John's Old Iron.com
Your Subtitle text
Paint/re-finish part 2
There are several approaches to painting a tractor. I've used several depending on what the tractor was intended for. The biggest challenge to painting a tractor is surface prep and the biggest enemy is grease. While I don't care what people do with their tractors the one thing I see is that many tractors have been painted with little surface prep. With a little work the 60 year old grease can be removed. Note the old grease at the base of the steering column. The other problem I have is that people don't always mask off wiring, hoses, and other parts prior to painting
Wash and Paint
The tractor shown here is simply a worker. While mostly a 40 9n its equipped with an 8n front axle. This tractor was degreased by first scraping the old grease off followed by the use of oven cleaner. The tractor was dirty like any old tractor and was completely degreased with about 6 cans of Easy Off. Yes you can buy cheaper oven cleaner but its much thinner and runs off surfaces that are not horizontal. Oven cleaner is Lye and there are recipes out there to make your own. Regardless of which you use you should use it with good ventilation and proper attire. I use oven cleaner that's allowed to soak followed by pressure washing. This tractor has been degreased and is about to be wire wheeled using the tools shown on the previous page. The wire-wheels are used to remove loose paint and surface rust.
If you look closely you will see the rear tires are mounted wide. This is done to make it easier to get to the rear axles and brake drums during cleaning.
Here the tractor is seen right after painting. Note I removed the wheels so that all surfaces can be painted. The rims were removed and prepped using wire wheels. The steering wheel was replaced so I was not concerned with masking it off. Note all the wiring has been removed.
The sheet metal was better than average but not perfect. All I did was wash it off, beat the dents out, then wet sand with 220 followed by 400 and paint. Note the hood and doglegs are different colors as they are from different tractors.
Everything was painted outside but it turns out Japanese beetles are attracted to the gray paint for some reason.
While not perfect its a big improvement.
Here's another example of wash and spray. The 2600 needed the frame painted prior to installing the loader. Here the frame has been prepped (degreased and wire wheeled) and the remainder of the tractor masked off. The filters were replaced so I was not concerned about protecting them. Note the rear wheels set wide so that you can get to the brakes. On this tractor I primed the areas that had exposed metal.
Partial disassembly
Another method is to partially disassemble the tractor. When I painted the 43 I did it in 2 stages. Here the rear end has been prepped and is about to be painted. This was painted following the servicing of the rear brakes, seals, and axle spacing. More time was spent on this tractor removing old paint. Just before painting the tractor was washed with Naphtha as a degreaser.
The front half of the tractor had been painted prior to the rear. I used the transmission as an overlap area. The lever on the left is a Sherman hand brake which is still available from Red Rock mfg.
Complete tractor disassembly
This is the method I use for best results but has occurred as part of a complete tractor restoration. This is a 1st class finish and requires a substantial amount of work. After doing this on several tractors I plan to make changes next time. I no longer plan to mechanically restore a tractor at the same time its being painted. From here on out the mechanical restoration will occur first and parts will be degreased as a part of that but the painting will not happen until the overhaul is determined to be complete and functional.
Prior to starting a major overhaul I begin by running the tractor and evaluating everything. Once its time to begin the restore I start by using paint stripper. While I own a sand blaster I've gone to stripping parts first then blasting. A gallon of stripper removes a lot of paint and is much easier to sand blast, the result being much less work for my compressor. You can place tarps under the tractor to catch the mess and dispose of later or work in an area where disposal is not a concern.
This 8n has been moved to a cleaning location. At this point the tractor has been been pressure washed and some parts removed.
Following a general cleaning the tractor was coated in paint stripper and allowed to set.
Once the paint starts to loosen it can be removed with a pressure washer. While not complete at this point its obvious paint is coming off.
Following stripping I remove any parts that I can and sand blast. Here the front spindles have been blasted and are about to be primed. Note the paper stuffed in the spindles to keep the sand and paint out. Change the paper after blasting or you will have sand in the paint.
More Individual parts ready to be cleaned.
More parts that were sandblasted and painted separate from the tractor.
For parts that should not be sandblasted I clean using wire wheels. Here the transmission is hanging from a boom pole so that its easier to clean. I do not recommend trying to sand blast an entire tractor as there is too many places that sand can end up where it is not wanted.
Following cleaning, the parts can be reassembled. Here the rear end has been prepped and is about to be primed.
When I restored my 8n the parts were primed individually as they were rebuilt and assembled.
Another option is to assemble the tractor and prime as an assembly.
Painting the tractor chassis
Once its cleaned up and prepped its time to paint. The parts of my 8n were primed as they were rebuilt I decided to prime the tractor as an assembly also so that everything was the same color and all fasteners would be primed. My last tractor was assembled first then primed, I believe that to be less work. Also present in this photo is the dash being test fit. I see a lot of posts on Internet forums where owners have painted the parts individually then assembled. I don't understand their logic as the parts will be nicked upon assembly and the fasteners would have to be hand painted.
Here the tractor has been primed and a pre painted area is visible in the front.
