What paint to use?

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I'm going to be finishing my newly completed welding cart soon and I was wondering what would be a cheap, durable, paint to use?  Yes, I know cheap and durable usually don't go together, but my welds pretty much look like A$$, so I just want to put a bandaid over the whold thing to make it look semi-descent.Thanks for any input.
Reply:I normally use the Rust Oleum Industrial, but lately I have been trying the Rust Oleum Appliance paint with good results.  More scratch resistant and higher gloss.  Not to be used on heated surfaces though, but I don't plan on getting my welder or other equipment that hot.  I am sure there are better options out there, but this is what I have settled on.
Reply:I find Napa High Heat Engine Enamel to be a good hard coating even though its not going to get hot.  A coat of primer first over cleaned metal and the finish will last a lot longer then cheap spray paint.and it comes in RED or BLACKDavid Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Even with "good" paint it is all about prep and patience.Follow the directions on the Can for re-coat times, most folks put the second and 3rd coats on too soon.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1Even with "good" paint it is all about prep and patience.Follow the directions on the Can for re-coat times, most folks put the second and 3rd coats on too soon.
Reply:I use the Rustoleum Wrinkle paint.  Can get it in Black, Brown & Grey.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Originally Posted by rookie_steveI second that Ed. I replaced a fuel tank last January and had to paint the metal tank so I used Rustoleum black. Read the instructions but decided to put a SECOND coat 4 hours earlier than the 24-hr wait recommendation on the can and the finish began to "alligator" right away (rough like an alligator's skin). That means the first coat of paint had not completely dried yet. Fortunately, I only tested a small area and it is out of sight anyway. So follow the directions to the letter. Otherwise you might have to strip it and start over. Steve
Reply:Sonic,  If your welds really look that bad, spend a bit of time with a grinder and mow down the lumps a bit.  You don't indicate where you are but I have had excellent luck with floor paint from both Walmart and Canadian Tire stores. It regularly goes on sale and fits your criteria of both "cheap and good". The cheapest paint always turns out to be grey.  If you saw my cart posting it is Walmart grey, oil based at about $10 for that thing that resembles a partially full US gallon can. Show some pics when you're done!!
Reply:I like the Rustoleum Industrial enamel spray.  It's what the firemen paint hydrants with.  You can get it at Lowes.
Reply:Van Sickle Equipment paint  I swear by itBy applying next coat too early(as previously posted), Is more in the realm of minutes rather than hours.Let primer dry at least 24hrs, depending on weatherAll topcoats with an oil based enamel can be applied one after the other when sprayed.The important timing is FLASH TIME.  The time it takes for the bulk of the thinner to evaporate(flash) between coats.  There's a spectrum of thinners from fast to slow.  Mineral spirits being the slowest that I know of (excellent for painting outside on a good day, slows down flash time so you can get back over it before it's too dry for a good tooth).Most enamels can be recoated within maybe 15min or less(depending on thinner,wind, weather).  Waiting too long doesn't allow the fresh coat to blend into the previous coat.  If any coat is allowed to skin, the next coat will not adhere, and the outgassing of the solvents from the previous coat are trapped.  Gets real ugly.Good test for proper flash is when the paint is just getting tacky to the touch.Spray wet.  Like you want the finish to look when it's dry.  Shiny.  Slower gun speed, and slower thinners allow for a wet coat.  A wet coat doesn't have to be a HEAVY WET COAT.  Thin the paint so that you are applying 4 or more wet mist coats.  I don' t get too scientific, but my test for properly thinned paint is when the paint/thinner mixture drips off the siphon tube in the gun with a consistency of milk.  Not real watery, but definitely not thick.  More watery than not.  Add a little thinner to the cup once in a while.  The paint in the cup thickens as you spray.  Not a lot, just to bring it back to the same consistency, or when you notice the paint's shootin' dry.Overlap the previous pass by around 1/2 on each subsequent pass.If you have to use more than one can of the same color, try to box the paint.  Mix some of the new can with the old can.  Either when you half run out of paint, or in a seperate container before you paint if you know one quart isn't gonna be enough.AND WEAR A RESPIRATOR!!!!!!!!!"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:BTW....Reccomended dry times on most cans is for brush painting, or if you want to sand the previous coat before recoating if you're spraying.  Back to the tooth thing"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:A common mistake is to put your equipment on it too soon after painting; before it's completely cured. If you do that, every fingerprint and smudge is permanent. Let it sit for a few days after painting. Humidity and air temps are also a factor in cure times.9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Think along the lines of 2% milk, not whole buttermilk Last edited by farmersamm; 05-02-2009 at 05:26 PM.Reason: one 2 many milks LOL"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Sam- I believe yer talking about using a Sprayer, correct?The dry times and re-coat times I mentioned are for da rattle cansEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Yup, spray gun.  Didn't even consider rattle cansThey still make those???I thought the kids huffed 'em all  In between taggin' rail cars, van bodies, walls,......."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Sam brings up a good point about the directions- they are all different3 different rattle cans here:Rust-oleum High Heat: May recoat within 1 hr or after 48hrs"          "     Textured : Apply second coat within 1 hr or after 48hrsOSH Brand Enamel (Local Hardware Store) 2nd coat within 1hr or after 24hrsAll of them say to Apply 2 or more lights coats a few minutes apart rather than 1 heavy coat.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Thanks for all the detailed replies; this should definately give me a starting point.I might be forced to use a brush because my dad (whose garage the project is in) would throw a cow if I used a spray can in there.  Has anyone used a good brushing-type enamel?
Reply:It doesn't matter if you use a spray can or brush, get Rustolem Hammered, nothing hides grinding scars and other sins as well, and it dries very hard, and quite fast.Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:Sonic;I hate to have to be the one to tell you, but Samm's keeping secrets from you. Ask him about       "Orange". Or better yet, go to                                     Here to see what I'm talking about and then ask him if he has any left over!     .
Reply:Originally Posted by Sonicwonder2000Thanks for all the detailed replies; this should definately give me a starting point.I might be forced to use a brush because my dad (whose garage the project is in) would throw a cow if I used a spray can in there.  Has anyone used a good brushing-type enamel?
Reply:Originally Posted by tessdadIt doesn't matter if you use a spray can or brush, get Rustolem Hammered, nothing hides grinding scars and other sins as well, and it dries very hard, and quite fast.
Reply:That hammered finish is great stuff - I used it several years ago on my girlfriend's kitchen fixtures and they still look great.Good to hear about the brush approach being a viable option.  The overspray  would have gotten me kicked out of the house (and my welding workspace!). My dad has borderline obsessive compulsive disorder; I think I spend more time cleaning up than I do actually working. Use the cutoff saw - sweep the dust. Lay a bead - sweep the slag...  My next project is going to be a wood-routing CNC machine (already 80% built).  I'm going to have to make that sucker completely air-tight so I don't get any dust kickup in the garage.Farmersaam ... is he REALLY a farmer? That orange paint makes me think he might be an undercover roadside construction engineer .I am kind of partial to blue myself.  Has anyone tried this stuff: Valspar Tractor & Implement Enamelhttp://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...&Special=falseThe price is certainly right!Last edited by Sonicwonder2000; 05-03-2009 at 01:01 PM.
Reply:I usually spray the metal first with a clean primer. Rust-O-Leum is the best then I spray it with Rust-O-Leum white enamel spray paint.Midwest Metal ProductsMetal Wire Forming Fan Guards Delta-Larm