refurbishing an old trailer

[ratherbefishin]

I'm redoing an old trailer-it's sound enough but looks really cruddy- old paint, rust etc.I want to repaint it but don't want to spend the money on paint only to have it fail for lack of preparation- nor do I want to spend hours scraping, wire brushing etc to get itdown to clean metal.I had a bucket of Napier's ''Removall'' and brushed it on-works just fine- lifted any number of layers of paint.I'll powerwash it over landscaping cloth[ to catch the paint residue which can just be left to dry and then shaken into a can for disposal] the liquid being non toxicand benign can justgo into the drain.Not bad- and saved a lot of work.<br /> Check out the website-it's good stuff- and doesn't burn your skin like traditional paint strippers do[ I didn't have to use protective clothing- not even rubber gloves] <br />www.napierenvironmental.com

 

[2637042]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

i like your name, ha<br /><br />where can you buy this stuff at?

 

[Old Jarhead]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

IMHO if you really want to prep a trailer well it's a good idea to have it sand blasted. <br /><br />I know it's not cheap but it will work well and your paint job will last much longer. (cheaper in the long run)<br /><br />Hey, just my 2¢

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

you can call the company- the product is widely available in Canada and being distributed in the US this year.It really is neat stuff-just brush it on, leave it overnight and then power wash it clean.It is temperature sensitive though, works best on a warm day, or in a garage.Best part- it has no fumes and doesn't burn exposed skin.Clean up is easy too- plus no dust which is the byproduct of sanding/grinding

 

[Lark40]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

Sandblasting - the best solution by far.<br /><br />I've had boat trailers since 1958, and have tried everything to deal with rust. Sandblasting gives you clean metal. You HAVE to have that before you can paint.

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

chemical stripping is not the traditional way for surface prep- but with the new generation strippers- they save a lot of time and effort by softening or removing the bulk of old paint and rust.That makes whatever mechanical methods[ sanding, sand blasting, scrapping etc] used far easier.My trailer required a minimum of effort to remove the last of the old paint that the stripper had softened and lifted

 

[Fishin Rod]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

Originally posted by ratherbefishin:<br />[QB]I'm redoing an old trailer-it's sound enough but looks really cruddy- old paint, rust etc.I want to repaint it but don't want to spend the money on paint only to have it fail for lack of preparation- nor do I want to spend hours scraping, wire brushing etc to get itdown to clean metal.

Been there, done that. Sandblasting is the way to go...<br /><br />If your trailer had only superficial cosmetic damage chemicals might do the job.<br /><br />Good luck on the repaint and hope it works out well.

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

I just finished powerwashing the old trailer frame, and the results are pretty easy to see.I was dealing with multiple layers of old paint and rust.Where the Removall was applied the paint came off right down to bare metal easily.Spots I missed, it didn't.Total time spent was under an hour, including two applications of the stripper.It seems to me that using the chemical stripper made the job a lot faster and easier- plus the fact the equipment[ a powerwasher] is more readily available to the average do it yourself guy.So- it's probably not a question of whether using the chemical stripper is better than sandblasting- it simply makes whatever method of removing the old paint and getting down to bare metal a lot quicker and easier, and by using the chemical stripper- allowed use of a powerwasher.Cleanup is a lot easier too-I didn't have a lot of sand to deal with, and the water based stripper is non toxic , no fumes and doesn't burn exposed skin.

 

[Solittle]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

Use Naval Jelly or other chemical rust killer that contains phosphoric acid on the rusted areas. It chemically neutralizes the rust. I then give it a coat of Penatrol - let dry for 24 hrs and top with a coat of Rustoleum. I'm a salt water boater & been using this process for over 30 yrs.

 

[ratherbefishin]

Re: refurbishing an old trailer

the beauty of this stuff is ideal for the week end guy who may not have access to shop equipment.It's simple- it works and it's not hard to use.