Back Blade cleaning

[TheMan419]

So I got "donated" an old 5 foot back blade. The adjustment for changing the angle of the blade works. However the blade, and frame and all of it is just a rusty ugly hot mess. So I got the idea in my head to clean it up and paint it yellow to match my tiller and bush hog.... and frankly a good coat of paint will keep it in better shape for years to come.

Is this the right attachment for my grinder to remove the paint and rust?

3M SandBlaster 9681 4-1/2-Inch Coarse Clean-N-Strip Disc - Angle Grinder Rust - Amazon.com

I know total newbie question, but I have never done this before. I have a corded Porter Cable angle grinder. I have used a cut off wheel as the only real attachment for it.

Then paint like this Majic Tractor, Truck & Implement Spray Enamel, Case Power Yellow at Tractor Supply Co.

Although that seems to have a bit too much orange in it and I want a bit brighter yellow.

 

[RjCorazza]

That disk will work, but they seem to clog up quickly. I like the real heavy duty wire wheels for angle grinders or drills.
Read up on adding hardener to the paint.

 

[CincyFlyer]

I second the wire wheel for cleaning things up. I find that grit paper works more quickly at first, but then clogs up. A wheel is consistent. Wear safety EVERYTHING, as wire wheel, besides tossing rust and paint, will shuck some of the wires as hot pointy projectiles. I use one to clean up before welding.

 

[TheMan419]

So more like 4-1/2 in. Carbon Steel Knotted Wire Wheel

 

[Ford850]

You can use one of the extra coarse wheels like you linked, but they do wear out fairly quickly. I use a wire wheel like the one posted above, most of the time. I only remove the heavy loose rust. I leave the tight rust and create a tough base with Rust Reformer. https://www.menards.com/main/paint/...83-c-8012.htm?tid=8817839443478398702&ipos=31 That stops the rust and makes a nice primer for top coats. I like brushing on 2 light to medium coats of Rustoleum enamel. I've done this to several attachments including a heavily pitted and rusted back blade.

 

[George2615]

You can use one of the extra coarse wheels like you linked, but they do wear out fairly quickly. I use a wire wheel like the one posted above, most of the time. I only remove the heavy loose rust. I leave the tight rust and create a tough base with Rust Reformer. https://www.menards.com/main/paint/...83-c-8012.htm?tid=8817839443478398702&ipos=31 That stops the rust and makes a nice primer for top coats. I like brushing on 2 light to medium coats of Rustoleum enamel. I've done this to several attachments including a heavily pitted and rusted back blade.

I agree with this. Using rust reformer or at least a primer for rusty metal then brush coat the paint on seems to last a lot longer than spraying in on. I used the primer but sprayed on 4 coats of industrial Cat yellow on my snow blower and front plow and a lot of it has come off. This summer I'll be re-doing them again but brushing the paint on.

 

[mcfarmall]

Take it to a local sandblast shop and do it there. We have one nearby that has a booth big enough to do a large utility trailer and they charge a few bucks an hour. YOU have to do the work but they provide sifted media and a hood for you.

 

[Oldoak]

Take it to a local sandblast shop and do it there. We have one nearby that has a booth big enough to do a large utility trailer and they charge a few bucks an hour. YOU have to do the work but they provide sifted media and a hood for you.

Sandblasting was my first thought, if such a facility was locally available. That would give you the best results. I never heard of a do-it-yourself shop until now.

 

[fried1765]

So I got "donated" an old 5 foot back blade. The adjustment for changing the angle of the blade works. However the blade, and frame and all of it is just a rusty ugly hot mess. So I got the idea in my head to clean it up and paint it yellow to match my tiller and bush hog.... and frankly a good coat of paint will keep it in better shape for years to come.

Is this the right attachment for my grinder to remove the paint and rust?

3M SandBlaster 9681 4-1/2-Inch Coarse Clean-N-Strip Disc - Angle Grinder Rust - Amazon.com

I know total newbie question, but I have never done this before. I have a corded Porter Cable angle grinder. I have used a cut off wheel as the only real attachment for it.

Then paint like this Majic Tractor, Truck & Implement Spray Enamel, Case Power Yellow at Tractor Supply Co.

Although that seems to have a bit too much orange in it and I want a bit brighter yellow.

Don't buy that Majic brand sold at TSC.
Go to your local CAT dealer, and get one of the two yellow colors they sell.
(I believe that theirs is Sherwin Williams, but with a CAT label).
The CAT paint is just about the same price as that TSC Majic junk.

 

[Thomas]

Sand blast lot quicker compare to man hours etc. by hand...take apart as much as you can.

 

[TheMan419]

Don't have the tools to sandblast myself. However will look to see if there is a shop in the area that will do it for a reasonable cost.

As for paint thanks for the tip on brushing rather than spraying. Interestingly the wife gets a 40% discount on Sherwin Williams at the local store due to a professional group she is in. We have used their paint for home interior stuff. Did not realize they would have this kind of paint.

