Fork in the Road: Spray Gun or Spray Can

[fjeng]

I am planning on painting my 40 this weekend and have it all torn down.

I will be painting it a Flat khaki / Sand / Desert Tan .... One of those

I have all the equipment to spray with a Gun but I see a lot of guys do a awesome job with a rattle can. ie. Black and Tan with just rattle can

Im looking for a little advice from the wise and experienced on here.

Rattle Can:
Cons, Tips, Lessons Learned, suggestions??

What brand paint / color code did you use?
Any painting tips?

My original plan was to buy automotive paint and have it matched to the same color as the Flat khaki in a can.

I guess my main question that I am going back and forth with is spray with HVLP gun or go spray can to make easy touch up in the future. I have never painted anything like a 40 with a spray can and didn't know if there is any secrets. Number or coats? How may Cans would I need?

 

[cjgoode]

Buy some low end automotive paint. Those rattle cans will add up quickly and take a lot longer, and not hold up as well as the cheap auto paint.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

I don't have any painting advice, but here's some inspirational pictures of khaki colored cruisers...

 

[sblesse]

Go with a HVLP gun. The price of rattle cans will quickly add up. Use a single stage paint and the touch up isn't that big of a deal. Just painted mine with a single stage PPG urethane and it turned out great. The auto paint will last alot longer and will go on much faster than a Spray can job. My $.02

 

[misterpepper]

We painted this with rattle cans (Rustoleum Painters Touch Fossil). It got 2 coats on everything, but the tub was already lined with bedliner so inside was only the dash, windshield frame and around the lip of the tub. It took 4 cans total, and that isn't spraying over primer where everything starts out all the same color. Made me a believer about that Painters Touch stuf. At about $4 a can it certainly wasn't expensive to paint it that way. Heck, we paid more in masking tape and paper than we did in paint. I'm not saying rattle can is best, but it it can be done on the cheaply.

 

[fjeng]

Thanks for the pictures!! I am always impressed with the help and responses. Will post some pictures.

 

[pavieSD]

If you decide to do the spray can route, do your thumb a favor and pick up one of these:

Amazon.com: Can-Gun1 2012 Premium Can Tool Aerosol Spray: Home Improvement

 

[camcruiser13]

spray gun is 10x faster and lays a more even coat.

my vote

 

[Fast Eddy]

I'd normally recommend a gun due to the harder resulting paint finish, but it's hard to argue with misterpepper. That looks great!

 

[45Kevin]

I used a CH HVLP set up to spray my truck.

When you mix your own automotive paint I think you end up with a much more robust finish. I have also seen the rattle can paint fade very quickly. With tan it would not be that noticable though.

I say go for the gun. If it is yours, it won't make touch ups that much harder than a rattle can.

Mr. Pepper, did you say you only used 4 cans. How much paint is that? I would think that a good coat or two of automotive paint would take at least a quart, plus about half that again in hardener and reducer.

 

[jonniecruz]

This is my rattle can job 8 cans of camo paint at auto parts store . Not a great job but easy to do and touch up. About an hour and a half to paint and less than 75 bucks.

 

[FF LC FREAK]

My $.02. I've done one of each - auto paint with an HVLP on one Cruiser and Ace Rust Stop enamel in a can on another. Auto paint is a much harder/durable paint than the spray paint. However, for those that say coverage is better with the HVLP, I would disagree. Technique plays a huge part. Good technique and proper prep will get you a pretty good final product regardless of the type of paint. If you've never touched an HVLP gun and don't have a good compressor, a spray can is a good option. And if you scratch up your spray paint job, a quick trip to the store and you can cover it up. I also found that adding a clear coat to spray paint is a big help. My spray paint coat did not hold up well until I added a couple of coats of clear about 6 months later. I touched up the Ace Rust Stop and then I used Rustoleum Painters Touch clear and it made a huge difference.

So, bottom line after doing them both ways, I would say it all depends on what you are looking for in a paint job. A quality auto paint will last longer and look better if done well. But, if you're planning on taking your Cruiser off road, then a good rattle can paint job can be made to look pretty good as well. My second Cruiser was made to be my daily driver. I didn't want a show car, and the rattle can paint job was perfect.

Ace Rust Stop Enamel and Rustoleum Painter's Touch Clear for this one :

And this one is a Omni Automotive paint:

 

[Splangy]

Spray it with a gun. Buy some cheap auto paint like PPG's Omni line. The results will be WAY better if done properly.

 

[bikersmurf]

Mine is rattle canned. I'd spray it with a gun. Once I'm finished all the body work, if i ever get there, I'll spray it with a gun.

 

[FJsnoozer]

I rattlecanned my outside for 10 dollars. In person and on the forum I get ton of compliments. I did it only to "tint" the existing rust and make it somewhat presentable to the lady. I did it in 20 min on a country road with a big piece of plastic (like you have in commercial lighting) to block off overspray.

If it was a trail rig and a weekend cruiser with the family, I wouldn't recommend anything else. I often ask myself why I am working so hard on the body when I get so many compliments in person already. I think to myself "Can you not see the rot through holes?!"


I after blasting the entire body and epoxy priming, I am hitting it with an affordable singe stage from napa. It was 60% the cost of PPG.

Bottom line, if you want to scuff, spray and cruise, go rattle can. flat colors hide mistakes well. If you do any type of involved prep bodywork and disassembly, spend the extra cash and go single stage.

 

[jbee]

If you decide to do the spray can route, do your thumb a favor and pick up one of these:

Amazon.com: Can-Gun1 2012 Premium Can Tool Aerosol Spray: Home Improvement

X2. My wife uses this thing to paint all the patio furniture every year. It's excellent. Might use it to paint my cruiser, will definitely use it for gray and black parts.

 

[landyNZ]

With paint you get what you pay for. If you have gun then use it and put the best paint you can afford in it.

Everything looks good from a distance.
You have to see it up close.

 

[cjgoode]

Another problem with spray cans is they have chemicals used in the aerosol part that ends up in the paint, making spraying over the top with auto paint real difficult. Where even a cheap auto paint if it is adhered well can be sanded sealed and painted over. I paid about $200 for my DuPont Urethane paint and primer and all chemicals needed (Low end 1 stage area of the Urethane market), if I wanted to go with the cheapest enamel paint I could have paid about $50 and had a paint so much better then anything form a spray can still. Or you can go with an automotive lacquer paint, no mixing, just poor and spray and spend even less.

 

[Roboosfj40s]

I did a rattle can job on my rig in 2010 and the color is Cat yellow. Not my favorite but as I said before, here in the Philipppines one has to apply for a permit and pay a fee to change vehicle color. Later I plan to change the color and shoot it with a HVLP gun and tough quality paint. Easy to touch up scratches is one plus. But as CjGoode pointed out as well as others, the painting took me 22 cans haa haa and 11 cans of primer but there was no compressors or paint guns available at that time other than having a body shop do it and because I am an American the price sometimes doubles. Sooooo Rattle can Heaven worked for now. These pics was during the reassembly. I did however find one of those Rattle Can Paint Triggers at Ace Hardware here and Wow what a difference. Paint came from Ace as well.

Rob

 

[cjgoode]

As Rob and others have shown a rattle can job can turn out well.