Finished the frame - What color to paint?

[surveytech]

yeah i liked the textured look.
the trailer had weld splatter and little "thingies" on the steel and in the factory paint.

I sanded it 60 grit then applied the hammered enamel.
Cant see any of that stuff now.

There are cool colors available if thats your thing.
But to be the best color was the black.
They even sell quart cans of it a Wally World.

[Joanne]

yeah i liked the textured look.
the trailer had weld splatter and little "thingies" on the steel and in the factory paint.

I sanded it 60 grit then applied the hammered enamel.
Cant see any of that stuff now.

There are cool colors available if thats your thing.
But to be the best color was the black.
They even sell quart cans of it a Wally World.

I wanted something other than black so I used a dark brown hammered finish. I really like the way it looks. I'm planning on painting the exterior of the cabin a light beige so the two colors will coordinate well. (It's the DesertDawg after all. It has to be a shade of brown!)

Joanne

[surveytech]

Joanne,
did you spray or brush on the paint?
I brushed on my and found that over brushing (is that a word?) wasnt a good thing. I got the most consistant results by laying on the paint and leaving it alone. The texture seemed to be more uniform that way.

the brown is very nice too.

[Joanne]

I used a spraycan to apply mine. The upside is it went on nicely, the downside is the cost. Trailers aren't very big, but they still seem to take a lot of paint. I don't remember exactly how many I used but it seems like 5 or 6. I used a wire brush on my small grinder to take off all the old paint (including the coat of house paint), then primed the entire trailer and finished with the color.

I've been reading the thread about spray painting the urethane on the interior and am thinking about getting a spray gun. I wish I would have had it when I painted the trailer.

The most recent Harbor Freight catelog has the 43430 HVLP gun that Sumner recommends on sale for $49.99.

Link to HF43430

Sumner's Paintgun Page

I've never used a spraygun before but I don't look forward to doing all the finishing by hand. It's the money vs time issue.

Pondering,
Joanne

I think I need to go back and reread that thread.

Joanne,
did you spray or brush on the paint?
I brushed on my and found that over brushing (is that a word?) wasnt a good thing. I got the most consistant results by laying on the paint and leaving it alone. The texture seemed to be more uniform that way.

the brown is very nice too.

[Sonetpro]

I just started mine. I started welding the frame this weekend. I will probally do it the same as I did my kayak trailer. I had it sandblasted and then coated it with bed liner. You can buy it at the auto parts store. It seems to stop the rust. I go to the beach alot. and it makes it easy to clean....Steve

[hammer & tongs]

I started with the Tractor supply..basic black..I left it like that for a while; but when the Mrs. finally decided that the interior would be a play on the color blue...I painted the black frame.. Royal blue.
I don't worry about harmonizing with my Ranger (tow vehicle) since the truck is silver and the aluminum roof carries that through...especially since I have built a behind-the-cab truck box with an arched roof , using the extra aluminum.
The box shows continuity with the TD that way..

[sunny16]

Got the fenders welded on over the weekend so now its ready for the paint. Just wanted to post a picture or two.

[Joanne]

Got the fenders welded on over the weekend so now its ready for the paint. Just wanted to post a picture or two.

Sunny,

Thanks for the pic. We all love to see them. That's a good looking trailer!

Joanne

[sunny16]

Here is "the rest of the story". I can't figure out how to add multiple pictures. So here is the whole frame side view. I'm pretty proud of it since it is my first attempt at welding. It turned out pretty nice, if I do say so. Thanks again for all the input and info from this forum. Lots of great information and TT building ideas.

[Guest]

Joanne,
Thanks!!!
Your timing on that info was perfect!!!
I'm going to see if my local HF store has that gun in stock.
Thanks for posting Sum's info too, I missed that or forgot to make a note of it last time I visited his site...

[Joanne]

Joanne,
Thanks!!!
Your timing on that info was perfect!!!
I'm going to see if my local HF store has that gun in stock.
Thanks for posting Sum's info too, I missed that or forgot to make a note of it last time I visited his site...

Hey Dean,

We can compare notes. My friend gave me a 43430 for my birthday! I still need to buy a water separator so I haven't tried it out yet, I'm going to try some test panels before I shoot the interior. Now I wish I would have had it when I made the trailer. I could have gotten a little practice.

I'm planning on using the water-based Minwax Polycrylic on my interior. I like the fact that it dries quicky and cleans up easily. What are you planning on using?

Joanne

[Guest]

Joanne,
I'm going to use it paint the frame and to shoot clear coat on the body.
(Haven't decided on frame paint yet)

[sunny16]

Well, I took half day off from work and prep'd and painted the trailer frame. I used the Rustoleum Black Hammered paint in a quart and sprayed it on. My sprayer didn't like it too much but I didn't thin it down. You need a special thinner as specified on the can. But the sprayer did work ok and the Hammered look is pretty neat. It especially shows well on the fenders. It a pretty neat paint and it didn't take long to dry. Just watch overspray as it seems to leave a dust on already painted surfaces. But it's pretty cool paint. Thanks for the advice on this thread. I would suggest getting a spray can of the stuff just for touch up in case you miss an area. I will do that later. So now its on to the design and to start building the body. I did take the trailer out and pulled it around the block to see how it tracked. Looks great! It will even look better when it has the body on. Hopefully by next spring or summer.

[Guest]

Harbor Freight sure has one heck of a service department...
I was able to instant message with them.
(Trying to locate that 1.7mm nozzle kit for the #43430 gun)
Although the gal couldn't find it, says it may be discontinued, she gave me a SKU# for a 2.2mm nozzle, but that wasn't listed online, so she put me in contact with the tech department. I'm awaiting a return email...
Had it been earlier in the day, I would've been able to call them right then and there.
Even though I wasn't able to solve my problem, their system sure seems up to snuff.
Hopefully tomorrow...

[Steve Frederick]

And no one can build just one. That's why I am planning number 4!

Axles for 4 and 5, are in the shop. Steel is ordered! Anyone want dibs??