To Paint or Not to Paint, That is the Question

[craigco]

A running driving project will be more fun. You can always mess around perfecting it later. I would look at some long term events that will happen in the next few years for a teenager. When you turn 16 you will most likely be getting your own vehicle. Guessing it will be an older one that will need work. That will become your priority over a tractor as your mode of transportation. Get your tractor running and enjoy it before it gets put on the back burner.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

?

 

[grandpa Love]

I am trying to decide whether on not to paint my 1943 John Deere B. Part of me wants to paint it and the other wants to leave it original( It's only original once). The one thing that's bugging me is that a few parts are going to be brand new with green paint. I'm only 14 and money is tight, so if it doesn't look odd I'm just going to overhaul it. Does this look ridiculous?

I have the best of both ..... Took 1 quart of paint, about $20, couple hours of prep, 2 dollar store paint brushes. Good hot day. You can't find a brush mark

 

[olddavid]

There are two kinds of thought extremes on this and everywhere in the middle. On one hand you have those who don't care what it looks like and just want it to run well. On the other hand, there are those who want it to look "purdy" and don't care much about the mechanicals. As Dad used to say the tractor was overhauled with a paint gun. Then there are those in the middle who want both. I fit into the first extreme. I don't care what it looks like. I just want a usable tractor.

 

[grandpa Love]

I decided to paint it. Here is what it will look like when I'm done (hopefully).

 

[grandpa Love]

My dad loves his Ford, with pretty paint. Yes " it's only original once" ,but then again my dad remembers what a Ford looked like new and the thrill of seeing one show up on a farm. They were pretty, shiny and fresh painted, not a rusted "original" mess

 

[Geo-TH,In]

my biggest issue is that I can't afford sandblasting/painting equipment. Do you know how much the charge would be for someone else to do it for me?

Paint doesn't make anything run.
And a running tractor will get dirty, so why paint?

 

[Crazy Horse]

I wonder if the OP ever tallied up what he had into his tractor projects? All well and good to get into a hobby and have something you love doing. Unfortunately, the bottom line for a lot of stuff is financial these days. And being a young fellow with maybe years of school yet to come is another thing to think about. I often think of all the great ideas and projects I had as a young fellow back in the early 60's that my dad put a stop to for those very reasons. Looking back now, I'm glad that he did. But like John T so often says, each to his own right?

 

[Rich'sToys]

I've had a couple sandblasted, but as mentioned, it isn't cheap, plus you run the risk of getting sand where it doesn't belong. A wire brush in an electric drill and/or a 5" disc sander, plus a lot of elbow grease will get it cleaned up plenty good enough for paint. Then prime it with some rattle cans.
If you can't get hold of a spray gun for the actual painting, the cast iron parts can be painted with a brush and look as good as a factory job. If you're REALLY good, you can paint the sheet metal with one also--otherwise use rattle cans for that too. You'll be surprised how nice you can get it to look.

 

[treeman53]

The "Patina" fad became popular with the car crowd, and then seemed to get hold of the tractor crowd. If you like them rusty, that's okay, but "original" is a funny term. When they left the factory in "original" condition, they weren't all rusty. "Original" used to mean "very well preserved, close to the condition when it left the factory". Times, and fads, change. Your tractor, do what you like....

 

[Dave H (MI)]

I am trying to decide whether on not to paint my 1943 John Deere B. Part of me wants to paint it and the other wants to leave it original( It's only original once). The one thing that's bugging me is that a few parts are going to be brand new with green paint. I'm only 14 and money is tight, so if it doesn't look odd I'm just going to overhaul it. Does this look ridiculous?

