How much Por 15??

[Wabbiteer]

The POR is glassy - rock hard and glassy - anything including itself put on it w/o prior preperation bounces off, just some s l o w e r than others

The POR recommendation is scuff cured surface with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I was thinking 400 was too fine until I tried it, then presto - a huge amount of superfine dust about like confectioners sugar yet when that cured paint was tack-rag wiped only minimal scuffing was seen. And that was for just applying 3M 5200 sealant/adhesive, probably some of the stickiest stuff there is. (I hope it works, I hope it works, I hope it works..)

[perryg114]

If all the second coat is doing it getting all the nooks and crannies that you missed with the first coat then who cares if the redundant coating comes off. This is if it is in some dark dank place under the skins that you don't care what it looks like as long as it does not rust.

Perry

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by perryg114

who cares if the redundant coating comes off. This is if it is in some dark dank place under the skins that you don't care what it looks like as long as it does not rust.

Perry

That is surely one approach to Airstream restoration, who cares...

I was once an apprentice cabinet maker. My Sensei told me if you don't have time to do it right the first time what makes you think you have time to do it over. Mr Fitzgerald taught me many things. He is a very wise man.

[perryg114]

The purpose of it is to seal off rust. If you want it to look nice overcoat with real paint. If the sunlight gets to it then it will chalk. I am very anal about most things but just to make a point why does it matter if it looks like a Corvet if it is hidden. Also I don't understand why folks bother stripping and polishing the inside of the outside skin. There are plenty of things that really need attention on an Airstream without being much a do about nothing. I believe in making it better than it was from the factory. Making it look like a show car under the skins makes no sense to me. On the parts that you can see, I will POR15 then sand and paint will real paint like Koropon primer then whatever top coat I want. I am not suggesting you should do a crappy job.

Perry

[Frank's Trailer Works]

... please show me someone who has polished the inside of the outer skin? I want to personally mock them. I think you are confusing it with polishing the inner skin. Why do people do it? Because in small amounts it looks totally awesome. This hold very true for the 13 panel interior end caps.

[perryg114]

I have seen threads on here where folks strip all the old brown stuff off and polish the inside of the outside skin. I have seen the inner skins polished and that looks cool but the ones covered in wood are really cool.

Perry

[VeggieBullet]

So.
just double checking...If we want to paint the tongue in a matching color with the truck what so you guys recommend?...

[rumrunner]

sorry to hear that, Frank. That frame is gorgeous! So jealous.
BTW can por be topcoated effectively with anything else besides their products?

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by VeggieBullet

So.
just double checking...If we want to paint the tongue in a matching color with the truck what so you guys recommend?...

I told you what I do. Others have told you what they do. Now is the time to distill what was said and find out what is going to work for you. My advise is confidence followed by a willingness to learn by any mistakes you might make.

[Wabbiteer]

POR is hard and glassy - when hit by 400-grit sand paper it throws off a large amount of smoke-sized dust and doesn't load up wet/dry paper at all. The stuff is even fun to sand, if you can believe that. Sand and tack-rag and coat with most anything is the way I understand it - the small area of the hitch A-frame should be a breeze to do.

The first mental image I got at your question of paint matching was, depending on the color of the tow vehicle, how badly my shins would hurt the eleventeenth time I ran into pavement colored or other camouflaged color A-frame steel.... Ouch.

[Bauxter]

Saw this on VTS web site

POR-15 Self-Etching Primer

"Painting over cured POR-15® must be done with care. POR-15® dries to such a slick, impervious surface that topcoats don't bond to it properly. That's why topcoats should be applied while POR-15®is still in what we call the "finger drag" stage of drying. If you've let your POR-15® paint cure beyond that point, you'll need to use this self-etching primer to create the proper bond between POR-15® and your topcoat. With POR-15® Self-Etching Primer, you can even topcoat POR-15® that's been in place for months or years.
POR-15® Self-Etching Primer is engineederd specifically as a bonding coat for POR-15®. It is NOT a high-build primer. But it can be sprayed on almost any painted surface and can be topcoated in 15 - 30 minutes. It bonds incredibly well to POR-15® Rust Preventive Paint, and all topcoats bond incredibly well to POR-15® Self-Etching Primer. It can be sanded lightly, and, if desired, multiple coats may be applied."