Next step is to pre-paint the areas that are hard to get to assembled. This way there is paint behind everything. Note the radius rods have been painted and wet sanded.
Left side pre-painted.
Once assembled and pre-painted the tractor can be scuff sanded with 3m pads and painted.
Painting the tractor sheetmetal
Home
Wash and Paint
The tractor shown here is simply a worker. While mostly a 40 9n its equipped with an 8n front axle. This tractor was degreased by first scraping the old grease off followed by the use of oven cleaner. The tractor was dirty like any old tractor and was completely degreased with about 6 cans of Easy Off. Yes you can buy cheaper oven cleaner but its much thinner and runs off surfaces that are not horizontal. Oven cleaner is Lye and there are recipes out there to make your own. Regardless of which you use you should use it with good ventilation and proper attire. I use oven cleaner that's allowed to soak followed by pressure washing. This tractor has been degreased and is about to be wire wheeled using the tools shown on the previous page. The wire-wheels are used to remove loose paint and surface rust.
If you look closely you will see the rear tires are mounted wide. This is done to make it easier to get to the rear axles and brake drums during cleaning.
Here the tractor is seen right after painting. Note I removed the wheels so that all surfaces can be painted. The rims were removed and prepped using wire wheels. The steering wheel was replaced so I was not concerned with masking it off. Note all the wiring has been removed.
The sheet metal was better than average but not perfect. All I did was wash it off, beat the dents out, then wet sand with 220 followed by 400 and paint. Note the hood and doglegs are different colors as they are from different tractors.
Everything was painted outside but it turns out Japanese beetles are attracted to the gray paint for some reason.
While not perfect its a big improvement.
Here's another example of wash and spray. The 2600 needed the frame painted prior to installing the loader. Here the frame has been prepped (degreased and wire wheeled) and the remainder of the tractor masked off. The filters were replaced so I was not concerned about protecting them. Note the rear wheels set wide so that you can get to the brakes. On this tractor I primed the areas that had exposed metal.
Partial disassembly
Another method is to partially disassemble the tractor. When I painted the 43 I did it in 2 stages. Here the rear end has been prepped and is about to be painted. This was painted following the servicing of the rear brakes, seals, and axle spacing. More time was spent on this tractor removing old paint. Just before painting the tractor was washed with Naphtha as a degreaser.
The front half of the tractor had been painted prior to the rear. I used the transmission as an overlap area. The lever on the left is a Sherman hand brake which is still available from Red Rock mfg.
Complete tractor disassembly
This is the method I use for best results but has occurred as part of a complete tractor restoration. This is a 1st class finish and requires a substantial amount of work. After doing this on several tractors I plan to make changes next time. I no longer plan to mechanically restore a tractor at the same time its being painted. From here on out the mechanical restoration will occur first and parts will be degreased as a part of that but the painting will not happen until the overhaul is determined to be complete and functional.
Prior to starting a major overhaul I begin by running the tractor and evaluating everything. Once its time to begin the restore I start by using paint stripper. While I own a sand blaster I've gone to stripping parts first then blasting. A gallon of stripper removes a lot of paint and is much easier to sand blast, the result being much less work for my compressor. You can place tarps under the tractor to catch the mess and dispose of later or work in an area where disposal is not a concern.
This 8n has been moved to a cleaning location. At this point the tractor has been been pressure washed and some parts removed.
Following a general cleaning the tractor was coated in paint stripper and allowed to set.
Once the paint starts to loosen it can be removed with a pressure washer. While not complete at this point its obvious paint is coming off.
Following stripping I remove any parts that I can and sand blast. Here the front spindles have been blasted and are about to be primed. Note the paper stuffed in the spindles to keep the sand and paint out. Change the paper after blasting or you will have sand in the paint.
More Individual parts ready to be cleaned.
More parts that were sandblasted and painted separate from the tractor.
For parts that should not be sandblasted I clean using wire wheels. Here the transmission is hanging from a boom pole so that its easier to clean. I do not recommend trying to sand blast an entire tractor as there is too many places that sand can end up where it is not wanted.
Following cleaning, the parts can be reassembled. Here the rear end has been prepped and is about to be primed.
When I restored my 8n the parts were primed individually as they were rebuilt and assembled.
Another option is to assemble the tractor and prime as an assembly.
Painting the tractor chassis
Once its cleaned up and prepped its time to paint. The parts of my 8n were primed as they were rebuilt I decided to prime the tractor as an assembly also so that everything was the same color and all fasteners would be primed. My last tractor was assembled first then primed, I believe that to be less work. Also present in this photo is the dash being test fit. I see a lot of posts on Internet forums where owners have painted the parts individually then assembled. I don't understand their logic as the parts will be nicked upon assembly and the fasteners would have to be hand painted.
Here the tractor has been primed and a pre painted area is visible in the front.
Next step is to pre-paint the areas that are hard to get to assembled. This way there is paint behind everything. Note the radius rods have been painted and wet sanded.
Left side pre-painted.
Once assembled and pre-painted the tractor can be scuff sanded with 3m pads and painted.
Painting the tractor sheetmetal
Home