Since you are in a temperate zone and it looks like inside storage is not happening, I would get some rattle can stuff and spray any parts that are down to bare metal and rust. Especially sheet metal. Then when you have to blast it down the road for a good paint job maybe you will have less pitting to deal with/holes to fill. The best thing about cheap paint is that it preserves the metal somewhat. Original only matters if the original is still there. A few years can turn into 30 years before you know it and you want to keep her as protected as possible while she waits for you. Day will come when you have the money but maybe not the time. The day where you have both time and money could be a ways off.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I have no doubt you will have it running sooner rather than later. Who cares if it takes a few years to paint. It is 80 years old now might as well be shined up for when its 100! Besides get a chance to find all the leaks this way before painting. Money will come. Cover up what engine parts you can or wipe them down with oil would be my only suggestion. The good thing about your tractor too is someday if the money is right they fit in them little portable sheds too. I've been lax in watching your progress as of late I will not blame it on the new site but I did lose track around then it appears you have some engine work going on?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Your question on the cost. I can tell you with the styled sheet metal it will take of your choice paint 1 gallon 2 quart of green. 1 gallon yellow. 1 tall can of the thinner at advance auto parts counter one small and a partial of the hardener at the John Deere counter so I'm afraid that's 2. I've had some luck on using paint stripper instead of sand at times for the large pieces of sheet metal that's one possibility. Harbor freight has some guns that are good enough I ran with a devilbiss 3 pack starter set for 10 years that's all I had a beginner gun can work if you clean it. Ive seen respectable rattle can jobs but its a good skill to learn shooting it with the gun. So including the gun and the paint you are at around 350 dollars. If you have to buy air compressor...you probably won't be able to buy one big enough to push the sandblaster. The low side of billing out a paint job for a small one around here is around 1400 dollars. If you can get the loose paint off the body, wire wheel then use hot pressure washer I don't care if you have to drive the thing into town twice clean that thing as good as you can. Ive used a harbor freight steam cleaner before it also does work if you have the time and the elbow grease. Then shoot the body. The sheet metal is where you are going to want to clean, level, sand and spend a lot of time buffing and polishing. The rust on your hood. I wasn't sure if id suggest what I was thinking but I will go ahead. If I didn't own a sandblaster, if I had a cattle water trough and a trickle battery charger you can remove rust with electrolysis. You must be very careful this is electricity and water do not use a big charger 2 amps is more than enough go spend the 20 bucks on a trickle charger preferably not computer controlled one setting. Each part you can submerge under the water gets connected to the charger negative side. Then positive side gets connected to a bare metal sacrificial piece of metal called an anode. Mix a box of baking soda in the water. set the hood in. Poly tank works best and even then I hung the pieces from the wire that supplied the power. which hung down from a 2x4 across the top. After a couple days unplug the charger. Lift the hood out. There will be a black coating on the hood. it will wipe off with a cloth I would suggest using mineral spirits and the cloth with gloves. then have at it you will have a rust paint free surface to paint for not a lot of money. Watch a couple you tube videos on this and if you have questions get someone to help you but if I had no money to spend and wanted a clean surface to paint that's how id do it. Maybe your science teacher can give you some points in class too. I wouldn't waste too much time on the other pieces that aren't sheet metal but you can do anything that fits in the cattle tub. Like I said be careful ask your mom and dad before doing stuff I do.

 

[JohnRowehl]

I think in an earlier post you said your deadline to finish was August 2024. How’d it turn out?

 

[Richard G.]

To the OP, this is more life advice than tractor advice. You are young, and likely don t realize this yet. I am older, but not as old as many that hang around here. But, I have had enough experience to understand it doesn t mean a darn what anybody else thinks. It is your tractor and do as you can or please to do. Don t worry about what others think of what you do especially with your tractors. A purdy tractor is nice, but paint doesn t pull anything.

AMEN

 

[MSD]

Right now there doesn't appear to be to many shiny green parts on it. Shop around and you can find replacements that will match the patina you have on the rest of it. Shiny paint requires more work than a rusty one. You'll want to store it inside, people will come up to it and rub it and say that is a nice paint job while scratching it, take it to a show and kids will want to climb on it, tying it down can be a problem without scratching it. Right now the original colors are more desirable than painted unless you can do a an expert paint job.