Rassembling a plough

[DonMac]

I am restoring a Ransome TS86 2 furrow competition plough. I have dismantled the plough and cleaning it back to bare metal. Once reassembled the plough except for the movable weights will be painted. Before assembly should I apply a coating of primer to all steel to steel surfaces, or should I just reassemble clean steel to clean steel?
I cannot find any recomendations with respect to treating steel to steel contact surfaces

 

[johns48jdb]

prime all bear steel with self etching primer and paint. if you don't it will rust and that rust will run out from between the joints and make your paint job look a mess. i painted every piece on my tractor and then assembled it, scuffed it up with a pad and repainted it. took five hours to repaint it, but it has the planters mounted on it. i don't know of any way to assemble it without knocking the paint off of and around bolts and nuts, so hince the repaint. use a wet look hardner in the paint to make it real shinny and if you don't it want dry.

 

[richardinnz]

Clean steel to clean steel, or the plough will continuly keep working loose as the paint comes off the joint faces. I use a Kvernland competition plough and all the main joints are unpainted, where the beams are clamped they are lubricated because I lift the front body during the first run of the opening split and the finish and the oil makes the adjustment quicker and easier. I have no problems with rust as apart from leaving the tractor and plough on the lorry during the match season (last match is on the 8th Aug) the plough is always under cover.

 

[Ron in NS]

Any time you have bare metal to bare metal surfaces during assembly, you will have corrosion. The best method in this case is what has already been said. Prime and paint everything, and touch up or second coat after reassembly. That way, you won't have any rust stains leaking from between joints, and a much nicer look after it's all finished. Because only a much lighter coat is required to cover everything, much less chance of runs too.

 

[DonMac]

Thank you Richard, you confirmed what I felt. No paint metal to metal to prevent future movement. I will put up with some rust stains, because I want to use the plough once retsoration is complete.
Thank you for your help.