I am restoring a McCormick-Deering 22-36.
I will be having the main frame sand blasted, primed with PPG epoxy primer and then coated, all by a professional painter.
THEN, as I ready each part, front axle, steering connection, steering knuckles, etc., THIS WILL TAKE TIME AND BE DONE OVER ABOUT ONE YEAR'S TIME.
I want to sandblast each part, prime each part and paint each cast part with a brush.
I want to use a paint WITHOUT HARDENER, to avoid health hazards with isos.
I think my best choice is an ACRYLIC ENAMEL.
Can you verify that this is a good choice for a paint which will not REQUIRE a hardener?
The tractor will always be kept inside.
Is there a DuPont or PPG acrylic enamel line?
Tom

I need to do the same thing and am rather confused on how to proceed. Mine is a Super H.

I have it in a hundred pieces and was thinking of painting each as I go.

I can use a paint sprayer, but guess on cast a brush would work.

I know there would be some scratching and scuffing as I assemble the thing, guess you could touch that up with a small brush.

I am concerned about the type of primer to be compatible with the paint. I am thinking of using Case/IH paint and primer.

It'll be interesting to see what advise you (we) Get!

Gene

Gene:
Go to my post (same inquiry as on this forum) that I posted on the "Antique Tractor Paint and Bodywork" section of this forum. There are already some responses there.
On my wheels, I used the Case IH 2150 paint from my Case IH dealer. Actually, my painter used it. I bought the hardener and the reducer (may go by another name) and he mixed those three components and sprayed the wheels for me, after he sandblasted the wheels and then applied an epoxy primer.
I understand that the epoxy primers are the best primers.
Apparently, you have a 72 hour (3 day) window after shooting the epoxy primer to shoot the finish paint. Otherwise, you apparently need to "scuff up" the primer first.
I understand your concerns about the scratching things up when you paint piece by piece.
But, as you say, you can touch up.
Besides, if we are careful, I think it will work out ok.
I'm thinking about using a PPG acrylic enamel on my many smaller parts and then assembling them.
I will need something up to a year to complete my project, I think.
Lots of good advice on primers and paints on the board I mentioned above. Sometimes it's confusing too.
Best of luck.
Tom

i used the ppg paint, single stage..used an epoxy primer undernerth..gotta have a hardner with ppg..it will take a long time to dry and it wont have much gloss...probably scratch easier too....seems like you would waste alot of paint mixing 10 different times..get it all set and paint all at once...pg

I have used the Case-IH 2150 without hardener and applied it with a brush on the castings. It looks very good with a very nice gloss and if you apply it thick and wet enough, it does not leave any brush stroke marks. I do keep that tractor inside when it is not being used, and even after 12 years the paint still looks very nice. I don't know if Case-IH will have the gray color that you need, but I do think that the 2150 is acrylic enamel.

When I painted my O-12 it was painted in bits, as completed, painted and put aside. POR-15, then undercoat, then red enamel. More than the original ever got, obvious the only paint was where the gun saw it, no undercoat and virtually nothing under the transmission apart from runs from the sides. All painting was by brush except I sprayed the hood, tank and fenders, then these were later touched up by brush, brush marks do not show. After assembly bolts and nuts were again touched up by brush

Rusty, 2150 is not acrylic enamel, but "acrylic modified" alkyd enamel, one step lower than acrylic, much better than straight alkyd. Acrylic modified mostly means it has UV inhibitors, I don't know what else.

PPG Omni acrylic enamel dries fast, don't know what you used. Urethane is the one that has to have the hardener.

Nothing wrong with mixing 10 batches of paint. I've probably mixed 20 or more on my completely dissasembled Super A and I'm not done yet. Using base-clear over epoxy and surfacer where needed. Not practical for me to scatter parts all over my building and get paint everywhere. Taken about 6 months so far, including complete cleaning of each part. Painting takes a few minutes, prep takes forever.

Put epoxy primer (PPG Omni MP 170, catalyst does not contain isocyanates) under the 2150. It is not sandable -- if you want smooth sheet metal, you need a surfacer over the epoxy.

if you are going to spend all that time and money in prepping it why the hell would you paint it with a brush????

If you see what was missed when the factory sprayed the tractor then the only way to get better protection is to paint it bit by bit. I would not want to clean up spray guns so often.