How do you guys get of all the oil and grease off.

Braxmaier

Member
I'm looking to paint mine but there is so much oil and grease to get off, what do you guy use, I do have a pressure washer but don't want to ruin anything, thanks. Chris....
 
Oven cleaner is your friend. Also, go to the parts store and get
a gallon jug of Purple Power and use it full strength. It works
almost as good as oven cleaner.
 
Braxie........just putta plastic baggy over yer dizzy with Red Green's favorite duck tape and spray away. Simple, eh? .......squeeky cleen Dell, still celebratin' the SeaHawks win over GreenBay 28 vs 22 in OT
 
For me it is a nexus.
I start with a pressure washer and blow off everything I can. Then I will hit difficult caked on areas with a brush and scrapers and pressure wash again.
Next I take a pump type garden sprayer and mix a strong solution of Tide liquid laundry soap and spray everything liberally. Let it soak and rewash.
Repeat.
Then I use an angle grinder with a couple of different wheels and wire off any flaking paint.
After letting the tractor dry for a couple of days I take the garden sprayer again and use lacquer thinner and a couple of parts brushes to clean off any residual oil or contaminants.
Catch the runnoff in a large pan to dip your brush in.
I just spot prime with a rattle can as needed.
Finally, while the old paint is still soft from the lacquer thinner I shoot it with a good paint gun using a good machinery/implement enamel with hardener.

closeup.jpg
 
dang UD, your pressure washer blew the motor and wheel right off!

I like to scrape all the gook off with a sharpened narrow putty knife with one of the edges rounded (that way it'll fit most any contour) before I have #1 son start with the pressure washer - there's a spinning deck washing tip that uses the narrow jet but spins it so fast it covers as much area as the 30* tip but with the scrubbing power of the tiny straight one.

Then it's ready for the laquer thinner/acetone/mineral spirits pre-paint wipedown
 
I can tell you a sand blaster is not your friend in this case . No matter how well you think you have sealed the opening , pressurized sand has a way of magically entering .

I had a painter tell me that if the paint is solid you are better off not removing it to bare metal . As Dog said , prime the bare spots and prep the good paint .

Paint sticks great to solid paint , good to primer , and bad to bare metal . There was a day when the hot rodders would primer the whole car . That layer of primer between the coats of paint is a gamble .

I paint everything that leaves my welding shop . The toughest learning process for new employees is metal prep . It is labor intensive and will burn up the clock , but once that first coat of primer hits the metal the quality of the whole project is locked in . If it is not right you can sand blast it to bare metal or start over building a new piece .

Paint is no longer just oil based generic paint . Check you hardener to make sure it is chemically compatible with your paint . Personally I would not paint a tractor without spending a few dollars on hardener , best bang for the buck there .
 
Paint stripper with lye

You can leave this on steel or iron as long as
you want to and even if it dries out it will
still rinse off. Just takes a lot longer to
rinse off if it dries.

However, it should not be left on Aluminum for
more than an hour or so at a time as it will
dissolve aluminum if left on too long. It will
also create hydrogen gas when in contact with
aluminum so you wouldn’t want to mix it with
aluminum in an enclosed area for very long.

You just use as much water as you want paint
remover. A gallon will be a good amount to
begin with to sorta experiment with. Add corn
starch to the water FIRST till the water is the
color of whole milk. Then stir in the lye
slowly till the mixture begins to thicken. Add
just enough to make it the consistency of thick
gravy.
Paint in on with a brush. A big bristle brush
like the ones used to clean tires works good.
Use safety glasses and gloves. It will sting if
it gets on the skin but will not burn if rinsed
off soon with lots of water. If you do get it
on your hands just think of the positive side.
It will take your fingerprints off and then you
can knock over that safe without leaving
fingerprints! :O)
Vinegar will act as a neutralizer.
Would be a good idea to have some vinegar on
hand just in case. I did get a drop on my lower
lip and it burned it pretty good because I
didn't go straight and wash it of or neutralize
it. Ouch!

Let is sit on the tractor etc as long as
possible without it drying out. Then wash off
with the garden hose or a pressure washer if
one is available. You can do it as many times
as it takes to get it all cleaned off. It will
not harm the wiring.
The secret of success is the thickening that
the corn starch contributes to the mixture.
This allows it to stay where it is put and not
run off and dry out too fast. Water and lye
would do the same thing if it would stay put
but it won't.

We get our lye at the grocery store here but I
have heard that it is also an ingredient in
some illegal drug and lots of stores no longer
carry it.

Check with your local “DO RIGHT” force before
you do this!

Zane
 

Oven cleaner, Lye, Super Simple Green, It doesn't really matter as long as it has Potassium Hydroxide listed. That is what does the heavy lifting. No need to pay extra for any whizz Bang super name. Going after the real thick stuff underneath witha putty knife speeds the process up a lot, and it is a lot more pleasant doing it before you get it all wet.
 
(quoted from post at 01:53:03 01/20/15) I can tell you a sand blaster is not your friend in this case . No matter how well you think you have sealed the opening , pressurized sand has a way of magically entering .

I had a painter tell me that if the paint is solid you are better off not removing it to bare metal . As Dog said , prime the bare spots and prep the good paint .

Paint sticks great to solid paint , good to primer , and bad to bare metal . There was a day when the hot rodders would primer the whole car . That layer of primer between the coats of paint is a gamble .

I paint everything that leaves my welding shop . The toughest learning process for new employees is metal prep . It is labor intensive and will burn up the clock , but once that first coat of primer hits the metal the quality of the whole project is locked in . If it is not right you can sand blast it to bare metal or start over building a new piece .

Paint is no longer just oil based generic paint . Check you hardener to make sure it is chemically compatible with your paint . Personally I would not paint a tractor without spending a few dollars on hardener , best bang for the buck there .

"There was a day when the hot rodders would primer the whole car . That layer of primer between the coats of paint is a gamble ."

always, always primer the whole thing,espically if you do not know what type the original paint is
 
always, always primer the whole thing,espically if you do not know what type the original paint is

Not doubting you one bit , can you elaborate ?

Does the type / quality of primer matter much ?

I do know paints have changed a bunch . The enamel I use is a commercial synthetic (?) and mineral spirits will make it look like oatmeal so I do as the guy at the paint store tells me .
 
(quoted from post at 09:34:27 01/20/15)
always, always primer the whole thing,espically if you do not know what type the original paint is

Not doubting you one bit , can you elaborate ?

Does the type / quality of primer matter much ?

I do know paints have changed a bunch . The enamel I use is a commercial synthetic (?) and mineral spirits will make it look like oatmeal so I do as the guy at the paint store tells me .

you are right, paint has changed a lot. I started in the 70's painting synthol then acrylic then hardened acrylic , always primed all with lacquer primer, learned the hard way lacquer primer is not compatible with today's paint. After trying 2 stage (too much work) I am now painting using POR urethane primer, it is a good DTM and sealer and fills sands very well.
Also went to a single stage top coat with clear mixed into the last coat. Just remember use paints and hardners from the same supplier (don't ask) and a top quality respirator, I like outside air for mine.
 
Yes Purple Power is mean...I washed my 02 F250 when it was fairly new and left it on some mildew to long and the paint came off. There is od green primer under the gas lid.
 
(quoted from post at 23:28:51 01/19/15) Yes Purple Power is mean...I washed my 02 F250 when it was fairly new and left it on some mildew to long and the paint came off. There is od green primer under the gas lid.

I agree. I buy it concentrated by the 5 gallon pail at HD. Mix it any way you need it. I usually mix 3/1 (Cleaner/water). Grease melts right off.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top