General questions about coating a wood box with bed-liner.

[4lowdean]

I would like to coat the wooden storage box I built for the back of my jeep with bed-liner. I was thinking about the Dupi-Color stuff in the aerosol spray can.

First of all, is that stuff worth it? Anyone willing to recommend it or give me a reason to avoid it?

Second, do I need to prep the wood at all (give it a rough sanding, prime it, etc), or just spray it right on?

Lastly, is it worth layering the stuff up at all or just give it a solid coat and let it be?

 

[Mc Taco]

:lurk:

Curious about this too.

 

[Woodsman]

The hardware store stuff only requires a clean surface when used on wood. I used the roll-on variety on this platform in my FJ Cruiser and it proved to be very durable.

It doesn't go as far as the franchise stuff (Line-X and Vortex) and building it up very thick will get expensive. I would just coat it to cover the substrate and leave it at that. Do not rush it. Spray it. Leave it dry. Spray it. Leave it dry. You will not get full coverage on the first coat.

 

[4lowdean]

The hardware store stuff only requires a clean surface when used on wood. I used the roll-on variety on this platform in my FJ Cruiser and it proved to be very durable.

It doesn't go as far as the franchise stuff (Line-X and Vortex) and building it up very thick will get expensive. I would just coat it to cover the substrate and leave it at that. Do not rush it. Spray it. Leave it dry. Spray it. Leave it dry. You will not get full coverage on the first coat.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh156/woodsmanspics/James%20FJ%20pics/148.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

Thanks. I don't want to build it up too thick, just enough to protect the wood from moisture, dents, and dings. I figure since it will be kept inside the Jeep and not be in the weather all the time it should last a while.

I was more worried about the bonding issue to the wood and the prep work. Now all I need to do is wait for some warmer weather, a nice day, and some $$$. :coffeedrink:

 

[robert]

I've used the spray can stuff on several wood items and not found it to hold up well. On one of the pieces, I suspect that it being treated lumber had something to do with that, but the others just didn't hold up well. Sunlight seems to play hell with it too. Just my experience- maybe putting on several coats and building it up instead of just two or three would have made a difference.

 

[4lowdean]

I've used the spray can stuff on several wood items and not found it to hold up well. On one of the pieces, I suspect that it being treated lumber had something to do with that, but the others just didn't hold up well. Sunlight seems to play hell with it too. Just my experience- maybe putting on several coats and building it up instead of just two or three would have made a difference.

Thanks for the insight. It's a box made out of $20 worth of wood and a fist full of wood screws. I don't expect it to last forever, but at least in the meantime I want to protect it. I know it was mentioned that no prep is needed, but I have wondered about hitting it with my palm sander and some really-really course paper to give the bed-liner something to bite into rather than just smooth wood.

 

[Woodsman]

I've used the spray can stuff on several wood items and not found it to hold up well. On one of the pieces, I suspect that it being treated lumber had something to do with that, but the others just didn't hold up well. Sunlight seems to play hell with it too. Just my experience- maybe putting on several coats and building it up instead of just two or three would have made a difference.

Pressure treated lumber is rarely a good substrate for a finish unless you allow the lumber surface to weather and dry thereby removing any barrier to proper adhesion. PT lumber straight from the yard will have a very high moisture content. I don't think any of these hardware store liner coatings is going to hold up like the franchise coatings that get a separate UV coat but you get what you pay for.

Thanks for the insight. It's a box made out of $20 worth of wood and a fist full of wood screws. I don't expect it to last forever, but at least in the meantime I want to protect it. I know it was mentioned that no prep is needed, but I have wondered about hitting it with my palm sander and some really-really course paper to give the bed-liner something to bite into rather than just smooth wood.

If you go coarser than maybe 100-120 you will just cause yourself extra trouble in getting good coverage and a smooth finish. The scratch pattern left by 100-120 will give plenty of "tooth" for this stuff to grab.

 

[4lowdean]

I don't think any of these hardware store liner coatings is going to hold up like the franchise coatings that get a separate UV coat but you get what you pay for.

Yeah, I am fine with a cheap DIY kit since it's a $20 box in the back of a 15 year old Jeep. It could last 6 months for all i care. By then I will either have a new Jeep or changed my mind about my rear storage system. I just want *something* other than bare wood back there and I don't feel like going the carpet route.

If you go coarser than maybe 100-120 you will just cause yourself extra trouble in getting good coverage and a smooth finish. The scratch pattern left by 100-120 will give plenty of "tooth" for this stuff to grab.

Not too worried about a smooth finish since most of the spray-bomb bed-liner stuff comes out textured anyway. Not going for a "smooth" look since it it is a function over form piece. I was figuring 80 grit myself but I can start off with some 100 or 120 if I have some laying around.

 

[life_w_vagabonds]

Go for it, sounds like a plan. Much nicer than my technique. I go for the mis mixed paint at Lowes. I have a hard time resisting the little sample bottles for $.50. Of course mixing them together comes up with interesting colors. Wood don't care just keep it coated. I have projects in many different colors!

 

[wjeeper]

Not 100% sure about the duplacolor spray. However when I took my storage box to get sprayed the body shop had me paint a thin coat of fiberglass resin over the whole thing. the body guy said if i didn't the liner would not stick to the wood long term, and it would take much more liner as the wood tends to absorb it quickly

 

[Woodsman]

I've used the Dupli-Color as well as a couple of other brands of the hardware store variety and they normally work fine on bare wood. I just ordered some of the U-Pol Raptor coating which is a two part material and it is fine with bare wood too. Now, if we are talking bare metal, many of them will recommend using a primer or etching primer first.

 

[STREGA]

I had a small box Linex and it is holding up well so far, the place charged me their minimun price which was more than the DIY route but did get a good thick coat. The box was made of new plywood, 1 by fir strip and wood screws, didn't have to do any prep on it prior to spraying. It should last for years IMO.