painting a motorcycle lift table

[streetglider]

I have a lift table that I keep stored under my truck in my garage. Recently it has started to rust. I wire-brushed all the rust and treated it with Loctite Rust Neutralizer. I let it sit for a week and today I wire-brushed the table top then sanded it with 400 grit sandpaper. I haven't done the legs yet. I was planning on priming it in a few days with rustoleum primer and then painting it with a top coat.

I have an air compressor and a heater in my garage that can get it up to about 60 degrees. My problem is that I have never painted anything with a spray gun and due to my inexperience was thinking I should probably just use a roller and a brush. (I did set up my compressor with filters and drop legs as instructed on here for painting but have never done it.)

Any suggestions on what primer and paint to use? I attached some pictures to see if anyone thinks I should prep it more. I am just now trying to learn how to work on projects like this even though I am 63. I am working with my kids hoping they learn how to do some of this too.

By the way, I have asked several questions on here and have always gotten great advice which makes us more confident to tackle some of these projects. We are doing more and more all the time.

Thanks,
Jack

 

[Bondo]

was thinking I should probably just use a roller and a brush.
Any suggestions on what primer and paint to use?

Ayuh,.... Rustoleum of course,....

 

[JJThrasher]

Rustoleum spray paint. Simple to use and hold up great. Doesn't look half bad either.

 

[driftpin]

Looks like a good, robust table, a good front wheel clamp, dropout rear for tire changing, similar to a Handy-Lift. I'm trying to get permission from the War Dept to get one now.

Sure, you can spray it w/your gun, roll it out, or use paint cans. The cost of a couple of quarts of grey Rustoleum may be close to the gallon price. I'd say, give it a shot, thin it according to can directions, and take your gun to a local paint shop and ask them if the nozzle and needle in it now are gonna allow you to paint using the Rustoleum. Or visit a local body shop.

 

[crab]

I would roll it on, you'll get a better surface for a lift table that way. Not sure I would even prime it. You can get paint that will be fine at Sherwin Williams in any color you want. Just tell them what you're painting.

 

[rpcraft]

Rustoleum etching primer is a good starting point if you are down to bare metal. After that I would let it dry and find a good blend of some satin paint that allows for you putting some type of gritty material in. That or paint it with whatever you have and then once it cures put on a load of traction tape. Nothing worse than trying to park a bike on a slick ramp or work table. I have one of the cheaper HF tables that has the diamond tread on it and it is passable in that fashion, but one of these days once I get a chance to take all the stuff off it I am probably going to re-prep it and put a good anti-slip surface finish on it that is dark, because dark satiny finishes make it easier to find dropped items than a shiny red surface with lots of reflections on it.

 

[streetglider]

Thanks, I definitely overthink and research these projects so much I end up confusing myself. Your advice is a great help.

The lift has worked out well. I have side extensions and it lifts an ATV that weighs about 900 lbs. and our motorcycles. It wasn't expensive either but I do worry about that Chinese metal.

 

[floordry]

Give a think to using tractor paint ( tractor supply or other places ).
I painted the shop sign ( all metal ) about 7yrs ago and no rust at all anywhere.
Applied with roller and paint brush.
Thinned a little for first coat and full strength for second.
If done in a reasonably warm area, paint flows quite nice.

My .02¢

 

[laser3kw]

if you choose to spray it, invest in "painters plastic". It s real thin plastic used to cover what you don't want over spray on. I have learned (the hard way) that no matter what method you use (spray can or gun) you get over spray on everything in sight - floors, tools, benches, equipment, lights.....
I typical will find some object, sitting in a corner, with some color I shot the year before.
If it were me (and I have a lift like that, it needs painting to!) I would scuff it up / sand it, primer, and roll on the color. In cold weather you may thin the Rustoleum with a little Acetone or some other quick vaporizing agent. Brushes seem to leave streaks easier and they are hard to pull out.

 

[Git]

I am a big POR-15 fan. I have never come across anything more durable

Paint Over Rust

http://www.por15.com/

 

[wkndwarrior29]

I would roll it on, if you take your time you will get a very nice finish. I have used rustoleum oil based, tractor paint from TS, and oil based from Sherwin Williams with similar results - just make sure you prep properly (I wipe everything down with brake cleaner after scuffing before priming), use a good rusty metal primer if it has had rust, and allow full cure before doing much with it (a good 10 days). For my next project I am considering a garage floor coating or engine enamel.

Have you considered a garage floor epoxy kit?

 

[LXCam]

I'd shot it with colored bedliner.

 

[Dirtydan69]

I had a used Handy that was a little rusty. I wire brushed the rust and cleaned up the rest. I used the rust converter on the bare spots and rustoleum gray primer on the entire thing. Then gray paint. All out of rattle cans. It held up well for about 30 months until I moved and sold it. If I had to do it over I would have done the final coat with a brush and roller.

 

[Oldbear]

My vote is for a spray on bedliner, Por-15 or roll-on anti-slip paint, as have been mentioned by others. I put grip tape on the ramp of my lift to keep from spinning out. I plan doing the roll on anti-slip when projects wind down.

 

[streetglider]

I don't think my garage is nice enough to epoxy the floor. It seems like its always in need of being straightened up! The comments about the ramp being slick are spot on. I have spun the rear wheel more than once so I am definitely going to remember to do something with that. Based on the weather coming up around here I think I should roll it on too.

 

[2oolhound]

I had a project I needed some durable paint on in the summer. I've had some old spray guns around here I've always been thinking I should give a try to one day but always seemed to go rattle can. I wound up getting some auto paint with hardener and spraying with the old gun. I couldn't believe how much nicer that was from rattle cans. Very little waste and I used 1/3 of the paint I thought I'd need. The gun allowed me to turn down the flow to a mist like an air brush or spay a nice even flat wide spray.

The big problem for me was I have to do it outside but I'm sold on using spray guns and good paint over rattle cans for bigger projects.