First time painting

ok so i bought a 1931 farmall regular a few months ago and got it into running condition but now am unsure how to remove all the old paint and what kind of primer and new paint to get. any help on what to do would be appreciated. Not looking for a extremely expensive paint job or a cheap one want one that will last and look good.

Thanks in advanced

Oh i should tell you a bit more about the tractor i guess. It was originally my neighbors and after he passed I bought it off his daughter, we were good friends with him and his family and she wanted to see it done and i thought it was a cool tractor so the project started. It has cutoff wheels, and an aftermarket throttle but other than that its original. It was stored inside since it was parked so it was still in good condition when i bought it.

Farmboy - that's a pretty open ended question that is bound to supply you a range of answers from east to west.

In my opinion, the answer will fall where your wallet and time for doing the work lies.

Your wallet will dictate how much you can afford or are willing to put forth into paint and supplies. Some high end paints like the PPG Concept that I use cost hundreds of dollars a gallon (literally) whereas you can go less by going to NAPA or the Case dealership and getting what they offer for a fraction of the cost.

Time is also another key ingrediant to this equation. Painting is the easy part...but preparation is the most time consuming and challenging part. The better you prep, the better the results.

Typically when I'm restoring a machine and if I'm going to sink in $$$ to make the machine like new, I go high end on the paint (PPG Concept with Epoxy Primer) and I detail the entire machine down to bare metal. The prep work takes me hundreds of hours. But the end results have been very worth the $$$ and time.

On the other hand, when I'm simply repainting an implement to keep it in good shape, I will clean well, remove rust and scuff the existing paint to ensure paint adhesion. And usually here, I'll down grade the paint to PPG Omni, Valspar or even JDs paint. I don't, however, use Tractor Supply or anything like that as I haven't had the results desired/expected/needed.

I'm sure you'll get lots of input here and everyone will have their favorite. And in time, you will to. Good luck!

Ive got plenty of time to prep it not in a big hurry to finish it but not sure on the best way. As for a price range I would think I could spend 300-400 dollars on paint. and could you elaborate on what you do to prep it? thanks

If that total is including primer and paint you are looking at a pretty low end paint. I just spent $450 on a gallon of orange, gallon epoxy primer and reducer from Napa. Granted I am in CA which screws the paint prices up, but any other state the total would still be about $350. I used the crossfire line. It isn't the greatest as it took multiple coats to cover everything. Would I use it again? I don't know. I would be tempted to spend a little more per gallon and go with a higher end paint.

Prepping includes removing all the old paint (or anything loose if you want to go that route). Taking it apart. Getting rid of all the rust (possible). Knocking dents out, filling dents, sanding, sanding and more sanding. Once you get it down to all metal then comes the rest of the prep.

Degrease metal and prime. Use at least 1 coat. I usually use 2 of the epoxy primer (but read the product info carefully). After the epoxy primer is down then (with in the window of time according to the info) lay down surfacer on sheet metal. After it dries sand it smooth. May have to add another coat of surfacer to get it smooth. Seal the surfacer. Lay down color in the appropriate time window. Depending on the temperature you will need different temperature reducers so that it flashes correctly. After a couple coats of paint you may find you need to wet sand it (I do that between each coat of color). Then add more color. That is where I stop. Some then add clear coat to it and that would be somebody else's expertise.

Search previous posts for more info.

ok if that would only get me a low end paint job how much would good paint cost me? whats a good kind of paint to use? only want to do it once so i want to do it right the first time.

Farmboy;

Here is a link to a previous thread about this topic. You can also do a search of the archives for even more info on paints and preparation.

To help figure the cost, take a picture of your tractor to you local automotive paint store. They can give you and idea of how much paint you'll need and what type or paints they have available.

When selecting a paint to use, be sure to read the label concerning safety precautions. One thing you need to know is that when you get into paints using hardners, they have isocyanates which are very harmful to your health and require a supplied air breathing system which will cost around $400. Most guys that are going to do one tractor won't make that investment. So, that takes you to the alklyd enamels. As you will see from the thread, they are the lower end paints that will give good performance, but not like the urethanes.

