I am very interested in learning to paint farm machinery. We have a few old tractors that could really use some paint on our farm but will never get it if we have to pay someone. My dad really wants me to paint his Farmall 560 but I was thinking of starting with an implement because I care less about how that would turn out. That said, the gravity box(an allis charmers) I want to paint obviously has very large sheet metal areas and I have heard large areas are hard to paint. What suggestions do you have? Thanks!
- Thread starter Billy12
- Start date
showcrop
Well-known Member
Successful painting is 90% preparation. You need to get all of the rust off first. Even after you get it all off there is still some down in pits and joints, that will cause your paint to bubble and lift after a few years unless you neutralize the rust with one of the phosphoric acid rust converters. Large areas would be difficult with rattle cans but not with the appropriate nozzle in a paint gun.
I'd recommend one piece at a time. Take a fender, a side panel, a gas tank, some simple smaller part, and get it de-rusted, sandblasted if you can, primed, painted two coats. and you'll learn. Like most all jobs, once you get a few pieces done, you may say "Well NOW I see!!" I'll tell you, spray painting is NOT blasting a lot pf paint at something in one place. it is feathering it on, lightly, back and forth, and not too thick, and several coats. Patience.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
Your results would be better if you would spray the finish. The most important part of any painting project is the preparation. It's very important you remove all of the dirt, rust and especially oil on the surface. The slightest bit of oil left on the metal can cause the paint to fail. Often we have to result to using oven cleaner to remove years of caked on grease. The next issue is the paint supplies you use. Not every paint and primer is compatible with each other. You need to make sure you use the right products. It's possible to prime and paint something only to have the paint peal off the primer.
It would also make it easier to paint if you would take apart the tractor or implement you are going to paint as much as possible. I know it damages the paint on the bolts when you put it back together but is easily touched up. They also make non-marring sockets you could get that would help.
It would also make it easier to paint if you would take apart the tractor or implement you are going to paint as much as possible. I know it damages the paint on the bolts when you put it back together but is easily touched up. They also make non-marring sockets you could get that would help.
dr sportster
Well-known Member
Good paint suppliers can provide you with an application guide or tech sheets for their paint. These should cover all you need to know to use their product.
showcrop
Well-known Member
I recommend removing many outer parts in order to get the back sides and the surfaces behind them. It may be good to start with one piece like a fender in order to become familiar, but then, get a lot of pieces prepped, and hung from wires, so that you can do nearly all of it at one time.
Bill in IN
Member
If you don't know someone that is experienced, and successful a book would bea good place to start. After reading as much as you can find a compressor and a gun that will work together. HVLP guns are cheap and will throw sufficient paint for most things.
Watch the temperature and humidity and avoid any breeze if you are outdoors.
Watch the viscosity of the paint, load the gun and practice on some cardboard or other scrap. Work up to something that counts, working a wet edge and you'll become better at it....
Watch the temperature and humidity and avoid any breeze if you are outdoors.
Watch the viscosity of the paint, load the gun and practice on some cardboard or other scrap. Work up to something that counts, working a wet edge and you'll become better at it....
When I painted my first tractor, I painted the underside/inside of all the components first. That allowed me to practice without wasting my paint. The underside of the hood and fenders gives you a pretty large area to shoot multiple times to get used to your gun.
The running gear of the gravity box would give you a really good canvas to learn a lot on.
Wash it down, disassemble what you can, wire wheel it clean, do a once over with a DA/180 paper, wash down with degreaser, wipe clean with mineral spirits.
I'd prime it with a couple coats rustoleum and top coat with 2150, do the wheels with IH white. The rustoleum isn't something I usually recommend, but I think you will find there was no primer on something like this to begin with. It's cheap, and using the IH paint will give you experience with that for practicing getting your gloss/technique down.
I wouldn't worry about going to great lengths on it with acid treatments and all that, but if you want to practice it would be a good piece to make mistakes on. I doubt you'll take it to a show.
If you've got a sand blaster, by all means use it on the running gear. There's no replacement for sandblasting. Just plan on taking the hubs down and doing wheel bearings, etc. if you use a blaster. It gets *everywhere*, even in the pivots for the steering.
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