Follow up Paint/Prep Question

Greetings Forum Chums!
How do you guys prep a tractor for paint....wire wheel??....sand blast??....any chemical prep as a final step??....Thanks Again!!

Cheers!
 
I remove all paint with paint stripper as per product instructions. Sand any paint that stripper fails to remove. I get to bare metal, remove any dents and do any body filler work needed. Wipe down with mineral spirits,let it dry, wipe surface with tack cloth. Prime surface. When primer is good and dry wet sand it 800 grit or finer wet /dry sand paper. Rinse off and let dry. Wipe with tact cloth. Spray paint with your favorite color. You can look at youtube for other methods, but this is the way I do mine. If ya want just a farmer paint job just remove dirt and grime, scotch brite old paint ,wash tractor let dry, mask off any parts you dont want painted and spray or brush on a paint job on.
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I used electrolysis and a wire brush. When the part was stripped to bare metal I used Picklex-20 on it to prevent flash rusting. It's pricey but it prevented rust in storage until I had a good day and a lot to paint. The only drawback is it takes a bit, but I was not in a hurry.
 

I use primarily a twisted or knotted wire cup wheel. They last a long time, but will throw wires. They can also catch and bend. If that happens throw it away as running out of balance it can destroy your grinder. Sand blasting is good for individual parts but not for the main housings as it will ruin seals.
 
there are many right ways and some right ways that can be done wrong.

be carefull with a sandblaster...
 
As below you have been given good info. Clean, clean, clean is the key to the best paint adhesion. As a 'final' wipe I use naptha (white gas - coleman stove fuel), and had good results. HTH
 
It partly depends on how nice you want it to look.
If you are looking for a real nice job then I would take everything off - starter, manifolds, radiator, hoses, belts, generator, etc and pressure wash it. Clean and paint the small parts at the same time but seperately.
Then I use liquid Tide and mix about 50/50 in a garden sprayer.
Douse it good then let it sit for half an hour. Then wash it again.
Repeat.
Blow it off with compressed air and let it sit for a couple of days.
Then go after it with a couple of different sizes of wire wheel, clean any rust or flaking paint off.
Then I buy a gallon of lacquer thinner and spray it again with the garden sprayer.
First make sure you have no water left in the sprayer.
Catch it in a pan underneath the tractor and use it with a brush to get in cracks and crevices.
Spray again.
Blow it dry. Then I just rattle can prime any bare spots. Let it sit for an hour hour and shoot the paint on with an automotive spray gun.
I never sandblast the main componants of the tractor.
Too much chance of getting grit inside and ruining it.
I should have snapped a pic of this engine before I started on it today.
It was almost black. But 3 treatments of Tide and and an hour and a half of washing has it the right color again.
I have this engine sold so this is all the farther I will go with it.
When the man installs it he wont get very dirty.

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No it's not Red but the process is the same.

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Hey, great stuff guys. I've been wondering the same thing. I'm gonna bookmark this post for future reference.
 
lots of good advice as always.
I'd like to add, as a last step.
Get out your solvent, brake cleaner, picks, screwdriver, putty knife, rags, and work your way around it, cleaning bolt recesses,
bottom edges of cover plates, etc. Little spots of crud will be there even after your best efforts.
It just takes time, don't cost nothing.
no different than cleaning a head or carb....just bigger.

Agree with removing easy parts too.
Looking at a pretty tractor for sale, I look under, behind, components to see what it really looks like.........
And take your time taping things off before spraying.
If it ain't supposed to have paint on it, make sure there is....none.

and lastly, no matter what, I get the hood perfect.
That's what I'll see every time I climb up there.
 
"and lastly, no matter what, I get the hood perfect."

When I was in high school I took an auto body class at the
local community college. They taught us the same thing.

The newest paint they had was enamel and they used lacquer
primer. I still use lacquer primer, but not the lacquer paint.
Nothing matches it for perfect shine, but its far too much work!
 
Ed I forgot to say I do disassemble external parts. Use a combination of all these posts and yours will do fine.
 
"I used electrolysis and a wire brush. When the part was stripped to bare metal I used Picklex-20 on it to prevent flash rusting. It's pricey but it prevented rust in storage until I had a good day and a lot to paint. The only drawback is it takes a bit, but I was not in a hurry."..........

Brother, you lost me on the electrolysis........what is that all about?
 

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