Spray painting machinery. Is 2K paint worth it?

[flatlandfarmer]

Taken on a few refurb projects on during winter to keep busy. Invested in shot blasting equipment and relevant PPE to then repaint. Very inexperienced with spray painting, although looking to learn and become more experienced with practice. The machinery is mainly trailers, bowsers and cultivators. I believe most manufacturers use 2K paint for durability and finish. I have been advised by one local supplier and they recommended a single pack zinc phosphate paint (if I remember correctly). Do these single pack paints offer the same level of quality as 2K paints?. Really wanting to end up with a durable paint finish which will last years, not temporary 'tarting up'. The supplier's argument against a 2K paint is the faff of using an air fed mask during painting, this doesn't worry me as I have already invested into one and filters etc for shot blasting.

Or is 2K best left for the real paint professionals?

I understand with painting, the majority of the level of finish is dictated by the spray man's ability and the prep work before hand. Just trying to get a grasp of the fundamentals.

Many thanks.

 

[john432]

The 2k paint it where you add in some hardner to the paint, and a drop of suitable thinners to make it spray able. Biggest problem isn't the paint, but the damp air in mid winter. Overnight dew/ damp just ruins the shine of the job.

 

[dave mountain]

there are good and bad of both 1k and 2k paints.

wouldnt use zinc phosphate, it is just modern "red lead". i use it on stuff that doesnt really matter and it costs me about £60 for 20L.

ive used getting on for a hundred different paints and best ive found is international intergard 251 as primer followed by interseal 670HS. if you have a lot to do then definately worth investing in a 20L pot of each. 670HS is highly durable but not a decorative coating, if thats what you want then you need a polyurethane high gloss top coat, which works very well over the intergard primer.

they international paints are also much easier to spray than others as they go on very thick and dont run. you should be wearing a vapour mask regardless of 1k or 2k if you are using isocyanate paint. airfed mask is not required though.

 

[PSQ]

Eldest son is looking for a 'vintage' tractor. We must have looked at 20 at various sales of which maybe 14 have been 'restored', but the restorations have all been utterly shambolic, without fail.
If these are the accepted 'standard, then you might as well just use Tractol in the wrong shade, flashed over with an underseal gun, and remember to forget to mask around the rims because nothing says 'half arsed job' more than a tractor with rim coloured rubber and overpainted dials and chrome.

But to be serious, yes, if the client isn't desperate to cut corners then definitely go with 2K or at least a good quality paint and proper preparation.

 

[Kidds]

The success of any paint job depends very highly on the prep, if you are going to go the whole hog with the prep then 2K will be the icing on the cake. It’s not hard to use even in winter as long as you are warm and dry when painting.
Well worth looking up “paintucation” videos if you can find them online, they are very informative and go into quite a lot of detail about prep and application.