year-old paint make-over, w/clearcoat overall
Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 12:15 am- I painted my trailer a year ago. It has never been rained on, nor has it had more than an hour or two of direct sun exposure since then. I only pulled it from the garage to weigh it, two weeks ago, and then put it back in. Still, after a year of close-quarters work on it , and some sun light exposure, the aluminum paint was looking sorta oxidized? with a pale whiteness over it. It wasn't the best paint job anyway, having done it in direct sun, @ 106 or more degrees, with a shedding roller (2 coats, over poly mix, and 100% poly). So I re-did it today (front slope and hatch cover only), with brush, in shade, and at only 104 degrees! Dries pretty darn quick! I kinda like the brush effects anyway; looks better than the roller debris from the last application.
- On the roof, I left the paint as-is, and I'm using spray can technology to improve it. Here's my plan for improving and further weatherproofing the trailer, from an earlier post/thread: working on it wrote: I went the route of poly mix (base coat)/ tractor paint (top coat) over plywood. I even used Silo paint (aluminum heavy-duty) for the front slope, roof, and hatch door - for weather resistance and reflectivity. All plywood edges (exposed plys) were either vertically oriented, shielded by a rain deflector (hatch opening cover), or coated with PL adhesive (waterproof when dry). then they were painted over. The holes in the roof (where 1/4-20 bolts bolted walls to roof, to cinch them together, as well as using PL adhesive) were then coated with PL, and capped with stainless acorns. They never leaked when poly mix was liberally splashed over them, nor when painted over. Still, more sealant was applied. But, the sidewall piercings, both for full thru-wall bolts, and vent and trim partial piercings, were either sealed in the same fashion or were overlooked in the heat of the build. Either way, my initial plan was to go back, after all the poly, paint, adhesive, and thread sealant had cured, and use a clear acrylic or enamel spray to cover all skin piercings (nuts, bolts, screws, washers, et al...). I initially intended to use Krylon Acrylic Clear and I tested it when I painted my HHR's wheelcovers 18 months ago. I painted them white, to match the panel van's paint, and clearcoated with the spray. It wore very well. I recently was at Home Depot though, and talked briefly with a Rustoleum rep, who said that their Rustoleum Clear Enamel would work as well. I'm leaning towards the enamel, where it will contact the enamel paint, and the acrylic where it only contacts metal. Sound like an OK plan?
- OK, back to the present day: I sprayed the top bolts and washers with a heavy coating of the enamel today (will use the enamel only), and after masking off everything else, I'll use two cans to coat and re-coat the entire roof (about 18.5 square feet area) several times. This clear enamel dries in less than 30 minutes per coat, and in my testing, never tries to lift nor crack, over the aluminum painted test piece (with stainless bolt/acorn thru it) I had done. I will also put some clear on sidewall screws (probably brushed on) when I get a smaller brush. This is another experiment I wanted to do for a long time; if it turns out OK, I'll be justified, if not, then others "told me so". Out of the box, again....