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[Tom Young]

I would like to know what those of you who employed truck bed liner paint think about it now that you have had it on for at least a few years.

Is one coat sufficient or do you need multiple coats ?

Have you found one brand/formula that works better than the rest of the pack ?

What is your exerience with having to prep your already painted (with truck liner paint) cabinets for a new coat  (is it a beast to sand) ?

Can anyone compare how well rolled-on truck liner paint works versus having it sprayed on by a commercial paint shop ?

Thanks !

[boburtz]

I would like to know what those of you who employed truck bed liner paint think about it now that you have had it on for at least a few years.

Is one coat sufficient or do you need multiple coats ?

Have you found one brand/formula that works better than the rest of the pack ?

What is your exerience with having to prep your already painted (with truck liner paint) cabinets for a new coat  (is it a beast to sand) ?

Can anyone compare how well rolled-on truck liner paint works versus having it sprayed on by a commercial paint shop ?

Thanks !

I've had the guys at Line-X coat many different boxes and I have to say that the finish is more durable than anything else I've seen. The coat on my wedges still looks new after a wiping with a moist rag, and the coating is about 5 years old. The coating requires a pretty well finished cabinet, it does not fill gaps or even small holes, which is surprising given the thickness of the coating. Keep in mind that it is not cheap, but it is durable and looks fantastic.

 On the flip side, I have also finished a couple of boxes with spray on bedliner from the auto-parts store and it is not nearly as thick, durable or good lookingas the line-X. If you have the budget and really want a pro-finish, put in the elbow grease to finish your boxes to a smooth surface, then drop them off at the local bedliner place. You won't be disappointed.
As far as removing or re-prepping the bedliner finish, I had to completely remove the finish from the first wedge I had done, on account of it looking SO bad because I didn't finish the box well enough prior. With a 60 grit disc on my drill it came off fairly easily. I wouldn't call it a difficult job. That being said, I haven't had to remove it again because the finish lasts so well. 

If durability isn't as important you can use Duratex from Acry-Tech. Get their textured roller and that makes a really nice looking finish. It looks as good as the bedliner, but doesn't hold up nearly as well. It is water soluble and doesn't require special breathing apparatus to apply, and it dries fairly quickly.  You'll spend a lot less money but you'll have to re-finish at least once a year if you move your boxes around at all. Also, the Duratex seems to chip off more easily when it's been applied over areas of paint or bondo, so it's better to roll on directly over wood. PM me and I can send you photos of both Bedliner and duratex finishes on speakers and amp racks.

[Jim McKeveny]

Tom-

I have funked with many, many coatings over the years. With regard to truckbed liner finishes: anything over-the-counter performs poorly compared to a professionally applied 2-component sprayed-on finish. (Typically, the DIY stuff never fully cures and has a habit of peeling from the substrate). Of course, the cost of the professionally applied finishes is way too high for small batch stuff.

If you are good with a roller, Polane T is very good. Keep rolling & raising texture.  One step down, as a utility finish,  I'll use Hood Finishing Products Hydrocote Black Satin. Both of these product respond best to multiple coats.

I also spray Polane T with an HVLP gun and get factory-style finishes in small batches, but it requires time, skill,  & space.

[duane massey]

We used Speedliner (2-part bedliner product) and used various methods. For a DIY use it is a great product and can be applied with a roller, but you have to work fairly quickly. All bedliner 2-part products should be used only in a well-ventilated environment, and can be rolled or sprayed with a hopper-style texture rig, although the mess is much less with a roller, and the finish is more controllable.
No comparison with the Duratex, which I currently use, in terms of durability. I see cabinets built 10 years ago that still look good.
I did not find it problematic to apply the bedliner over a painted surface, and small imperfections were covered fairly well. If I were building cabinets for mobile use I would probably go back to a bedliner paint, or possibly Polane T, which we used in the 80's.
Sherwin Williams supposedly has  water-based Polane now, but I have no experience with it.

[Tom Young]

Thanks to everyone for your detailed and thoughtful replies.

[John Halliburton]

Thanks to everyone for your detailed and thoughtful replies.

As you may know, I also prefer, use, and recommend Line-X done at a franchise.  It truly is stronger and more durable than any of the DIY products sold.  I also don't have to clean up the mess.

Things I've found out along the way:

1.  A fairly rough 60grit sanding of the cabinet provides better adhesion. 

2.  Drier is best-keep your cabinets in a heated space for as long as possible before taking them to be coated.

3.  "Break" all edges of the cabinet that aren't rounded over already, wood splinters, whiskers, etc. and sharp edges will catch extra material as it's being shot onto the cabinet.

4.  It does build up to a thicker finish than others, so compensating for it in new cabinets is a good idea(ie., adding a bit of extra diameter to a speaker driver cutout).  On cabinets getting refinished, I keep some coarse drill mounted sanding drums, utility knives, or rasps handy to make adjustments after coating.

5.  Lightweight Bondo is a great filler to prep nail/screw holes, cracks, and other gaps to present a uniform cabinet for coating.  As mentioned, even as thick as Line-X material is, telegraphing of any underlying cosmetic issues still happens if larger than 1/16" or so, depending on the nature of the flaw.

Best regards,

John

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