Chipping and easily scratched paint

[gt14rider 749]

Painted with rustoleum gray primer, and regal red paint in rattle cans. Been over a year to cure, but it chips and scratches if you sneeze on it. (I know don't sneeze on it)  anything I can do or do I have to repaint, use hardener. 

[ebinmaine 67,265]

Trina and I use Rust-Oleum 2x almost exclusively.

I would say that it took about two or three months to cure on the two tractors we've used it throughout.

It seems to have decent chip resistance for a spray can but it isn't anything to write home about.

Neither one of us minds at all because when it chips we just touch it up.

Both of them are hard-working tractors.

 

Without being right there to compare yours to ours there's no way I could really do an accurate comparison.

 

I've never been under the impression that a spray can has anywhere near the longevity of a proper sprayed automotive paint system containing its own hardener.

 

[Stepney 2,325]

I've had .. some luck with 2-part sprays. But I've used rusoleum on many things .. it has really changed over the years. There's not much you can do. I have a deck I painted over 2 years ago and its been in a warm dry cellar. Pretty to look at, but even an out-of-control Moth would damage it. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by Stepney

[Digger 66 3,478]

I Have had Rustoleum Regal Red on my tractor since I got it waaaay back when .

I've dropped things on it , spilled things on it , sneezed on it and don't have one blemish to show .

I didn't even bother to prime it . just scuffed it , wiped it and shot it .

[953 nut 55,062]

Cleanliness and preparation are essential for a good finish. doesn't matter what material you are applying or what type of application you use, poor prep equals poor results. The surface should be sanded down all the way to the metal, cleaned with an automotive paint prep solvent and wiped dry with a lint free cloth. The oils from your hand or any other contaminant in the air can result in lifting. After the first coat of primer it is best to wet sand with 400 wet/dry paper and flush the surface well then clean with prep solve again. Do this between all coats of finish.

When reading the instructions on the can of spray paint you will see that the open time for a second application calls for very specific temperature and humidity conditions. Few of own an accurate weather station and I have always felt that if you rush it the thinners don't have enough time to evaporate resulting in poor adhesion.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

the tractors I redid for my kids I sprayed with rustoleum 2x paint cans, they held up just fine with no chips or scratches.  good prep work us the key, use self etching primer

[Lee1977 6,642]

I just wet sand clean up with water let dry and spray. I used regular Rustolem then put it out in the sun for a few days in the summer at 90+ degrees. Have never had a problem with chipping. The only scratches are 

caused by getting to close to something that also took a bite out of me. Been there the shirt got ripped and it took the paint down to the metal. It was a metal fence post with barbwire attached to it. I though i was missing it but it came up fast when the wire hooked on the deck.

[tom2p 2,394]

if paint gets on a surface you don't want it on - it will stay forever and will remain despite any and all measures 

 

but if you want paint to adhere and remain - fuhgetaboutit it will chip and fall off if you raise your voice 

 

 

as others stated above - a quality cleaning solvent and / or wax and grease remover should help

DuPont Prep-Sol or similar 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2020 by tom2p

[gt14rider 749]

Thanks for all the tips, did the prep pretty good, but did not send between coats. So looks like i will be sanding and painting again. But At least I didn't paint the hood and fenders yet

Edited February 20, 2020 by gt14rider

[Cvans 1,009]

I've used the 2x paints for other projects but never considered it for garden tractors. Would be nice to use as it dries a lot faster saving a bunch of time. I think I'm going to take back the regular Rustoleum and try the 2x. Thanks for the suggestion.