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GrandDads 51 IHFarmall M 08-16-2009 21:11:26 75.20.135.45 19102 Report to Moderator	My father in law has a 1951 Farmall M. It is in pretty good condition, but I would like to know how we can re-paint the great machine. What are the main steps? Must you sand blast, or are there cleaning solvents that take the place and do just as good of job? Priming? How to and best primers? Top coats - what color for a Farmall M and is it impossible to get a good job with a paint brush, meaning we need to spray? Is this something that an amateur can take on and expect a good to great result? Thank you all for your advice. -John [Reply]   [Send Email]
soundguy 08-18-2009 07:58:38 173.136.215.237 19106 Report to Moderator	Re: Advice for Someone New to Painting Tractors in reply to GrandDads 51 IHFarmall M, 08-16-2009 21:11:26   Can an amateur do it.. yes.. with patiencs, time and practice. sandblast.. you can.. but I don't prefer it.. it's fast and probably cheap to haul it somewhere and get it blasted. blast material gets into everything though so you have to be carefull.. also have had thin parts deformed or perferated by a blaster. you can also use electrolysis to remove paint and rust.. a 10a 12v charger and a big plastic tub and some sodium carbonate ( washing soda, ph+ addative for pools.. etc.. ).. and some sacrificial metal strips is all that is needed. I usually use a wire wheel and a black 3m pad to remove paint on sheet metal that can't be electrolysis'd due to size / shape. for the chassie.. you can use chemical strippers and things like oven cleaner.. plus a pressure washer.. a wire wheel or brush helps too. degrease with soemthing like simple green or purple stuff. the devil is inthe details.. surface prep is king. 200$ paint on metal that has had 1hr prep will look like a 20$ paint job. 26$ paint on metal that has had 10hr prep will look like a 200 $ paint job. use a primer that is compatible with your other chemicals / brands. I like mineral spirits for cleanup and naptha as a fast thinner.. but your particular paint will tell you what reducer to use.. etc. pay attention to temperature.. most paints like 50-90'f and low humidity. don't paint in direct sun.. nor in anything but light breeze. use masking tapes and paers to control overspray.. paint in an area that will be protected from water till paint has safely skinned.. otherwise it will fish eye from rain or condensation. some paints require catylists to cure.. some cure naturally.. some can have hardners that enhance luster and cure time.. most hardners can cause alergic reactions to those sensitive to them.. thus contained air supply is recomended unless you know what you are doing.. .. ie.. paint in open air and don't breathe the fumes AND get a good organic cartridge respirator to handle the paint and reducers.. etc. watch window times.. some paints and primers have a specific window of when you can recoat or paint over primer... etc. I did my first tractor using an 80$ 2hp/4g pancake compressor from the china store with an additional 15g air tank plumbed in, plus a 25$ filter regulator and a 9$ sale- syphon spray gun from the china store. took my time due to low air volume.. and painted individual hung parts at a time.. then took the time on the chassie. came out great. since then I have gottem a bigger compressor and a variety of syphon, hvlp and pressure guns for different projects. soundguy   [Reply]   [Send Email]
GlenIdaho 08-17-2009 17:07:33 204.228.226.16 19105 Report to Moderator	Re: Advice for Someone New to Painting Tractors in reply to GrandDads 51 IHFarmall M, 08-16-2009 21:11:26   Hello John; I'm certainly no expert, but have restored (still) a Ford. There are many answers to your questions, but the first questions you need to ask is what quality of job, cost and time do you have. A beginner can certainly do a great job if he takes time to prepare and learn. This forum is an excellent place to start. The archives are filled with questions from folks like you and me and have received great answers. Some other questiosn to ask would be; Do a I want a show quality tractor? Do I want a good job but a tractor that is worked? Preparation is 90% of having a good paint job. The surface must be free of dirt, grease and rust. All chips should be sanded to have fearthered edges. You do not need to completely strip the tractor of its paint unless you suspect rust beneath, then it is a good idea to take care of it. Removing those parts that can be removed will provide a better finished job in that all areas will be sure to be cleaned and painted. Sandblasting of the sheetmetal can be done, jut be sure that whoever does it knows how because sandblasting creates heat which can warp the metal. Electrolisis is another method and inexpensive. Do a search on this forum for how to do it. Many swear by it. Depending on the rust, sanding may be sufficient. All parts must be wiped down with a grease and wax remover such as PPG DX330. The best primer to use is an epoxy primer as it seals out all moisture thus preventing rust. The problem with epoxy is that there is generally a time window that must be met to apply the top coat, PPG Omni uses a 72 hour window. Another draw back is the use of isocyanantes which requires a supplied air supply for protection of your body. The cost is around $400 for a hobbyist type system. Top coats can range from alkyd enamels, acrylic enamels to urethanes. The urethanes will give the best shine and uv protection. This is just a brief general description and each painter has his way of doing things. Answer the questions about how far you want to go and then search the archives. Post back with more questions if you need to. There are some great guys here more than willing to help.   [Reply]   [No Email]
da-bees 08-17-2009 16:59:13 76.187.61.125 19104 Report to Moderator	Re: Advice for Someone New to Painting Tractors in reply to GrandDads 51 IHFarmall M, 08-16-2009 21:11:26   If you search archives of this forum there is a wealth of info for each of your issues.Good luck with the restoration and post often.   [Reply]   [No Email]