Rustoleum Professional Primer

[RonD2]

I've been using Rustoleum paint my entire life and I'm in the habit of using Rustoleum Professional Flat Red Primer for M38 bracketry because of the great quality, made in the U.S.A., and less than $6 for the tall 15-ounce can at the local store. If I do my part and clear the tip with a few seconds of upside-down spray they very rarely fail to let me empty the can. And once in a while if the tip does clog, usually a quick soak in mineral spirits will clear it. It's even more rare when that doesn't work, maybe 1 can in 100 or more?

A couple of weeks ago I had a can quit on me still 1/3 full. Couldn't get it working again. Reading the label, Rustoleum guarantees customer satisfaction and invites a call to their 800 number, so I did. Spoke to a very nice customer service rep. I told him I followed the procedures on the can to get it to work with no joy. After a pleasant conversation, he told me he'd send a replacement and I thanked him. Good deal by a great American company standing by their product. Too rare nowadays?

Anyway, and I don't know if it was a mistake or intentional, about 5 days later a FedEx guy hands me a case of 6 cans (same tall 15-ounce red primer).

I call it superior customer service to get one can replaced. Getting six is off the chart! Rustoleum is top shelf in my book. I thought I'd pass it on.
_________________
Ron D.
1951 M38 Unknown Serial Number
1951 M100 Dunbar Kapple 01169903 dod 5-51

“The only good sports car that America ever made was the Jeep."
--- Enzo Ferrari

[jake138]

I've been using rattle cans of Rustoleum Rust Reformer to prime almost everything on my MC so far and I have been incredibly happy with its performance. It lays out very nicely and the few streaks I have made were entirely my own fault. When I first tested it on my frame, I cleaned the frame with a wire wheel and primed it with a single coat and after it dried, I could barely even scuff it with my knife because it was such a strong bond and a durable coat. I've also done the top coat of my frame and engine with Rustoleum and was very happy with end results. The only Rustoleum product I was not completely satisified with was the "Professional" enamel, I used it as a top coat for my transfer case and it seemed watery. I might call them now and see if I got a bad batch, because I really liked the industrial gray color and would have loved to paint more with it.
_________________
Jake, Central CT
51 M38 s/n 35627

[RonD2]

Hi Jake,
I've also used their Professional grade top coats and agree they seem "watery" going on, especially compared to the red primer. I haven't used much of it on my M38, just the black on the correct engine bay stuff.

I discovered that I really have to pay attention (and use a lot of patience not to rush it) with the instructions to "apply light coats a few minutes apart". When I do it seems to go on well and is also a very durable paint. When I don't use enough patience or get too close to the work, it seems to run quickly.

I forgot to mention above that if you call, they'll want the number codes printed on the bottom of the defective can.
_________________
Ron D.
1951 M38 Unknown Serial Number
1951 M100 Dunbar Kapple 01169903 dod 5-51

“The only good sports car that America ever made was the Jeep."
--- Enzo Ferrari

[jake138]

That's probably the one thing that I've come to learn about any paint, regardless of make/brand/application: thinner coats, and applying more coats, almost always seem to give a better appearance and adhesion. Hell, just staining my shed last week I did three thin coats and it looks damn good. Takes longer, waiting for stain to dry and applying another coat the next day, but the end result is noticeably better.

My experience with the Professional series, it seemed that no matter how lightly I tried to spray a coat, it just looked thin and watery. Even after a second and third coat, even though the paint itself didn't really run and leave streaks, it just seemed too thin to really layer-up properly. I am obviously not a professional painter and don't know any technical terms to describe that I saw, but this is the best sense I can make of it in lay-mans terms.

My biggest gripe is easiest described as to how it wouldn't really stick to the higher peaks of any rough cast areas on the transfer case. If you looked closely, anywhere that was lower in the cast surface had the paint settle into, and any high spots just looked bare. The color of the cast iron really stuck out against the light gray that I used, which is what brought my attention to the fact that the paint, even in thin coats, just didn't really "stick" to those higher spots, and just had a tendency to run down like water into the low spots.

Again, reading your post makes me want to call Rustoleum and ask if it could have been a bad batch. I'll add it onto the "short list" of projects, since I'll be painting the transmission sooner rather than later and I did really like the color when it was all said and done.
_________________
Jake, Central CT
51 M38 s/n 35627

[RonD2]

It sure can't hurt to call. I thought they were very receptive and responsive.

Let us know how it goes if you do. Good luck!
_________________
Ron D.
1951 M38 Unknown Serial Number
1951 M100 Dunbar Kapple 01169903 dod 5-51

“The only good sports car that America ever made was the Jeep."
--- Enzo Ferrari

[RICKG]

[sf38a1]

I have been using Rustoelum rusty metal primer for years . The Lowes where I lived decided ,as a test ,to stop carrying Rustoelum product and only Karylon paint . I told the manager i would not be shopping at Lowes and will go to Home Depot . I also sent an Email to Lowes head office . I got an email back ,wanting to know what store ,blah ,blah ,blah . About a month later Rustoelum was back on the shelf . found out from the manager ,they had a lot of complaints. Sometimes you got to wonder what corporate was thinking .

[jake138]

I called customer service and was issued a refund for the original cost of the can. I went to my local hardware store and bought a new can, which is not the same store I purchased the first can from. I have yet to try the new can as I am mostly done painting transmission parts at this point, but I'm hopeful that the new can will provide the results I'm looking for.
_________________
Jake, Central CT
51 M38 s/n 35627