Paint Job on my aluminum semi trailer, suggestions?

How is the condition of paint now? If current paint is good just needs to be scuffed and then you could probably go right to your silver color.

If current condition is garbage it will take much more work. Will probably take many gallons of paint and good paint isn't cheap.

 

So is it aluminum in its natural state? You say it’s silver in color….

 

I'm also curious what that exact color is that they use on the white trailers.

I have a bit of experience painting and I would think it would be difficult to spray a whole trailer just because of the size of it. It would be a lot of up-and-down on a ladder to keep everything wet and cross it and blend it.

Someone had suggested to me at 1 point to paint the trailer with a roller. To anyone that has professionally sprayed with a spray gun, that would seem silly.

But with the size of the trailer and the things I mentioned above, a roller would be a lot easier if it would give a reasonable paint job.

 

Well to simplify it paint has to be scuffed up in order for the new paint to adhere. Before you apply the paint the surface also has to be perfectly clean. For the things that I paint I generally wipe everything down with a rag with lacquer thinner but they do sell professional products for that purpose.

You want to use the lightest sand paper that you can. Especially on a soft metal like aluminum if you use a rough sandpaper you will make deep scratches that you will see when you paint. But you have to use a heavy enough sandpaper because if it's too light you won't be able to take the paint off. To prep the paint to be painted over you basically will sand enough to dull the paint. Your goal is not to heavily sand it and remove the paint.

If the paint is not in bad shape to just sand it to be painted you could probably use 400 sandpaper. Wet sanding is kind of messy but it does tend to give really good results.

For small nicks and scratches you want to use a spot putty and then just sand that enough to blend it in.

Anything that is larger than small scratches you will need to use regular body putty and do the same thing. Blend it in preferably with a sanding block. Orbital air Sanders can work well for that.

Any body work that you do take your hand and glide it over the area and feel it. Feel it to see if you have a hump or a low spot or any Imperfections when you blend your putty in. The rule of thumb is if you can't feel it you generally won't see it.

 

Gary Headricks in Ringgold GA is one of the best there is in paint and body for big trucks.
He's a great guy, and likely would have all the info between his ears you'd need.

 

You priced paint lately? Being a petroleum product, the prices have skyrocketed to almost $85/gallon!! I'd think you'd need , IDK, 20 gallons? No wonder nobody paints their classic cars anymore. Why do you want to paint it again?

 

85? 10 years ago a bright red was 600.00 per gal. For color. Now add primer and clear coat!

 

Because of the millions of rivets/huck bolts that most trailers have you really need to blast it or chemically strip it. Sanding with paper or discs will make you old quick.