|
joesquid
|
 |
« on: November 15, 2005, 06:56:13 am » |
|
Finally, I get to post the five month results on the ongoing six month wear/tear test pitting Krylon "Rust Tough" Battleship Gray vs. Rustoleum Hammertone Silver. My apologies for posting late, been very busy at work.
Anyway, I think it's safe to say that Rustoleum will most likely win this competition. The Krylon has been plagued with surface oxidation and generally requires considerable prep work in order to produce a quality finish.
Background:
When I started this test back in June, I used four shelves to test the two paint products. Each paint was used on two shelves; one shelf having no prep work done to it other than a quick scrubbing with a damp wash cloth to remove loose dirt, the other sanded down to remove the galvanized zinc coating. The second shelf was prepped this way in order to provide a flat, clean surface for paint and also to test the rust inhibitors in each paint. After allowing the paint to dry 24 hours, the shelves were installed in a Cavalier 64G coke machine. The shelves were stocked with plastic and glass bottle products, each having product rotated monthly in order to ensure equal wear/tear.
Present:
At month five you can see how badly the finish on the Krylon shelves has suffered due to surface oxidation. The finish is dulling compared to initial pictures and the finish shows every flaw in the metal. I need to point out that there is absolutely no sign of rust forming under the paint, but with the amount of surface oxidation that has formed over the last five months, I believe it will eventually appear over the next year.
As noted last month, surface oxidation appears to have leveled off and I can no longer remove any of the Krylon paint by rubbing the Krylon shelves with a rag (see earlier posts). I must also point out that the Krylon is holding its own so far when it comes to wear/tear. All the inconsistencies and blemishes seen come from the underlying metal. I think this paint could still work well but would require extensive prep work in order to achieve the results seen on the Rustoleum shelves.
The Rustoleum shelves show no wear and tear nor any visible fading when compared to earlier photos. In essence, they look like they've just been painted. If I hadn't been careful to mark the two Rustoleum shelves, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the shelf that had been sanded down and the one that had been merely wiped down. The paint's characteristics are such that it covers and "hides" most inconsistensies or surface blemishes in the metal and also lays thicker than the Krylon. This may be another reason that the Krylon's finish is marred as compared to the Rustoleum. As noted in the initial test, all shelves were treated with the same number of coats of the tested paint.
Cost
The Krylon was purchased at half the cost of the Rustoleum although this data is probably skewed. I could only find the Krylon at the base exchange, which typically has prices cheaper than the general public. The Rustoleum was purchased at Walmart. The Krylon was $2.46/can, the Rustoleum was $4.96/can.
Summary:
The Rustoleum is well ahead in overall finish and ease of prepwork and paint. Technically both are currently wearing well as neither are showing any signs of bottle tracks, but the overall finish of the Krylon suffered from early oxidation and dulling. Extensive prep work would be necessary in order to bring out a good finish for the Krylon. In comparison, the Rustoleum shelf that was merely wiped down with a damp rag has greatly surpassed both Krylon shelves in finish and appearance. The Krylon costs about half that of the Rustoleum but the cost is effectively offset by the ease of prep work, laying, and final finish of the Rustoleum paint.
|
