Farm Truck Gets a Home Paint Job

[MossRoad]

Any tips on spray painting tractors?

All the best, Peter

Wash them first.

You're welcome.

Just kidding. Mine needs a good cleanup and painting so I'm following.

 

[ponytug]

Wash them first.

You're welcome.

Just kidding. Mine needs a good cleanup and painting so I'm following.

Have a favorite detergent for that?

I can't say that I have found one that seems to do a great job routinely, though for painting prep, I'm inclined to something like Purple Power to get the oils/grease off before the final rinse.

All the best,

Peter

 

[KennyG]

Wash with dishwashing detergent (not carwash detergent) and then wipe down with a paint prep solvent. These are formulated to not affect the paint or primer but to remove wax, oil or other solvents. Whatever you do, make sure there is no water, silicon spray or oil on it.

 

[sixdogs]

Have a favorite detergent for that?

I can't say that I have found one that seems to do a great job routinely, though for painting prep, I'm inclined to something like Purple Power to get the oils/grease off before the final rinse.

All the best,

Peter

Dawn dishwashing liquid

 

[sixdogs]

Any tips on spray painting tractors?

All the best, Peter

Yes, plenty on how to do a perfect job on the reasonable price side and stay true to the tractor, your safety and have a job that looks like it "belongs" on the tractor or implement.

It's stuff I already posted so I will look up, sort and post.

 

[sixdogs]

Below is a post to get you started. It's how to store remainder amounts of paint so it doesn't dry out. Spoiler is to store the can upside down.
More on painting as I find it. I posted way more than I thought and it's a search.
Rustoleum is great but let me find the posts on using factory OEM paint on tractors. I use Rustoleum on implements and OEM on the good stuff.

You can store opened paint cans for quite a while and not have them harden, skin over or go bad. It's easy.

When I open a quart can of paint to spray, I punch some holes around the rim of the can so paint can drip back into the can after pouring. After pouring the paint I need, I wipe that groove pretty clean, tap the lid back on securely and then store the can upside down. That's the secret.

That way, no air can get into the can to allow the thinners in the paint to evaporate and dry out. It's that easy, I do it all the time and have done it for 15 years.

In fact, I just finished painting a ripper blade (rebuild thread soon) with John Deere semi-gloss "soft" black paint. This was from a partially used quart can that I opened 10 years ago. It went on perfect, dried perfect and no problems.



This has other uses and I've finally convinced my wife to store unused homemade spaghetti sauce upside town in jars to make it last a couple days longer. Guacamole in a plastic container won't turn brown if you turn upside down and slap the container on the counter to force guac around the inside edge. Things like that.
So, take your time, clean the rim and have your way with the remainder of paint in the can whenever you get around to it.


EDIT-photo is a ripper shank I painted two days ago with paint from a partially used can stored upside down around 10 years ago. Maybe 12.View attachment 820001


View attachment 819845

 

[sixdogs]

Here's one on using OEM paint. OEM for the good stuff; Rustoleum for the rest. Pretty simple.

Here is a visual comparison of OEM red paint and green farm store paint to see which has weathered the test of time better. The red I think is OEM IH Red and the green is likely Oliver green from a farm store. The red was sprayed around 10 years ago and the green maybe six years ago. Both faced south into the sun.

Look how chalky and dull the green one is compared to the red one. The red is still glossy while the green looks trashy. I couldn't get the green in OEM. The difference in price between the two was not that much. For any restoration or repair work, OEM is the only way to go.

As I have written many times in other threads, OEM paint is relatively cheap because manufacturers want good looking older equipment to look nice and hold its value and instill pride of ownership and future sales . Farm or hardware store paint wants you out of the store ASAP with all of your cash on the counter.



**

 

[sixdogs]

This is a thread with theory of paint quality and comments on Harbor Freight HVLP paint guns. I switched to the when I met a guy that works in a big car shop and he said they use HF, HVLP guns on lots of stuff and get excellent results. I do too.
My posts are somewhat scattered in other threads so I hope I'm giving good info.

Paint..Orange vs. Orange 2

Which Orange is used on a 2012 M8540HDC ? Sorry to bring up an old topic, but, I did search and found lots of posts on paint, but no answer to this question. Thanks Gary

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[sixdogs]

This one has some good stuff plus how NOT to irreversibly damage your lungs using catalyzed hardeners designed to be used with external supplied air and a "space suit". One time is all it can take.

Note in all of the things I post that there are lots of disinformation posts from others. Read those at your own peril.

Why to only use OEM paint.

Here's why I only** use OEM paint for my ag repairs and projects. This is a "gift" I made for the wife out of an old moldboard. Yeah, I'm a great guy. :D I painted this around six years ago or maybe longer. It's hard to see but the shine is still there and it does not look appreciably...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[sixdogs]

Here's one on the prep, priming and painting of a ripper.

Scored a one shank ripper-subsoiler