I used PPG Omni MP 170 epoxy primer. You will find that this primer is highly and frequently recommended for its qulaity and cost. The draw back to using epoxy is there is a window of time that must be met in applying the top coat or you have to scuff and reprime. For Omni it is 72 hrs. Also, you do not sand epoxy. For cast parts I did not use a surfacer, but for the sheet metal I used Omni 182. For the top coat I used Omni acrylic urethane. The hardner has isocyanates. Cost was about $600 for paint and supplies. Omni is the lower cost of the PPG urethanes.

As you will read, 80% or more of a good paint job is preparation. Removing the rust, loose paint or all of the paint, metal repair etc, and using a good degreaser/wax remover before painting. I had my sheet metal sandblasted and used wire wheels on an angle grinder for the cast.

Again, do some homework in searching the archives. I would say that most, if not all, of your questions have been asked before and the answers are in the archives. There are many good men on this forum with a lot of experience, good advice and willingness to help you. Hope this helps you.
Painting

Would Dupont Centari paint look good on a show tractor and how long would it last? And would I be able to prime pieces as i get them clean? Or if i decided to use the urethanes and have someone else paint it do they also prime it?

Farmboy;

I have read good things about Dupont Centari. It is an acrylic enamel. Here are some comments from Rod(NH) and frequent and knowledgeable contributor.

"I don't think there is any question that the urethanes will give the best overall performance, particularly with respect to fade and chemical resistance. I would put synthetic enamels, acrylic enamels and urethanes in that order of increasing performance. Not surprisingly that is also the typical order of increasing cost.

The urethanes (and enamels with hardeners for that matter) are also the most toxic to use due to isocyanates in the hardeners. The proper respiratory equipment for these materials is a positive pressure fresh air breathing system. The cost of this safety equipment is typically a minimum of $400. This would normally be beyond the budget for the casual painter who just wants to paint his tractor and is not in such a business. While the extra cost of the low-end "economy" urethanes can be justified based on improved performance, the additional safety equipment necessary to use them usually cannot.

I don't recommend anyone use the urethanes, or even enamels with hardeners, without that fresh air breathing apparatus...not even for a one time use outside. That's how important I think the matter is. About the only other reasonable alternative is an acrylic enamel w/o hardener. That's better than the synthetic enamel "tractor paints", is better than the OEM tractor enamel (at least that provided on vintage tractors) and can be had at a reasonable cost and used with only normal safety equipment.

If someone has the proper safety setup, then by all means they should go with either the urethanes or an acrylic enamel with hardener. My own past experience with higher-end acrylic enamels (Centari, Delstar) w/hardener has been excellent over a long period. They are even a little more expensive than the economy urethanes. My more limited experience with single stage urethane indicates that it is more susceptible to chipping than an AE w/H. I am finding that out on my AC-B. That's probably because the film is a little harder and more brittle. I have not yet tried a flex additive in it to try and minimize this. I have noticed it particularly where the hand crank sometimes rubs against the radiator cover opening. I would not have expected the paint to chip there but that is what happened. It also seems to chip more easily when installing pre-painted bolt heads and nuts."

In the comments above, notice that the use of a hardner requires supplied air system. The hardners will help maintain the shine and durability.

One of the important factors in the longevity of paint is the care you give it. For instance, allowing dust and dirt to remain will take its toll. Another factor is the exposure to UV light. If you keep your tractor stored outside then the shorter life span. If you keep it clean and stored out of the sun, the paint will last longer. That does not mean it never sees the sun. It's just when not in use, its out of the sun. So, ultimately is really depends on what you decide to do with your tractor.

Some guys are perfectly happy using acrylic enamels for their show tractor.

You can certainly prime as you go. But, what type of primer are you going to use. One of the methods used is to use Picklex 20 on the part. This will prevent rust if kept dry and out of the weather. Then everything is painted at once. It can be a real paint to paint as you go is you're using a spray gun. Lots of cleaning. I have a pair of fenders treated with Picklex 20 hanging in my shop for over a year and still no rust.

As far as the last question goes. You'll need to check with local painters to see what they are willing to do. Again, if you use an epoxy, remember the window. I'm in a similar situation with a few hood parts that I have not had the time to get to, but I want to finish my tractor. I'll be looking for a paint shop to do the top coat after I prime and use a surfacer. Hope I've been able to help.