Repaint of old Ford Dearborn two bottom plow

sixdogs · May 4, 2013

Picked up this Dearborn plow from my neighbor and it needed a little TLC. It sat outside for years and the landslide wheel in the rear had a severe bend and crush damage like it was dropped. Anyway, a simple repaint is easy, makes me feel better and enhances the value. Plus, it's a great plow for CUTs.

Here it is.

I planned to take it apart as little as possible and just mask for the moldboards and landslides that I presumed were black. Here are some of the pieces.

I didn't want to take the bottoms off but as I disassembled things discovered what I am near certain was original red paint straight from the factory. That meant the moldboards and frogs were red from the get-go. So I decided to take the bottoms off to clean them better and the paint and assemble. maybe finish coat the whole plow when it's assembled. Here's with the bottoms off.

Some of the threads needed to be chased but the steel was of such high quality it was easy. These really are great plows that are superbly made. I tumbled any part I could get in my jumbo Tractor Supply tumbler.

A personal best for me was straightening the rolling landslide tail wheel. The plan was to replace it since it was so badly bent but I kept heating with an oxy-acy torch and hammering away and in a while it straightened out as good as new. you have to look close but there are hundreds of hammer marks. here it is.

More in the next post

sixdogs · May 4, 2013

An interesting aspect of these plows in the 'ball within a socket" arrangement for the toplink. It was rusted tight so I tried oil but no dice. A little heat loosened things up and it works like the day it left the factory. Here's a photo of it.

sixdogs · May 4, 2013

The plan now is to prime the whole thing with Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer and then paint one coat in pieces and a finish coat with it assembled. not sure on that part yet but the next day the wind is reasonably calm it's getting sprayed. Paint gun of choice is the Harbor Freight HVLP for $26 with sale and coupon. Here is sprayer.
20 oz. High Volume Low Pressure Gravity Feed Spray Gun

Fixing and painting old equipment is rewarding in that it's relatively easy, preserves quality tools generally better than what is available today and in a way pays for itself with increased market value. More photos when the winds die down.

2458n · May 4, 2013

I am able to say that the back of a Dearborn plow in 1952 did come painted Red. My Grandfather bought it new with the tractor. Renter sold it for scrap. The plow not the Tractor.

sixdogs · May 5, 2013

2458n said:
I am able to say that the back of a Dearborn plow in 1952 did come painted Red. My Grandfather bought it new with the tractor. Renter sold it for scrap. The plow not the Tractor.

Thank you for that important info because I thought red was correct.

Agent Blue · May 5, 2013

I see these old two bottom plows for sale all over. Some must believe they are worth 4-5 hundred because they become yard art after a couple years. I don't believe paint is a major factor...... the wear in the mow board is the clincher. I have seen them with metal patches and replacement points.
We had a 9N on the farm also. Nice to ride around on, nothing for serious work.
Our plow came Ford grey, coulters were not painted.

sixdogs · May 5, 2013

The wind died down a little this evening so I painted the parts with Rustoleum Rusty metal Primer thinned with acetone. I have had great luck with that primer and it went quick and looks really good. Here's a shot on a Harbor Freight tarp.

Parts are mixed in with a small disc I am welding and painting as well. It a short line piece of equipment that was pretty weathered and had remnants of Ford blue. I don't have that color in my stash so it's going to wind up maybe green or red. Here are photos of it now and a before shot.

Here's the before...

sixdogs · May 8, 2013

Painted some Ford Red today--- upside down first with a light coat and then a heavier one 20 minutes later. Tomorrow I'll put most of the parts back on, flip it over and paint the upper surfaces and any parts I messed up while assembling things. This is five year old slow drying enamel so it will still be soft in the AM. Since we're expecting big rains on Friday I'm going to try to put it on a tractor and get it under cover so it can dry for a few days. I did paint the coulters red in hopes that is correct but I can brush on black later if need be.

Worth noting is what a beautiful color Ford Red is. What a joy it must have been in the 1940's or 1950's when these things were in the showroom and the 8N was revolutionizing agriculture. And again, such fine quality steel. I would rather have this plow that one of the newer short line plow for that reason.

sixdogs · May 15, 2013

Still waiting for the Ford Red to fully dry but assembled the disk. Finish plow tomorrow.
What a difference paint made on the disk and when painting one piece of equipment it's no problem to just spray another color on something else. I've got an hour and a half into the disk, some leftover paint and $3 worth of bolts and increased it's value considerably. Here's a before and after of that disk.