painting

[JIM DUNNE]

Paint my Cadet or not. Is there another way other than painting to restore the finish on this little fiberglass trailer. The finish is crazing pretty bad and the crazing cracks in the finish show up black. When I wash it the black in the crazing is gone to a certain extent but the crazing cracks only black up again. Do I paint ??? the old original decals are all good so I'd like to save them do I mask them will the masking hurt . Do I use a brush and roller or spray it on. Is there another way other than painting to get a clean look. Its all fun to restore these little treasures but
I need someone else to help me make up my mind on this one
JIM

[Frederick L. Simson]

Do I paint ??? the old original decals are all good so I'd like to save them do I mask them will the masking hurt . Do I use a brush and roller or spray it on.

Before you paint you will need to sand the whole trailer lightly so that the paint will stick. How long does it take the Black in the cracks to return? Right away? A couple of hours? Next day?

If you use a roller, there may be a texture to the new surface that might hide the cracking. I knew of one trailer that was painted with a roller and it came out looking quite nice, although not a glossy smooth finish that spraying would achieve. But, if you want that kind of finish, you may have to fill all of the cracks first... Decisions, decisions...

I think that masking the decals might work OK if you were going to roller the paint on, but if you are going to fill the cracks and spray, I'd photograph the decals so that they could be reproduced; then remove them so the spraying would go easier...

Just my thoughts, for what it's worth...

[Donna D.]

I'd remove the decals, in fact I'd remove everything including the windows. But that's just me. Get some onion skin or vellum paper and create a rubbing of the decals... along with taking really good photographs. You could then recreate the decals... and make them any color you desire!

[Martin in Fonthill]

Paint my Cadet or not. Is there another way other than painting to restore the finish on this little fiberglass trailer. The finish is crazing pretty bad and the crazing cracks in the finish show up black. When I wash it the black in the crazing is gone to a certain extent but the crazing cracks only black up again. Do I paint ??? the old original decals are all good so I'd like to save them do I mask them will the masking hurt . Do I use a brush and roller or spray it on. Is there another way other than painting to get a clean look. Its all fun to restore these little treasures but
I need someone else to help me make up my mind on this one
JIM

Hello Jim I am preparing a Captain for painting now.I am sanding the trailer and at the same time with a knife prodding the cracks to make sure the gel coat is sound (the workmanship of the fiberglass lay up was much better on my Cadet than the Captain)if (When)I find a hole in the gelcoat I open it up till I get to sound material then I fill it in with Epoxy mixed with 3M Bubbles. I am still debating how to paint, the options are floor paint, or a two part epoxy to give some strength to the finish or covering the spots that are checked the worst with a coat or two of clear epoxy and then spray the whole thing with a good enamel paint. I have to keep reminding myself that I am refurbishing a old trailer,not building furniture.
My 2 cent worth
Martin

[Jerri-Lynne C]

I'm not sure if you saw it, but somewhere on here, there was a poster who had painted three coats of some sort of automotive rock guard product. Apparently it strengthens and contributes to insulation value. I'm not sure if this is helpful to you, and I am *way* too inexperienced to try to say much more than I have, but the restoration looked amazing, and I know a couple of people have gone this way. Might be worth having a hunt for (he painted over top to get a colour, but I can't remember what type of paint was used)

[Donna D.]

I'm not sure if you saw it, but somewhere on here, there was a poster who had painted three coats of some sort of automotive rock guard product. Apparently it strengthens and contributes to insulation value. I'm not sure if this is helpful to you, and I am *way* too inexperienced to try to say much more than I have, but the restoration looked amazing, and I know a couple of people have gone this way. Might be worth having a hunt for (he painted over top to get a colour, but I can't remember what type of paint was used)

I'm thinking this is the topic you're thinking about.. bright red paint job.... looks really, really good. I can't see if the link to the pictures is still active... I've at work and that site is blocked, but the topic is still worth reading: Total Boler Restoration

[Nate]

I stumbled across this years ago, and have since painted a truck, a trailer, a boat a tractor...well, lets just say i don't get out my spray gun anymore. use tremclad rust paint, thinned down and foam rollers. finish comes out like glass.

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showfl...part=1&vc=1 scroll down the page, a dude by the handle of 69chargeryeehaa painted his charger with a roller, I kid you not. it works extremely well, and i wouldn't hesitate to paint my egg this way. 1 gallon should do a 13 footer no problem. no overspray, no waste, and you can go as fast as you want to - you can do 1 coat a day, or 1 coat every couple of hours. I am contemplating painting my egg in the fall this way. I painted a ford ranger with a roller this way, and the whole paint job cost me $40 because i already had the rollers.

would you believe this car was painted with a roller?

[Tim M]

I did my Boler with a Roller - - with Marine Grade Paint purchased from Menards around $12 a quart.... used 5 quarts...









I think for the price you can't go wrong.... just google paint roller & car - and you'll find loads of information about the process.

[Jayson Wall]

It's been two years since I painted my 74 Boler and it still shines as if I painted it just last week.

Here is the thread that I stated a few years back.

It has a few pics and it details how I painted it and the paint I used.

USE A FOAM ROLLER!

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...;hl=Jayson+Wall