Question on painting tractor....

Mdparrott · Jul 29, 2015

So during the process of rebuilding the Jubilee engine, I got to thinking..... (dangerous, I know).

My plan was just to do a preservation, not restoration. After some of the extent of parts and machine work that's had to be done, I'm going to have a pretty Ford red engine mated to a dirty, paint faded transmission and front end.

If a guy wanted to spruce up the rest of the red without completely disassembling for sandblasting, priming, etc, what's the best way you fellas have done for cleaning and prepping for paint? Again not trying to restore.

I've already got the tractor on blocks in my garage, so pressure washing is out.

Tips or ideas appreciated. Thanks!

Mdparrott · Jul 29, 2015

Oh, and got to thinking about it, I should have been taking and posting pictures of the engine rebuild all along. I'll try to do a better job going forward of posting the process on the forum.

souNdguy · Jul 29, 2015

knock any loose paint off with a wire brush or wire wheel.

then pressure wash / degrease / pressure wash.

dry.

prime

paint

notjustair · Jul 29, 2015

You need it out of the garage. Oven cleaner and a
garden hose. You don't need to do much brushing.

Dell (WA) · Jul 29, 2015

MDparrott........ALL REDS FADE. But fer yer faded castiron after cleaning with mineral spirits on a rag, I'd painter with 2-in BRUSH. You won't see brush marks on castiron. Unless yer a better painter than me, put down some old newspapers to catch the drips. Iff'n ya have some real crusty greasy spots, spray'er with BRAKE cleaner 'cuz it dries quick. ........Dell, yer 20mph painter (looks good at 20mph)

Dalex · Jul 29, 2015

Yup , Oven Cleaner works amazingly well , it eats all the dried crud and grease off , and it's only a buck a can ! Get it outside and PW it off , do it the easy way !

Mdparrott · Jul 29, 2015

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I appreciate it.

Looks like every hurdle so far has been easy. Looks like the Jube engine rebuild goes forward.

NoNewParts · Jul 30, 2015

listen to the guys.
I've done a couple clean-up jobs in the garage in hard winter.
not fun, takes forever, and costs too much for cleaning stuff.
never again.
throw some junk tires on it and drag it just outside and pressure wash it, drag it back in. (most model tractors can be carefully rolled on just the wheel centers if you don't have tires)

Side benefit to a pressure washer on a 'freshening' job.....grease, dirt, loose paint, cheap repaints....all get blasted off in minutes.
The paint that withstands the pressure washer ain't going anywhere. wipe whats left down with pre-paint wax & grease remover....paint it.

kylemorley · Jul 30, 2015

And then there is the question of paint. Just about all the tractor and implement paints are alkyd, which chalk and turn (in the case of red paint) pink. Seems to be a huge jump in price and difficulty of application between alkyd and the good stuff, anyone know of something decent in between?

souNdguy · Jul 30, 2015

there are at least a couple steps between plain alkyd and urethanes.

1, there are synthetic enamils.

2, there are acrylic modified enamils.

Lastly, you can use hardened paint.

Hardened paints resist fading and chalking much much better than non catylized paints. As a side benefit, dry/cure time is modified. what used to take 12-24 hrs to cure can be finger safe in an hour or less, and ready to assemble later that day, ready to use the next day.

Mdparrott · Jul 30, 2015

Trying hard not to get into a restoration at this time. Found some Ford red rattle cans at TSC, thought I'd try one. Anyone have any luck with rattle can paint?

Mdparrott · Jul 30, 2015

Oh, I always listen to guys on this forum...

)

I will drag it out and pressure wash it. Gotta figure out how to hook onto it to move it with the engine out and it broken apart. Think I'll make a bracket out of angle iron and bolt it to the bell housing. I'll post pictures of it.

Royse · Jul 30, 2015

TSC rattle can paint may take days to dry. Majic brand.
Search the archives here for Hobo's jack.
I don't have a picture of mine, but I copied his.
Basically a wheeled trailer jack bolted to the side of the
transmission at the front. Put the rear tires back on with a
few nuts and roll it back out with the jack holding the trans up.

showcrop · Jul 31, 2015

2x what Royse said about trailer Jack. Don't even THINK about moving it with a jack that is not positively attached to the tractor. I painted a 960 with rattle cans about fifteen years ago. I got six, went back for six more then three more before I got done.

Ed S. · Jul 31, 2015

I painted my '50 in the Spring of 2008, and used Rustoleum Sunrise Red (can) with Valspar hardener. The tractor is normally shedded, although it has sat outside from time to time (particularly the year after my machine shed was partially demolished by a tornado). It gets used for raking and pulling hayracks, besides the other normal backblading, etc., so it does see a good bit of sun each year.

I shot this pic a couple days ago, and a day after pressure washing both tractors (and on the new concrete floor in the rebuild machine shed!) – the red has really held up well.

If all you want to do is give your tractor "a lick and a promise," rattle cans should do fine. In fact, if you take some care with your prep (which is 90% of a good paint job), it will probably look fine and last quite a while. OTOH, if another 20% effort will get you to the point where you can do a proper respray, well, you're that much closer than you'll be in the future.

es

PS - seems like a good time to bring back this graphic

:

showcrop · Jul 31, 2015

(quoted from post at 05:48:23 07/31/15) I painted my '50 in the Spring of 2008, and used Rustoleum Sunrise Red (can) with Valspar hardener. The tractor is normally shedded, although it has sat outside from time to time (particularly the year after my machine shed was partially demolished by a tornado). It gets used for raking and pulling hayracks, besides the other normal backblading, etc., so it does see a good bit of sun each year.

I shot this pic a couple days ago, and a day after pressure washing both tractors (and on the new concrete floor in the rebuild machine shed!) – the red has really held up well.

Ed, Thanks for painting the starter red.

If all you want to do is give your tractor "a lick and a promise," rattle cans should do fine. In fact, if you take some care with your prep (which is 90% of a good paint job), it will probably look fine and last quite a while. OTOH, if another 20% effort will get you to the point where you can do a proper respray, well, you're that much closer than you'll be in the future.

es

PS - seems like a good time to bring back this graphic :

Mdparrott · Jul 31, 2015

Pretty tractors! My problem is I don't have an air compressor big enough to run a paint gun. From what I've seen it takes a 220 compressor to get enough CFMs.

Kinda getting sucked into the painting thing as I'm feeling bad having a pretty, rebuilt motor fastened to a faded, pealing rest-of-the-tractor.

Think I'll try the pressure washer, oven cleaner and rattle can method first and see how it does.

Ed S. · Aug 1, 2015

You don't need a huge compressor to run a paint gun - mines an old 20 gallon Sears unit. That said, if you've never used a paint gun, you'll want to practice a bit before doing the tractor.

es

Question on painting tractor....

Mdparrott

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Mdparrott

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souNdguy

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notjustair

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Dell (WA)

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Dalex

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Mdparrott

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NoNewParts

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kylemorley

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souNdguy

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Mdparrott

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Mdparrott

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Royse

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showcrop

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Ed S.

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showcrop

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Mdparrott

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Ed S.

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