Oliver 77- paint.

banjoman09

Well-known Member
Looking for advice to mix my Medium Green paint I purchased from this site; IM going to learn if someone will help me please. I
can do the prep work ok but need to know which thinner to buy and how to mix....im tired of trying to make things look good with
the rattle cans! They spit and drip and look rough when it dries! .....thanks!
 
Read the instructions that are on the can. Then if you are unsure about something, come on back and ask about what you need help with. The more important part of the variables is that you mix every batch the same. Small changes can effect the finished look of the painting. Even air pressure can change the pattern and if you paint one day with different temperature and humidity, then you might get a different result as well.
 
If it's all the same thing, it's an alkyd enamel. That would be more forgiving as far as preparation. Some types of paint are used so thin the least little scratch would show in the paint.

The first step in painting a tractor is to thoroughly clean it. Purple power and a power washer works very well. Some stubborn spots you might have to scrape and use oven cleaner. For an oil based enamel it would be best to take it down to bare metal any places that the paint is lifting. If there are a lot of places all of the old paint should come off. Then if the sheetmetal has defects go ahead and putty and sand that with a fiberglass body filler (Bondo). It's sometimes difficult to tell if you have dent fixed correctly. It helps if you put a light on the opposite side of the repair and look at it and see if it appears level. Then often you can run your hands over the repair and feel the spot. That can be an indication you sanded too much of the bondo off and do it again. Once you think you have everything ready. From there prime it with an oil based primer and allow to dry. For light color paint use a gray primer and darker colors use a red primer. After the primer dries sand it with 320 grit paper if reasonably smooth. If it didn't go on well sand it with 180 grit paper and prime it again. Then sand it with 320 grit paper and spot prime any bare metal showing. When that is dry sand those spots with 320 grit paper and clean the dust off. I prefer to use a soft bench brush and compressed air to clean the sanding dust off. Then you are ready for the topcoat. With an oil based enamel thin it as little as you can or maybe not at all. Try spraying a piece of scrap metal first and see what it does. An oil based enamel should splatter a little instead of flowing out an even coat like you do with other finishes. It dries so slow the paint will flow together before it sets up. If you thin it too much it screws up the sheen and takes longer to dry. Then let the first coat dry completely. If you still have rough spots you can lightly sand the paint with 320 grit paper but for the most part it would be good just to scuff the surface with a maroon scotchbrite pad. This helps adhesion. Then clean the dust off and you are ready for the final coat.
 
I went to town today and look everywhere for 320 and found none! So I bought 240 and 400...maybe this will work. Thanks
 
The 240 should be alright. Not having used this brand of paint I was afraid the scratches would show. If you were using Rustoleum you could go as coarse as 180. All you are trying to do is to sand smooth any spots that might be a little rough plus the scratches created by the sandpaper helps with adhesion.
 
Been off for awhile with computer issues...hope its all good now. Another question; I would assume the best day to paint is humidity under 50% and in the 70's ? Thanks
 
That would be great if conditions were like that however they usually aren't. As long as the humidity is under 75% and the temperature is under 100 you should be able to work with that paint. It's just in hot weather don't paint in the direct sun. The surface of the paint can skim over and the heat can build up vapors creating bubbles in the paint. If you were using a fast drying paint then humidity can be a real issue but the paint you are using is slow drying. What happens with fast drying paint is it literally gets water trapped in the paint and it can't come to the surface and get out before it skims over. That makes milky looking spots in the paint. The paint you are using will give ample time for the water to escape before it skims over. With the paint you are using just be careful to watch the wind. Since the paint stays wet for a while any dust blowing around will settle in the paint.
 

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This is my paint; so I go to town and no one has heard of the thinner the paint calls for on the back of this can- so what do I do? The paint can calls for Naptha thinner...so I bought this other at Tractor Supply- help please.....Thanks
 
ok and thanks- the weather is drying out next week so will pick a quiet day wind wise...and paint in the morning. Please look at my new post here....thanks!
 
If they hadn't heard of naphtha they haven't been around much. You can get that at walmart.
Use mineral spirits if you plan to brush the paint. Spraying it use naphtha, it's a faster drying solvent and would help prevent runs. With naphtha thin the paint where it only slightly splatters. You shouldn't use a reducer. It's for urethane based paints.
 
If you have a Lowe's or a Home Depot or Menards available, unless you are in California you should be able to get naphtha. It's a pretty common solvent.
 
ok and I have some coming from Ebay...one more question- I can paint in my garage but would have to hang plastic curtains to stop over spray; I would like to use my big shed which I have more room- but a sand floor; I think thats ok as long as no wind right? Thanks alot for your help and I will post my project here when done. :)
 
I paint all the time in my shop and it has a sugar sand dirt floor. As long as you keep the parts up away from it you should be alright. I have a bunch of saw horses I paint on. For the most part overspray with that paint will just fall to the ground. You might not want to have your car in the building with the paint but I don't think you will ever see any overspray settle on anything.
 
Thank you very much- you have been a great help......might be a few weeks when im done but will post my tractor when finished.....I think you are on other forums also right?
 
I sometimes go to a Kubota forum since I have one of their little garden tractors plus I have an interest in woodworking where I'm a member of a woodworking forum.
 

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