't matter!
IMHO, it's all about using the tools and techniques that you get on with.
Best result I've had is perhaps using a foam 'Jenny' brush and one-pack polyurethane paint.
If the tools, temperature or technique are wrong, it goes bad quite quickly.
Practice on something that doesn't matter!
OutInTheShed said:
I have brush painted a few boats.
IMHO, it's all about using the tools and techniques that you get on with.
Best result I've had is perhaps using a foam 'Jenny' brush and one-pack polyurethane paint.
If the tools, temperature or technique are wrong, it goes bad quite quickly.
Practice on something that doesn't matter!
Damn, too late. I am practicing on my van! IMHO, it's all about using the tools and techniques that you get on with.
Best result I've had is perhaps using a foam 'Jenny' brush and one-pack polyurethane paint.
If the tools, temperature or technique are wrong, it goes bad quite quickly.
Practice on something that doesn't matter!
I had read quite a few guides which did recommend practicing on an old washing machine or old panel. May/ April time is recommended so the paint dries in a reasonable time, but also bugs and excessive tree pollen won't stick to the finish. But to be honest so far I am happy. I did try a quick flat back and polish on the front this evening, but I need to flatten back a little more. I was worried about going through the roller paint - so easy does it.
I have used the dual action polisher on an older car to bring the paint back in the past. So hopefully that stage won't be a disaster.
I will post more pics when I am really happy with the result and will be happy with the public flogging.......
(Or I will just cover it up with another coat.....)
I did a 1957 Beetle nearly 40 years ago. I rubbed it down and the prep took a morning, painting it in a dry garage with the floor wetted to catch dust. I Bought two big tins of red Dulux gloss, plopped it into a suitable tray and painted it in about 20 minutes, edges and seams first with a brush and then the roller. It certainly looked very shiny.
Edited by Touring442 on Friday 13th May 12:53
My oldest friend brush painted his family heirloom Minor Traveller a few years ago. It came out very well and still looks good today.
Like most painting the prep is impt. He stripped everything off and flatted and filled carefully. Used some kind of coach enamel formulated for brushing. I think it was the stuff they use on tractors and traction engines. Left it for about 6 weeks as I recall before flatting and polishing which took a lot of careful work.
The finish is perfect for the car, which he has extensively rebuilt but to a good running standard. It's his daily, not concours and not trying to be.
He reckons it is easier to do a good DIY brush job than it is to spray at home. I think he may be right.
Like most painting the prep is impt. He stripped everything off and flatted and filled carefully. Used some kind of coach enamel formulated for brushing. I think it was the stuff they use on tractors and traction engines. Left it for about 6 weeks as I recall before flatting and polishing which took a lot of careful work.
The finish is perfect for the car, which he has extensively rebuilt but to a good running standard. It's his daily, not concours and not trying to be.
He reckons it is easier to do a good DIY brush job than it is to spray at home. I think he may be right.
So, the reality is I have done a quick flat back, polish and wax. It looks great from five yards with a few defects. These will be corrected over time, next autumn/ winter I reckon. I have reassembled everything in this shot but still need to do the other side and the front too.
I had cleaned up all the component parts, resprayed the bumpers and trim. Refurbished the rear badges was a job that needed doing too with a couple of botched attempts trying a couple of techniques from the web.
Next tasks are getting the reconditioned gearbox and clutch installed, so we can have some family camping trips this summer...... Off to west coast of France this July having postponed for the last two years....... My wife has even agreed to redo the curtains which have faded over the last ten years from when she first redid them!!
As a process this really is quite easy, even with my cack handed abilities......
I had cleaned up all the component parts, resprayed the bumpers and trim. Refurbished the rear badges was a job that needed doing too with a couple of botched attempts trying a couple of techniques from the web.
Next tasks are getting the reconditioned gearbox and clutch installed, so we can have some family camping trips this summer...... Off to west coast of France this July having postponed for the last two years....... My wife has even agreed to redo the curtains which have faded over the last ten years from when she first redid them!!
As a process this really is quite easy, even with my cack handed abilities......
Edited by mike9009 on Friday 13th May 22:58
I rollered the top half of my T5 with smooth finish hammerite and made all the mistakes you mention! It now has a slightly patchy “hammered” finish thanks to the roller and retouching.
But it was never going to be concourse and actually I quite like it. It’s certainly an improvement over the sun-baked 12 year old microblistering blow over that was there before.
But it was never going to be concourse and actually I quite like it. It’s certainly an improvement over the sun-baked 12 year old microblistering blow over that was there before.
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