rough finish

[caseydog]

I have painted a tractor using rattle cans. I am satisfied with how the tractor looks but the finish is rough. I have checked out others and their finish is a lot smoother to the touch. Any idea what I did wrong or didn't do that I should have

 

[Stephen Newell]

It sounds like orange peal. It means the paint went on too dry and the beads of paint set up on the surface before it could flow out. Paint needs to be sprayed on juicy wet almost to the point of running. This is very difficult to do with larger areas with a rattle can. Then sometimes rattle can paint gets old and doesn't spray as well as it did when it was fresh. Even fresh paint you can have problems if it isn't shaken well enough. When you pick up a can of paint that has been on the store shelf a long time the paint is a thick goo in the bottom of the can with the solvents floating on top. Sometimes you have to shake the can for a minute or so before the ball even breaks free of the goo. When they get like that I will shake the can for a few minutes and let it sit for a while and then shake it again to let the solvents soak into it.

What would really help you is to get a paint sprayer. A cheap harbor freight sprayer will spray most paints just fine.

 

[David G]

Stephen is way more experienced than me, and I agree with him.

 

[SVcummins]

I don?t think I?ll ever own another paint sprayer for the projects I do a rattle can works well and whole lot less screwing around with regulators and moisture traps and cleaning up a gun every time you want to spray some paint . With rattle cans you can go out and spray one piece or twenty and the only prep is shaking the can good when your done turn the can over spray until it?s clear your done . I always shake the cans for at least a minute thinking of building a can shaker

 

[yakob]

(quoted from post at 23:13:21 09/12/19) I don?t think I?ll ever own another paint sprayer for the projects I do a rattle can works well and whole lot less screwing around with regulators and moisture traps and cleaning up a gun every time you want to spray some paint . With rattle cans you can go out and spray one piece or twenty and the only prep is shaking the can good when your done turn the can over spray until it?s clear your done . I always shake the cans for at least a minute thinking of building a can shaker
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto36327.png">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto36328.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto36329.jpg">

You probably need 5 times the coats from a rattle can to get the film build. They are a lot more expensive for a lesser finish.

Cleaning a small gravity feed gun can be done with like 1/4 c of lacquer thinner, and a quart of paint will go a long way.

 

[Joe W.]

Stephen - You recommended a cheap Harbor Freight sprayer and I have seen that recommendation made by others. Do you mean the electric spray gun for $20 or so? I do not have an air compressor and have wondered if the electric sprayer will work o.k.

 

[Stephen Newell]

No, I was recommending one that runs off of air. I don't care for those turbine sprayers. They may be alright to paint sheetrock walls but not something like machinery. The kind of splatter the paint on which really would make for a rough finish.

You can do a lot with a compressor as small as a smudgepot compressor. You couldn't paint something the size of a car hood with a compressor that size but painting a tractor you usually have smaller areas to spray. You might search craigslist or look at flea markets for a used compressor. You could probably get one cheap and they come in handy for a lot of things other than spraying.

 

[Stephen Newell]

One question I forgot to ask, how hot was it when you sprayed the rough finish? The hotter it is the harder it would be to achieve a smooth finish. With a sprayer we often buy a slower drying solvent when working in the heat but you can't alter the formula on a rattle can.

 

[SVcummins]

That?s great but for the average guy not looking for
a barret Jackson quality finish a rattle can is easier
to use and a lot more forgiving than a paint gun If
you can?t do a good job with a rattle can you will
never do it with a paint gun . If you don?t buy paint at
the dollar store it covers pretty decent . I can come
home paint a small project no mixing no screwing
around with a compressor and when I?m done I?m
done nothing to clean

 

[showcrop]

SV, I have had some frustrating experiences with rattle cans. I use them plenty, but for larger jobs where appearance is important, even though I need to get it set up and cleaned up when done, it is still worth it to me to take the time to use a sprayer.

 

[yakob]

(quoted from post at 18:39:23 09/15/19) That?s great but for the average guy not looking for
a barret Jackson quality finish a rattle can is easier
to use and a lot more forgiving than a paint gun If
you can?t do a good job with a rattle can you will
never do it with a paint gun . If you don?t buy paint at
the dollar store it covers pretty decent . I can come
home paint a small project no mixing no screwing
around with a compressor and when I?m done I?m
done nothing to clean

There are a few levels of quality that lie between rattle can and Barret Jackson.

Doing larger areas gets especially difficult with a rattle can because the time it takes to get paint on is so long, you are dropping overspray into what has flashed off already.

Yeah, you can make a huge mess with a spray gun if you aren't proficient at them, though because they can push so much paint out.