This is how I am doing it. Ok or not?

[murray moore]

I have a 60 year old tractor that has been gobbed up with grease, old paint and rust. It looks like it was painted during its working life with a two part enamel or acrylic because the paint is shiny, it does not come off with a solvent, and its hard as a rock (from what is left or not scraped off from use).

The paint job was incomplete so I have taken my time to disassemble the tractor, repair what has been broken or poorly maintained, scrubbed it with industrial degreasers and hot water, and washed it down with solvent (lacquer thinner). I have then scuff sanded the remaining paint with 100 grit taking the shine off the paint and exposing bare metal that was scratched off or not painted due to parts that were left on the tractor. Then washed it down with lacquer thinner again.

I treated the bare metal with zinc phosphate and then washed it off with a dishwashing detergent and hot water.

Its squeaky clean and the red paint is scuffed pretty well. This is a working tractor, so I am using the TISCO brand vermillion red from this site.

My next step is shooting with with an epoxy primer and all of the parts I removed that require red paint. (Nason brand).

1. Within 24 hour recoat window I have the choice of shooting a 2K primer over the epoxy or just topcoat with the red paint. What would you do? Is there really a need to shoot 2K primer over the epoxy? I don't plan to smooth sand the rough casting chassis or attached parts.

2. Next I plan to shoot Tisco clear over the red paint to help protect it from UV. My understanding is that this Tisco paint is VanSickle paint, and its not high automotive quality but a generally overall implement paint. Is this correct?

3. For the sheet-metal, I am wondering of I should go with an automotive quality paint? or will this Tisco paint last and be acceptable for a good looking tractor? (after-all lots of time has been spent cleaning and fixing this thing) I do want the paint to last for a few years without fading or turning chalky white.

I don't have access to a sand blaster so I have used steel braided brushes on an angle grinder when necessary, and hand scratched scuffed the surface paint. I could always chemically strip the remaining paint and wash it down again, but the remaining paint ain't going anywhere and its stuck except where chipped and I have smoothed and feathered those edges so its acceptable.

What are your thoughts? This approach has bee a balance between being practical and reasonable vs. taking steps to repair, clean and paint so its a nice looking rig but not necessarily a trailer queen.

I don't have all summer to finesse this -as there is work to be done.

 

[murray moore]

Nason brand epoxy primer (not paint)

 

[Stephen Newell]

The last tractor I painted had places on it more than 1/2" thick with dirt and grease that was so hard that someone had sanded it and painted over the grease spots and it adhered. I did't realize it wasn't cast iron until I went over it with a wire brush. I had to dig those spots off with a chisel and then use oven cleaner to get the rest of it. Lot of cleaning to prep a tractor to paint. As far as the sand blaster you can do all the open areas of the tractor very well with a knotted wire wheel on an angle grinder. It will take it down to bare metal faster than a home model sandblaster.

If you have some spots on the sheet metal you are trying to level you might use a surfacing primer there. Otherwise just go over the epoxy with the paint.

A lot of paint products are not compatible with each other. I personally don't like putting a clear over a single stage paint but it could be done. Just make sure the clear you use is compatible. Even car manufactures have issues there. Look at all the cars there are in store parking lots with the clear pealing off the color coat.

I would use only one product for the sheet metal and the tractor. Even though they are suppose to go by a paint code often if you purchase two different products it will be slightly different colors.

Red is a color most prone to fading. I know just how expensive automotive paints are but they are much more colorfast than cheaper paint. Will you regret not using the best paint a few years from now when the red becomes peach colored. As far as the chalking appearance if you keep an eye on the paint and when it starts drying out where you can't bring back the sheen by buffing you could clear coat it again. Most people wait until the finish is completely failing and then you need to refinish. The finish begins failing at the surface and works it way down. If you recoat it with clear at the right time you can greatly extend the duty life of the finish.

You might have an issue with chemically stripping the finish. Big brother has banned the sale to the public methylene chloride which is the main ingredient in paint and varnish remover. It may take a great deal of elbow grease to make the "green" remover do the job.

 

[showcrop]

Murray, I have noticed that you don't like advice that you don't want to hear, but anyway, Vermillion is incorrect for your tractor. It should be orange red. The last year for vermillion was 1957. Also, don't you have an SOS transmission that is not yet tested? Why are you painting it if you may be junking it?

 

[murray moore]

Wow

 

[RandyB(MI)]

Question 1 , NO ,no need to use 2K unless wanting to fill and smooth. Question 2 , YES . Question 3 , working tractor? use it...show tractor or collector tractor..automotive. Comments: the actual "looks" will come from your abilities as a painter and not the paint. Expensive paint does not equal nice looks. Most who are not experts may as well save their money on expensive paint as it will not make them a painter. A three hundred dollar hi tech bowling ball will not help the score of a 140 avg bowler. Don't take this as an insult as you have not mentioned anything about your abilities as a painter so we can only assume.

 

[murray moore]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

 

[murray moore]

Thank you

 

[electro]

Van Sickle makes many types of paint to include acrylic enamel. However, I expect the Tisco paint is old style alkyd enamel paint and will be prone to fading even with the clear coat. You put a lot of effort into the job already so why not spend a little more on at least acrylic enamel paint? You can topcoat directly over the Nason Ful poxy primer.

Methylene Chloride paint stripper has not been banned. I got a gallon a few weeks ago. Some dealers stopped selling it but it has not been banned from sale to the general public.

 

[murray moore]

I am tending to agree. I ordered this paint from an online tractor restoration supplier, thinking it was better quality (and the right color - the site says: 1958-64 Ford Tractor. - Vermillion Red).

I have some implements I can use this Van Sickle/Tisco paint on - so all is not lost - just a slight step sideways.

Thank you for your on topic response. Now I need to track down paint codes for 1958-64 Ford tractor red and beige/grey for the fenders and hood. The journey continues.

 

[murray moore]

Why did you write such an inappropriate and shaming comment? This is off topic and was not
necessary.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 17:52:59 07/10/19) Why did you write such an inappropriate and shaming comment? This is off topic and was not
necessary.

I am sorry if I offended you. My comment was about the color which I thought that you were asking about, and about your select-o-speed transmission which I had thought was for the same tractor and needed to be replaced. I assumed I guess incorrectly that the SOS of unknown condition that you picked up in Maryland was for the same tractor that you are painting. You have had multiple threads going simultaneously and I had noticed that multiple responses had not been acknowledged.

 

[murray moore]

This doesn't make any sense. But if you must make personality assessments, and feel inclined to share them in a public forum, I would suggest that you stay on topic about tractors and not provide your personal opinions and perceptions about people, and if you are so inclined, take up your judgments and observations with the contributor one on one. It wont get you too far with me, but maybe with others.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 06:03:51 07/12/19) This doesn't make any sense. But if you must make personality assessments, and feel inclined to share them in a public forum, I would suggest that you stay on topic about tractors and not provide your personal opinions and perceptions about people, and if you are so inclined, take up your judgments and observations with the contributor one on one. It wont get you too far with me, but maybe with others.

WOW!!!

 

[yakob]

(quoted from post at 08:12:06 07/12/19)

(quoted from post at 06:03:51 07/12/19) This doesn't make any sense. But if you must make personality assessments, and feel inclined to share them in a public forum, I would suggest that you stay on topic about tractors and not provide your personal opinions and perceptions about people, and if you are so inclined, take up your judgments and observations with the contributor one on one. It wont get you too far with me, but maybe with others.

WOW!!!

So much wisdom!!!