Thread: Painting Chrome Moly?

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I did a search and came up with nothing. I know this is a dumb question, but I've heard painting 4130 is tricky. Is this true? If it is, what's the best way to paint my roll bar?

I don't see why it would be different than other grades of steel. They have been painting race car chassis for decades, and I haven't heard anything negative about it.

If you want to play it safe, sand thoroughly with a heavy grit, which will give the paint more surface to hold on to, then use epoxy primer for the best grip.

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

I don't see why it would be different than other grades of steel. They have been painting race car chassis for decades, and I haven't heard anything negative about it.

If you want to play it safe, sand thoroughly with a heavy grit, which will give the paint more surface to hold on to, then use epoxy primer for the best grip.

That's what I thought. Thanks.

It's not ..... powder coats the same too. It does, however, need to be TIG welded (IMO).

Regs

it is just like any steel .any round tube can be fun to paint like air plane parts you do not need much prep work if clean go over it with a 3m red pad and hand sand with 180 and etch prime and paint is how it was done on the planes hold out was ok but now it is all powder coated hold out is much better i have been told

I would rather be beaten with a rubber hose than have to paint a roll cage inside a car. As Pat alluded, it pretty much is impossible to get all of the "nooks and crannys". I would use some slow reducer to keep down the orange peal.

The best way to do this job is Powdercoat it, if the car is apart. Powdercoat is a lot more durable and about the same in cost if you need to do any media blasting for the paint prep. The paint is going to get chipped and torn up from the belt buckels and the driver getting in and out.

This brings up an interesting point. What IS the proper way to spray a roll cage inside a car body? I've seen some cars with outstandingly smooth paint jobs on the roll bars and wondered how they got on top and in all the goofy spots.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

This brings up an interesting point. What IS the proper way to spray a roll cage inside a car body? I've seen some cars with outstandingly smooth paint jobs on the roll bars and wondered how they got on top and in all the goofy spots.

Don

Maybe use a "hand pump" garden sprayer with the long wand and a swivel end nozzel and spray it from outside the car, just kidding.

I was watching one of my wife's NASCAR TV shows and they were showing the chassis build. They had a short segment on a guy painting the interior and it looked like he had it down pat. But they gloss over the segments so fast it was hard to tell exactly the order he sprayed it. For me the problem is with all of the diagonal bars and joints. As soon as you get it laid down your backing into WET paint! I guess thats why some people are called professionals.

I've done it and its a bitch to get perfect, A painter friend of mine suggested making sure it was earthed well, apparently it helps the paint flow, i tried it and it was better, don't ask me why though.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

This brings up an interesting point. What IS the proper way to spray a roll cage inside a car body? I've seen some cars with outstandingly smooth paint jobs on the roll bars and wondered how they got on top and in all the goofy spots.

Don