Undercarriage Protection Thoughts, Woolwax, Fluid Film? (4 Viewers)

[jht3]

i have a small 4gal compressor which i'm not sure is up to the task. and my garage has a wimpy 15amp outlet

so i'm leaning towards FF rattle cans for ease of purchase and application. i missed last winter due to over analyzing and researching this topic!

 

[NearJetties]

We have a local member that does this. I just lay out plastic sheeting in my driveway and drive the truck up on 4 ramps. I use a pneumatic paint sprayer while wearing a Tyvek suit to get the majority of the truck. I used just under a whole gallon for my LX450, and the overspray will smoke and stink as it burns off the exhaust.
I follow up with a spray can with an extension nozzle to get into the nooks and crannies that I missed like inside body panels and things.
Lately I've been thinking of just paying someone to deal with it, but apparently I'm getting old and cranky.

I’d be interested, who’s the member?

 

[iptman]

I assume he means a Gotham City Land Cruiser member.

 

[jonheld]

I assume he means a Gotham City Land Cruiser member.

Yea, he's in Summit, NJ.

 

[NearJetties]

Yea, he's in Summit, NJ.

ah, right near where I grew up

@bkfj40 if you do start doing it as a side business I’d be interested for 2 trucks

 

[iptman]

I wonder if you could run this business like the seasonal Halloween stores. Just pop them up for September through early December then shut them down. You'd only need a couple of lifts that can be installed/uninstalled easily and an 80 gallon compressor.

 

[2JG]

I wonder if you could run this business like the seasonal Halloween stores. Just pop them up for September through early December then shut them down. You'd only need a couple of lifts that can be installed/uninstalled easily and an 80 gallon compressor.

That would be great...very few places in NY that do undercoating and none that I've found that do woolwax.

 

[NearJetties]

That would be great...very few places in NY that do undercoating and none that I've found that do woolwax.

The places in PA that do Krown their main business is line-X and the Krown is seasonal.

 

[mgrs]

Living in the northeast, I'd rather have a dirty greasy gooey truck to work on than a rusty truck. BTDT.
I spray Fluid Film every October from tip to tail and everything in between. Last week I used Fluid Film black for the first time. It is slightly thicker than standard Fluid Film, sprays and covers well. Smells less than standard Fluid Film and looks reasonably good from a distance. Again, not really interested in esthetics here. Just keeping the rust at bay.
It's not a show truck, it's a daily driver that goes in the woods once in a while.

Exactly this. Spent years powerwashing each thaw and then wire brushing and painting each spring. Putting up with the stink and some drips for a couple weeks is well worth it.

FWIW this was my 13 year old tacoma (Ohio truck) when I cleaned it up and sold it…

 

[jht3]

any thoughts on what size compressor is enough to spray this stuff? i have a now discontinued twin tank 4gal harbor freight compressor running off a 115/15 circuit. i've heard anecdotes that 115v paint sprayers work well. and others stay w/ the aerosol can method.

 

[captainva]

A tiny compressor will work fine for something like this. When you're painting you can't just stop and wait or what you've already sprayed will flash. With this it doesn't matter but you will need to stop and let the compressor refill fairly often which is annoying. I'd also put a fan in front of your compressor since its going to get hot if its constantly running

 

[travistheone]

spray cans from wool wax work great

 

[jht3]

A tiny compressor will work fine for something like this. When you're painting you can't just stop and wait or what you've already sprayed will flash. With this it doesn't matter but you will need to stop and let the compressor refill fairly often which is annoying. I'd also put a fan in front of your compressor since its going to get hot if its constantly running

thanks for the input. what would be a good pressure to set the output to? i know i saw a recommended # somewhere but can't find it. or just adjust until the spray pattern looks good enough?

 

[iptman]

Go get a pressure regulator for the end of your gun (Harbor Freight, Tractor Supply). It's much easier to dial it up or down without crawling out from under your truck. It usually takes me a few adjustments before it's just right. Start around 60 PSI and work up and down from there. Also, the nozzle adjustment takes some time to get just right.

 

[jonheld]

thanks for the input. what would be a good pressure to set the output to? i know i saw a recommended # somewhere but can't find it. or just adjust until the spray pattern looks good enough?

Line pressure will depend on what type of sprayer you're using. I use Amazon product ASIN B0018S8JC4 and it wants no more than 50 psi.

 

[jht3]

alright, have a gallon of clear Woolwax on the way. going to try my compressor w/ a gun and 2nd regulator at the gun end.

will also pick up a tyvek suit and plastic sheeting for the ground

i have one set of ramps. worth getting a 2nd set i think?

 

[iptman]

I don't think you'll need the tyvek suit or plastic for Woolwax. It's thicker and doesn't drip much at all. Do you have jack stands? I would trust jack stands over ramps.

 

[iptman]

Also, I assume you mean the gun Woolwax sells?

 

[jonheld]

alright, have a gallon of clear Woolwax on the way. going to try my compressor w/ a gun and 2nd regulator at the gun end.

will also pick up a tyvek suit and plastic sheeting for the ground

i have one set of ramps. worth getting a 2nd set i think?

Depending on the sprayer, you may or may not want a Tyvek suit, but since they're pretty cheap it couldn't hurt, and you won't have to wash your clothes afterward. My sprayer atomizes pretty well so it gets everywhere into the nooks and crannies, which is what you want for this type of product. Neatness doesn't count.
2 pairs of ramps makes it easier to crawl around without whacking my head.

 

[NearJetties]

@iptman I’ll pay for a spray