What's the deal with ISO Free paint? Is it any good? Sounds like the perfect paint for a do it yourself'er...Safe...

 

Duke,

Basically any paint that is a single component plus reducer is ISO free. This would include Acrylic Lacquer (which has it's own hazards,) Acrylic Enamel(without hardener,) and Alkyd Enamel.

Once you add hardener to Acrylic Enamel you are making it a two component product with ISO's. Any paint that is two component plus reducer if needed, is an ISO product.

As a hobbyist painter I understand fully your hesitance to take on an ISO project. I have gone through all this in making the decision myself in preparation for my current project and two more that I have lined up after this one. The 2K products are just so superior to Acrylic Enamel or Acrylic Lacquer (I wouldn't even consider Alkyd Enamel) that it just makes no sense to put so much preparation work into the project only to shoot it with a short lived topcoat.

The decision that I have made is to spring for a hobbyist grade, hooded, fresh air system for about $400. I just put this into the budget along with all the rest of the stuff. If you do that and put fresh air through your paint area, you will be safe.

There has been a big pitch recently on the TV shows and elsewhere for Duplicolor. They position it as the greatest thing since sliced bread because it is ready to shoot out of the can. They have a limited number of colors and all that's in the can is Acrylic Lacquer plus it's reducer.

My response to the Duplicolor is that if you are using it because you don't have enough IQ to mix a few components together to paint a car then you probably don't have the IQ to paint a car (or find your way to work.)

As far as I'm concerned the Duplicolor is a big smoke and mirror campaign that sells a bill of goods without even telling you what's inside the can. Sure, it's ISO free, but if you want ISO free, use three or four more brain cells and buy Acrylic Lacquer at your paint supply store. Those extra few brain cells will be needed to mix the lacquer and the reducer. BTW, with Lacquer you will have to rub it out if you want a decent gloss.

Sorry for the rant. I just feel that the Duplicolor campaign is only telling part of the story.

You need to make your own decision and if you have a sensitivity for ISO's, then that must be factored in. In the seventies I did several good paint jobs with Acrylic Enamel and Acrylic Lacquer. That was then. Since there are such greatly advanced products available now, I feel that it's worth it to spend the extra bucks for the paint products as well as the necessary safety gear.

NOW, all that said, if you are on a budget I REALLY understand. I've been there. Acrylic Enamel can make a nice looking paint job and if it's kept indoors and cared for can last awhile.

I hope this rambling has been worth your time to read.

 

I appreciate the rant actually... Very informative. I'm really new to the whole paint thing so like anything else i have to ask questions. The reason i ask is because i'm blasting my truck bed and looking to undercoat it and then prime it maybe. I was looking around on AutoBodyDepot.com at paint and primer and noticed an ISO free primer. My wife is really the concerned one here, although i take every precaution she still worries, in fact she's out buying me new filters for my half mask because she thinks "they look old"...great girl.

Anyway, let me ask you guys this... If i under coat the bed and then strip and prime the upside how long can i leave it that way before painting? Would it be best to just hold off on the priming and wait until i can do the entire truck?

Thanks again.

 

Well, you're in luck for this stage of your project. The best primer to put over bare metal is Epoxy Primer and it is ISO free. You still want to wear a respirator and treat it with respect, but it is ISO free.

After that stage, you will want to use a primer/surfacer and then a topcoat. There are single component primer/surfacers that are ISO free and then you are to the decision for topcoat as I indicated in my first post.

If you will invest in a fresh air breathing apparatus as I mentioned, you will then be ready to safely paiint with whatever product you wish. This would even be a great insurance step for whatever product you use. How much is your health worth? Is it worth $400?

 

Just one addition to what MB has already stated. The fresh air apparatus is an awesome thing, especially if you're a full time painter and exposed to the chemicals on a daily basis like I am. I understand the health issues and the respect that needs to be given to the products we work with. My only thought is that if you're a hobbyist and only painting say a car a year or every two years or something that going through the steps of installing a fresh air system might be a bit overboard. The fastest way for the chemicals to enter the body is through the eyes and skin. With the exception of the eyes, the respiratory system and skin can be remedied pretty easily without too much effort. I won't ever knock anyone for wanting to take all the safety steps, it's a good thing but I'm also realistic that a one time thing most likely isn't going to cause any type of damage.

 

Indy,

Very good point, but there is a small risk that he could be hypersensitive to ISO's and once he finds that out it would be too late. It would not be fatal, but it could mess him up. If there is any way that he can afford a $400 fresh air system and is a carnut like myself, he will have it for the rest of his life which with it, could very well turn out to be a longer period of time than if he did not have it. What is your health worth?

