| Painting that rusty frame [message #84570] |
Fri, 14 May 2010 14:38  |
Mike O'Connell
Messages: 53
Registered: November 2008
Location: Deerfield MA
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I just had my tanks out and noted that the frame was fairly rusty. I'd characterize the frame rails as being "pockmarked" and the rust comes off as a dust. Toward the rear it's a bit worse. Since I' not looking forward to having the tanks out again anytime soon I got a hold of some POR 15 rust paint and applied a couple coats to whaterver I could get to while the tanks were down. I also did up the tanks as they had some rust around the periphery.
Now POR 15 is pretty expensive stuff, 45 clams a quart/ 145 a gallon, and being something of a cheapie I looked around for other options. I picked up some SEM paint fitting the same job description as the POR 15 for considerably less ($25/qt $75/gal) though you need the $30 hardener to do it right. The hardener should last a couple gallons so it's still cheaper. It went on with a little less coverage than the POR 15, which stuck like glue to everything on the first swipe in a way I've never seen paint do before. Still, once dry the SEM stuff seems even harder than the POR 15 and both paints seem to work best on cratered rusty surfaces. Even though I treated the smooth metal surfaces with the proscribed acid etching stuff, some of the POR scraped off the tanks while I was abusing them trying to lift them with jacks to get them in (...by myself, ...on a patch of dirt ... in the rain.. etc, etc.)
I'm wondering if I am actually accomplishing anything here besides making myself feel good about having nice black frame rails. I can't, or rather haven't, gotten to between the inner and outer rails by the bogies where I understand bad things often happen.
Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
Mike O'Connell
Deerfield, MA
'75 Eleganza
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