[marzboy]

Originally Posted by Bauxter

Saw this on VTS web site

POR-15 Self-Etching Primer

"Painting over cured POR-15® must be done with care. POR-15® dries to such a slick, impervious surface that topcoats don't bond to it properly. That's why topcoats should be applied while POR-15®is still in what we call the "finger drag" stage of drying. If you've let your POR-15® paint cure beyond that point, you'll need to use this self-etching primer to create the proper bond between POR-15® and your topcoat. With POR-15® Self-Etching Primer, you can even topcoat POR-15® that's been in place for months or years.
POR-15® Self-Etching Primer is engineederd specifically as a bonding coat for POR-15®. It is NOT a high-build primer. But it can be sprayed on almost any painted surface and can be topcoated in 15 - 30 minutes. It bonds incredibly well to POR-15® Rust Preventive Paint, and all topcoats bond incredibly well to POR-15® Self-Etching Primer. It can be sanded lightly, and, if desired, multiple coats may be applied."

I used a spray version of the primer they sell it @ the Por 15 website. Also I used por 15 hardnose as a top coat over the por 15 paint. GET ER DONE!!!

[MagnoliaNola]

Originally Posted by Alumaholic

POR is not paint.
POR is degraded by exposure to sunlight.
Surfaces that will be exposed to direct sunlight must be topcoated with a POR topcoat.
Automotive paint will cover and dry beautifully, put it will begin to peel and flake in 2-4 years.
Don't ask me why I know this.
P.S. I have used gallons of the stuff.

Hi there, I am about to embark on repainting the frame of a 31' Sovereign. From the reading on this forum that i have done, my plan is to remove the rust and carry out repairs to the frame, then teat the frame with Ospho, followed by two coats of POR15. the final step, which i have not decided on yet, is what top coat to use.
I would greatly appreciate your feed back and advice.

[CRH]

I would use implement paint from the farm store. I have a home built trailer I painted with implement paint 21 years ago. It sits outside. It has held up great.

[Wabbiteer]

what top coat to use?

Fine, ask a simple question and get the book...

POR15 does not like sunlight UV exposure – so any exposed frame (bumper support, step assembly & its cove, wheel well outriggers, hitch A-frame) needs the topcoat. As to what type, personally I'd stay with the POR-16 product line.

If it doesn’t get done the small amount of surfaces can be done later using their aerosol bond coat – the UV damage happens very slowly, on my black frame it just turned the top molecular layer into soot... starting about year 3. All other hidden areas will last half of forever without topcoat.

An exception is where sharp metal edges lets the POR pull back away and leave the thinnest of coat on the actual knifes edge - doing a bead of topcoat paint on all the outside edges of the outriggers will vastly improve lifetime of rust-free protection.

Now for the rest of the book (for you and future readers, can't help myself) ... Prior planning the physical effort timeline is important.

Forcing the physics involved in POR-15 to suit our moods works most of the time. I’ve had the pleasure of project delays see me finishing applying it in the dark near midnight at just above freezing and it turned out alright. That said when it is hot and humid bad things happen faster.

A cheap HVLP sprayer using an air hose in-line disposable desiccant makes it happen fast and yields professional results – having the derrick style rotisserie to spin frame will pay back its trouble in luxurious painting, insulation & belly pan sheet metal installation blah blah blah.

'Finger-drag' dry is THE optimum time for second coat, once carrier solvent has evaporated yet catalyst kick has not completed turning POR15 into glass. The same applies for any topcoat, a narrow window of time that POR15 will yield to the bite adhesion of the next coat and let it key in.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by MagnoliaNola

Hi there, I am about to embark on repainting the frame of a 31' Sovereign. From the reading on this forum that i have done, my plan is to remove the rust and carry out repairs to the frame, then teat the frame with Ospho, followed by two coats of POR15. the final step, which i have not decided on yet, is what top coat to use.
I would greatly appreciate your feed back and advice.

Welcome to the forum!

FYI this thread is 7 years old, so you may not get the attention of earlier posters IMO.

These "Por 15" search results may be productive FWIW:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Por+...com&gws_rd=ssl

Good luck,

Peter


FYI/FWIW