Duke,

I forgot to point out what may already be obvious to you. Before spraying Epoxy Primer on bare metal, the bare metal must be treated with Metal Prep or a rust killer like Ospho or Picklex. Make sure you always study and read the product directions thoroughly. Missing such basics could make all your hard work go for naught.

Good luck,

 

MB, would a product like zero rust work well under the epoxy primer as a first step in preping the bare metal?
Ray

 

I'm not using Epoxy primer for the under side of the bed, I'm using a rust encapsulating paint. First i knocked the scale and loose rust off, next i blasted the old paint and rust that was left, after that i treated the surface with Eastwoods Fast Etch to both neutralize the surface and prep for paint. I first prep the surface with Eastwoods PRE before the Fast Etch step and then use it to remove the Fast Etch once it has done it's job. The surface is a nice gray smooth surface ready for paint.

As far as a fresh air supply, i will absolutely have one. I do not mess around with my health. My opinion is that a one time exposure is one too many, besides i have a feeling i'll be busy with this hobby for a long time.

My concern at this point is deciding if i need to go all the way to the bare metal for the outer surfaces to use Epoxy primer. I want to move on to the cab next but i don't want the bed i just spent so much time on to just sit and rot waiting for me to prime the entire truck and then paint. I'd like to Prime it now and then let it sit if possible...

What do you guys suggest? I mean what is the correct way to do it, prime it all at once or do it in chuncks and paint all at the same time?

 

Realistically you would want to try and do it all at once, if you're stuck in a position that you have to do it bit by bit that will work fine too, especially with the area you're talking about.


MB, I totally agree with you on the allergic reaction, and I can see your point on the system. I guess I'm just lucky that none of this crap seems to phase me in bad ways, lol

 

So what is the correct way to do it bit by bit though? What i'm thinking is i'll take care of the underside of the bed, cab and the front clip, rust proof it all. Then I'll yank the motor, run a parallel path with frame prep (sand blast, rust proof, topcoat and re-assemble) and rebuild the motor. Once I re-install the motor, then i will go back to the bed, cab and front fenders in that order, sandblasting and priming, then painting. My question is, is this the right way to do it?

Can i prime the bed now since i'm already working on it, and then leave it. Do the same thing with the cab and front end and then paint it all...sometime in the future at the same time?

I'm not sure what the right way is?

 

Duke,

You can do it either way. I have chosen to prime mine all at once. I am using Picklex. I am doing this because I don't want to mix a small batch of primer, shoot, cleanup the gun and then do it all over again on the next small panel.

My truck is indoors while I am going through this painfully slow process. In my situation I am dealing with some SERIOUS surface rust. I strip an area of surface rust, then treat it with Picklex. It keeps it from rusting and actually converts the microscopic rust that is remaining after the mechanical strip to a primer. Once the entire cab is stripped I will epoxy prime. Then once the entire bed is stripped I will epoxy prime it.

Good luck,

 

For anyone looking for an ISO free paint, check out the AutoAirColors website. AutoAir is a water based automotive paint that has very low VOCs. The only problem is it still requires a clearcoat (which would contain ISOs if urethane).

However, there's several waterbased clears out there, but they require a long cure time. They aren't suitable for production body shops, but for us hobbyists it's something to consider. I plan to experiment with one as soon as Spring gets here.....

 

Water borne base has been used in Europe for a number of years. Messing with it is a hassle and there is really no advantage to the aftermarket or hobbyist painter. You will STILL have to get all the protective gear and set up for ISO's for the clear coat. I personally wouldn't mess with Water borne on a bet. The ONLY way I would mess with it would be if it is all that is available or absolutely required by law, which would probably be the only reason it would not be available.

My $0.02,

 

Yeah vote for the enviro commies, and we will be all using H2O paints. Just look at all the older GM vehicals with pealing and fading paint jobs. All H20 Paint.
So what happens when you put water on bare steel????????? Yes when the water colors are mandatory, we will be painting our trucks every month. Yet the Boeing planes will still be painted with the good stuff, and so will the bridges etc. And jets will still be spewing raw hydrocarbons, so cool isn't it. Sorry for the rant, it just makes me sick I'm gona loose my freedoms over a huge lie.

 

I couldn't agree more. If you think we are seeing big government socialism now, you better hang on to your hat. Socialism is about to EXPLODE in this country for at least the next four years beginning next January.

My $0.02,