ty ferguson
New member
Im ready to repaint the frame for my sons kart and was wondering what I should do to prep for painting, sanding off of old paint priming ect. should I sand blast? what
kind of paint?
kind of paint?
painting a kart frame
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OzFab
Well-known member
In what condition is the old paint? You may need to do all of the above or none of the above
ty ferguson
New member
actually the old paint seems to be pretty good, no flaking paint. wrong color and faded
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
Then you should be able to just wipe it down with acetone and paint it.
OzFab
Well-known member
...Or give it a scuff with scotchbrite or 800 grit wet then clean it with wax & grease remover just prior to painting.
Acetone may damage the pre-existing paint or create issues with the new paint
Acetone may damage the pre-existing paint or create issues with the new paint
machinist@large
Active member
Methyl Ethel Keytone.....
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
Errrr....Do you mean M. E. K. substitute?
machinist@large
Active member
What, are you nervous about chemicals that have warning label so detailed that it wraps around the container or is attached in pamphlet form? I just posted it because you were starting to have a heated debate about how to clean the kart for new paint; how to prep the old etc.... With MEK, no more debate; it'll most likely be bare metal. The only paint related issue will be if you don't completely clean the frame afterwords, you might not get paint to stick ever again....
Pat
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
I just posted it because you were starting to have a heated debate about how to clean the kart for new paint; how to prep the old etc.... With MEK, no more debate; it'll most likely be bare metal. The only paint related issue will be if you don't completely clean the frame afterwords, you might not get paint to stick ever again....
Not what I was getting at. Run down to H.D. and pick me up a can of M.E.K. I could use it. I haven't tried the substitute stuff yet.
OzFab
Well-known member
There was no debate, just two separate opinions...
M.E.K. is a bit overkill, isn't it?
M.E.K. is a bit overkill, isn't it?
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
I think so because once you start removing some paint then you have to remove it all or sand it smooth. But I wasn't arguing that. My whole point was that MEK isn't available anymore. .. (at least at.my Home Depot) I haven't really looked elsewhere. . TSP is also only available as a substitute TSP and it's not as good as the real thing.
EDIT: I completely missed your post concerning scuff and sand ect.....Tony. I agree completely. Usually acetone or lacquer thinner wont dissolve factory paint but do seem to remove/prep faded paint and usually don't cause issues with topcoats once dry. There is no chance of those problems your way.
ty ferguson
New member
What about airplane stripper?
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
That stuff is super strong. If you want bare metal it'll do it. Overkill with a capital O tho- plus expensive. Automotive stripper should do it- but I wouldn't strip if it's in as good of shape as you say.
machinist@large
Active member
If I personally have something that only MEK can strip/ clean, I hit the phone book and start pricing out what it'll cost to have someone else do it. I just threw it out there because Acetone or Wax & Grease Remover wouldn't have a snowball's chance in
of touching most of the stuff I've had to paint for work....Depends; for a kart, most likely (if he actually needs it to prep the dang thing, he's got bigger issues). I stuck with what is available at the local hardware store, because I don't work for a company that used high strength acid in it's waste treatment system anymore....
EDIT: Just read some of the above posts; I haven't used MEK in over five years; Doug, if you're saying the real McCoy is no longer for sale to us civilians, you may very well be 100% correct. The two strongest solvents I've used lately are Lacquer Thinner and Xylene (which, for the record, are way, way safer than MEK). Pat
OzFab
Well-known member
If you really want to go to the major hassle of stripping the frame to bare metal, it'll work well but, then you'll need to hit the frame with etch primer, then primer, rub it down then paint: why would you want to go that far when all you need to do is scuff & sprayI just rebuilt a kart (still in the process of tweaking it) and I decided early on to repaint. My daughter wanted a different color!
I usually do things to the extreme, so I did strip it down to the bare metal. Wow- the original paint was really on there well. It took several rounds to get the paint off, with the Aircraft Stripper, scraping and sanding. Finally got it all clean and down to bare metal. I was amazed to find rust below the paint.
Then I used the TSP, rust restorer (1 coat), primer (2 coats) and paint (3 coats). All from spray cans. It came out pretty good...
I usually do things to the extreme, so I did strip it down to the bare metal. Wow- the original paint was really on there well. It took several rounds to get the paint off, with the Aircraft Stripper, scraping and sanding. Finally got it all clean and down to bare metal. I was amazed to find rust below the paint.
Then I used the TSP, rust restorer (1 coat), primer (2 coats) and paint (3 coats). All from spray cans. It came out pretty good...
Poboy kartman
Senior Moments Member
To be honest I just got through taking a kart down to bare metal. All I used was sandpaper- it had the factory paint and a repaint on it. It wasn't that bad of a job. If you are considering stripping I suggest sanding a section first. It will give you an idea of what you are dealing with. You can also leave some of the paint as a filler coat.
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