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Antique Tractor Paint and Bodywork

restoring first tractor

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Fred Kunkel

10-16-2007 20:29:22

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I am in the process of restoring my first tractor. My question is when it comes to painting what steps should I take in order to look good. How many coats of primer, what type of grit sandpaper to use?

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Kent in KC

10-23-2007 08:21:02

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Re: restoring first tractor in reply to Fred Kunkel, 10-16-2007 20:29:22

There's a book at the bookstore "How to paint your car" that lays out the basics pretty well for someone doing it in a diy environment as opposed to a pro paint booth. Ditto everything CNKS said. On your gun, I would suggest an HVLP unit to reduce overspray and for economy (more paint on the tractor instead of the floor).

My best pieces of advice, tear the tractor down to the bones, remove all the sheet metal, get all the grease, rust and dirt off before you start and paint both sides of all the sheet metal.

I like the looks of removing the bolt-on engine components (distributor, coil, alternator, carb, etc) before painting, I think it makes the result look closer to 'new' than just shooting color over everything.

Detail your hoses, belts and tires with Scrubbing Bubbles bathtub cleaner BEFORE you paint (its hard on fresh paint). Also, replace any old wiring, gauges, lights or switches. And fix that oil pan leak you've been meaning to get to, before you start painting.

Go for it, you'll have fun and be proud of what you accomplished.

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Johnsdeere

10-18-2007 14:25:17

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Re: restoring first tractor in reply to Fred Kunkel, 10-16-2007 20:29:22

I would really sugest passing on the TSC paint, but it from your local Parts store or paint store that carries automotive/industial paint. The cheaper the paint the faster it will fade, and chalk, and the harder it is to get good results with spraying. The other good thing about buying from a place that sells name brad paints is they can help you through you questions and will have the sand paper, wax and grease removers etc. I bought a tractor with TSC paint on it and it 1 year out side the green and yellow did not even look close to the same color, John Deere Green looked like Oliver green. Stick with one paint brand and use that for the whole job, look for a distrubitor that carries Akzo Nobel (Sikkens, Leosnal, and Utech, Dupont (Dupont, Nason or Dupont Industrial coatings), or PPG(Deltron, Concept or Omni)pluis if you have a problem they can help you through it.

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Bob Thomas

10-17-2007 18:17:28

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Re: restoring first tractor in reply to Fred Kunkel, 10-16-2007 20:29:22

Fred---What is the condition of the existing finish? Rust ? etc.? The quality of the paint from the two suppliers is unknown to me. However I anticipate using paint from Tractor Supply on my project. My project is rusty with rust holes. I am using 80 grit on an orbital sander. I will prime at least twice. Prior to priming I will use POR-15 as a rust inhibitor. This may not be necessary for you.

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Bob Thomas

10-17-2007 03:37:24

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Re: restoring first tractor in reply to Fred Kunkel, 10-16-2007 20:29:22

Fred-- Difficult question to answer without knowing the general condition of the tractor. Rusty? No rust. Paint cracked? Or just needs a good sanding. If the tractor is in good general condition and just needs sanding and painting I would take a tractor panel to a local full line auto parts house (NAPA) or auto paint store and follow their recommendations. Stay with one paint company and use their line of of products (DuPont). If you have rust, light or heavy, repost with details. Products exist to cope with the problem (POR-15). Hope this helps.

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Fred Kunkel

10-17-2007 17:45:48

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Re: restoring first tractor in reply to Bob Thomas, 10-17-2007 03:37:24

I am looking for a step by step process. How many coats of primer, what grit size of paper to use wet or dry. How many coats of paint then. I am plan on buying the paint at TSC or Rural King is this good paint?

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CNKS

10-17-2007 19:18:59

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Re: restoring first tractor in reply to Fred Kunkel, 10-17-2007 17:45:48

TSC paint is alkyd enamel. Developed in the 30's, it was one of the first high gloss paints. Adequate if the tractor is always inside. Will fade badly if left to the elements. It can be waxed to restore color. You don't get much for $20/gallon. Decent paint costs $80/gallon up. Epoxy primer should be used on the entire tractor. Two coats will give good coverage. Unless you are sure the old paint is sound, remove all of it down to bare metal. Then use epoxy, followed by a sandable surfacer/primer surfacer on the sheet metal to give a smooth finish. Epoxy primer is usually non-sandable. Surfacer should be sanded with 400 grit. Apply 2 or 3 coats, sand smooth and repeat until smooth. Use body filler in the dents prior to the surfacer. You should get the dent smooth so that you need only about 1/8 inch of filler, I prefer 1/16 inch. The surfacer will cover 80 grit sandpaper scratches that you used to remove prepare the surface. You can use chemical strippers to remove the paint, but the rust has to be sanded off. A wire wheel on an electric drill or angle grinder is suitable for preparing the cast. I don't use rust converters, preferring to physically remove the rust instead. Topcoat with acrylic enamel, which has higher quality and fade resistance as opposed to the TSC paint. Epoxy primer only is adequate for the cast, which is rough anyway. I use acrylic urethane as a topcoat $$$. My cost for epoxy primer, surfacer and topcoat exceeds $300. Acrylic urethane and 2K surfacers must be hardened. You can use acrylic enamel and 1K surfacers without hardener. Hardener requires a supplied air breathing system to protect your lungs. Before priming the bare metal clean it thoroughly with wax and grease remover, the cast will take several applications. I have not gone into much detail. You need to read the archives in this forum and then ask your questions. You can't just pick up a gun and spray. To explain every detail would take several pages.

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CNKS-alternative

10-18-2007 07:03:57

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Re: restoring first tractor in reply to CNKS, 10-17-2007 19:18:59

Since you are painting a Farmall, there is an alternative to the above. Case-IH 2150 is an "acrylic modified" alkyd enamel, meaning that it has some acrylic properties, notably UV or fade resistance. I have not used it, but most people seem satisfied with it. I think it is about $45/ gallon, or about half the price of the cheapest automotive paints. It is not the paint that came on your M, as it first appeared in 1961. It has a slight orange tint to it that you may or may not find objectionable. You should be able to use the primers I mentioned under it, but I can't guarantee that. Those products are far superior to the primer sold by Case-IH.

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