Yes the plan is to prime once the rust is removed. There are some primers out there that claim to help fill in the inevitable dimples and other imperfections. Are they worth it?

 

[Oldoak]

..................................There are some primers out there that claim to help fill in the inevitable dimples and other imperfections. Are they worth it?

I don't think they would be worth it for repainting a back blade. You will probably be scratching and wearing some of the new paint with any use of your blade.

By the way, when we built our new house several years ago, the contractor highly recommended Sherwin Williams paint for the interior and we are very pleased with it.

 

[TheMan419]

I don't think they would be worth it for repainting a back blade. You will probably be scratching and wearing some of the new paint with any use of your blade.

By the way, when we built our new house several years ago, the contractor highly recommended Sherwin Williams paint for the interior and we are very pleased with it.

Yeah the blade will get nicked up. I am thinking about the rest of the structure though.

Sw paint is awesome. Our prior home was almost entirely their stuff. The current home will be too if we ever get around to painting it.

 

[4570Man]

I agree with the wire wheel suggestion. I prefer wire cups over the linked wire disk. I wouldn't loose much sleep over paint. I'd personally throw a can of primer and then a couple cans of "good" spray paint on it and be done for $20. No paint will survive the abrasion over the cutting edge and the area above it. The rest of it doesn't need a show car grade paint job.

 

[PILOON]

I was lucky in that there was a facility nearby that rented time to sand blast.
They had a few 400CFM compressors to provide air by the hour and supplied hoods etc and sold media by the bag at reasonable prices.
Long and short is that I blasted my 5 ft snow blower for all of about $60. or so.
I tell U that with that 400 CFM fan it was short work!
Next I primed immediately and then next day sprayed red Tremclad as a finish coat.
That was about 6 years ago and the finish is still amazing. Only the chute and auger tips have suffered but with gravel driveway topping it is understandable.

If U have lots of time on your hands OK to wire wheel but blasting is the real way to go.
Also it preps the metal for maximum 'tooth' for a primer to adhere to.

Another 'trick' of mine is to rattle can spray the bare metal (chute and auger) every spring as while bare minimum protection rust will not go to work, OK first snow event and that's gone but metal is still nice and not pitted.

While I relate to snow blowers the same applies to any engagement tools.

 

[4570Man]

I was lucky in that there was a facility nearby that rented time to sand blast.
They had a few 400CFM compressors to provide air by the hour and supplied hoods etc and sold media by the bag at reasonable prices.
Long and short is that I blasted my 5 ft snow blower for all of about $60. or so.
I tell U that with that 400 CFM fan it was short work!
Next I primed immediately and then next day sprayed red Tremclad as a finish coat.
That was about 6 years ago and the finish is still amazing. Only the chute and auger tips have suffered but with gravel driveway topping it is understandable.

If U have lots of time on your hands OK to wire wheel but blasting is the real way to go.
Also it preps the metal for maximum 'tooth' for a primer to adhere to.

Another 'trick' of mine is to rattle can spray the bare metal (chute and auger) every spring as while bare minimum protection rust will not go to work, OK first snow event and that's gone but metal is still nice and not pitted.

While I relate to snow blowers the same applies to any engagement tools.

There's no need to take it down to bare metal. At least on a BB. There might be a different set of plans if this was a show car. The idea was to smooth over existing rust and knock off the loose paint along with roughing up the solid paint. I'd be done with the wire wheel before you even got to the sandblasting place. A ground engaging implement isn't going to keep all its paint very long so doing a perfect paint job is dumb IMO.

 

[TheMan419]

There's no need to take it down to bare metal. At least on a BB. There might be a different set of plans if this was a show car. The idea was to smooth over existing rust and knock off the loose paint along with roughing up the solid paint. I'd be done with the wire wheel before you even got to the sandblasting place. A ground engaging implement isn't going to keep all its paint very long so doing a perfect paint job is dumb IMO.

Yeah I am not trying to do a "perfect" paint job. On the other hand, the parts of the back blade that do not engage the ground I want to keep looking decent and of course keep protected so rust does not claim the tool before its time as it were.

Also I need to find a yellow paint color that is close to matching my other implements since they all happen to be yellow. I mean if the blade were in good shape and already painted another color I would not worry about it.... but since I have to put paint on it anyway might as well make it match.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I just knocked off the small amount of scale rust, then I put 2 brushed on layers of Rustoleum Kubota Orange. It smooths out and looks sprayed overnight. It's been used well on both dirt and on driveways as well as some snow removal and other than the blade, all paint is still perfect and I don't expect to need to do much of anything to this old blade for a number of years.

I did not wire wheel it, no sand blasting, no chemical pre-cleaning, no primer. Just scrape the scale crap off, and slather on Rustoleum.

 

[npalen]

My experience with wire brushing down to bare metal is that paint won't stick well to the "polished" surface even if cleaned well prior to painting.