Looking for a cheap brake fluid resistant paint/coating

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drummer4468

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drummer4468
Expecting a resounding “there are none!” But here goes:

So I have this big metal cart that I use as a portable tabletop at work, doing a fair amount of brake jobs. As expected, fluid has inevitably spilled from calipers and bleed bottles, and quickly stripped much of the paint right down to bare metal. I could care less about the finish/appearance, it's a work surface. I just want something to seal it up and keep it from rusting out.

Just a shot in the dark, wondering if anyone here knows of any affordable coatings to protect the metal? Like a rattlecan bedliner or something?

I also got it for $40 on FB, so I'm not looking to do anything crazy. I'm ballin' on a budget so if all else fails I'll cake it in rustoleum and maybe cut some thick polyethylene to fit it. Or eventually trade it out for a polypropylene cart
 
drummer4468 said:
wondering if anyone here knows of any affordable coatings to protect the metal?
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Not on the cheap side with 2 part epoxy polyurethanes or Glyptal paints the best options. But still need to protect paint from mechanical damage since any paint will fail if break the non-porus top layer. Maybe look for a cheap industrial floor coating then use a sacrificial top material like a rubber floor mat or masonite to protect paint?
 
Cover it with a sheet of thin stainless.
 
Strip the paint with old brake fluid. Use oil to coat and protect it. It’s a work surface that you want to keep clean anyway, so you probably wipe it down at the end of each job? Wipe it clean with an oily rag; keep the rag in a ziplock.
 
Bell206 said:
Not on the cheap side with 2 part epoxy polyurethanes or Glyptal paints the best options. But still need to protect paint from mechanical damage since any paint will fail if break the non-porus top layer. Maybe look for a cheap industrial floor coating then use a sacrificial top material like a rubber floor mat or masonite to protect paint?
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Thats why I was thinking something more rugged like a spray-on bed liner. Just doubtful any are more chemically compatible. Same with rubber mats, plus the consideration for them soaking up fluid and holding it against the surface. Not sure if the hygroscopic property would also promote rust when exposed to air. I was thinking about polyethylene sheets like layered drop cloths, but that’d be sloppy and not very durable.

Dana said:
Cover it with a sheet of thin stainless.
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Considered that too, if I can get my hands on a large sheet and make a shallow basin, that’d be optimal.

Just had a crazy thought….we also have an abundance of scrap heat shielding. I wonder if that’s tin. If so I could probably use a torch to melt it down and crudely coat the cart like tinned cookware.

455 Bravo Uniform said:
Strip the paint with old brake fluid. Use oil to coat and protect it. It’s a work surface that you want to keep clean anyway, so you probably wipe it down at the end of each job? Wipe it clean with an oily rag; keep the rag in a ziplock.
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That’s a solid idea, and by far the cheapest. I have plenty of access to used oil, I can just wipe it on at the end of each day.
 
drummer4468 said:
Just doubtful any are more chemically compatible. Same with rubber mats,
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Epoxy Poly-u is compatible and even resists skydrol provided the surface is not damaged. My old day job had ancient metal work benches which were painted with rubber mats. Just need to be sure the rubber is chemical resistant as I believe at the time I used them those rubber pads were older than me and cleaned up just fine plus protected the parts as well. My current benches are not metal but formica topped with rubber mats to work on.
 
Not cheap, but paint conforming to MIL-PRF-85285 military specifications will do. Sometimes you can find some for very cheap or even free from local shops who bought a minimum quantity for a project and have no further use for it.
 
The fabricator in me says screw it and shear, bend, and Tig weld a new one from stainless.
 
Racerx said:
The fabricator in me says screw it and shear, bend, and Tig weld a new one from stainless.
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Absolutely agree, and I totally would if it didn't mean spending at least 3-4x the cost of the cart for a sheet of stainless lol. I like this cart, but not THAT much.

I'd splurge if it was for a nice toolbox bench top, but for that price I'd rather get a polypropylene cart of similar size from Harbor freight and call it a day.

I was just shooting in the dark, hoping someone would say "hey, I've used a can of XYZ bedliner from Tractor Supply and brake fluid didn't eat it." Appreciate all the input, everyone!
 
even if you find one that fits your spec of resisting brake fluid, I've had poor luck getting anything to reliable stick to such a (well-used, oily) surface; expect any coating to lift.
 
i like aluminum baking sheet pans. i have 4 different sizes. i bought them new from my buddy in the restaurant business.
b9c15ab9-5584-401b-9f42-7b594867b66e.heic
have been using them for 25 years now. Never wear out .
The jack is only there as backup.
afea9fc5-6784-42c6-9f37-be70cc496e5f.heic
 
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