Farmall Cub

Hi Gang; I now have the cub completely torn apart. I have been lucky finding replacements for some of the worn and broken parts. Still there is a lot of work to be done before I start to reassemble her. I have used electrolisis, wire brushes, sandblasting, and Easy-off to remove three coats off paint. I have been using a cheap primer(Krylon) to keep the parts from rusting until I could get it all finished. I was told that wasn't a good primer to be using. I will not be able to use anything until mid-March
because I will have to paint outside. I need to know what kind of primer to use? I have a HVLP spray gun and no experience, so be gentle. Thanks, Basketcase

While you're waiting for spring, do some reading on this bulletin board. I think you will find it useful.

http://www.autobodystore.com/cgi-bin/config.pl?index

Basketcase,

I agree, I wouldn't use Krylon I don't think. You will have a lot of time and money into your Cub and I don't think the primer coat is the place to go cheap. I'm no expert but I've had pretty good luck in the past with standard red oxide primer on my working tractor.

That being said, I'm preparing to restore a Cub and a Super A I bought last year and I'm about convinced that I will be moving up to an epoxy primer. I've heard nothing but good things from people who have used it. They are a bit more expensive and I suppose that characteristics vary between types and brands. The better brands are said to grip metal like like nobodys business and so don't scratch or chip easily. They fill small imperfections nicely. They also have a rust preventative and require fewer coats (the brand I'm thinking of using suggests only a single coat).

I'm told by a body shop friend that epoxy primers reduce the need for rust inhibitors, most glazing compound, multiple coats and re-primering - and so in the end it is probably a better paint job for about the same money as the cheaper primers.

Thanks Don and Slappy;
I think I might be in over my head. I am considering having someone paint the old gal for me. I feel I have invested to much time and labor to screw it up now. I don't have any experience with a spray gun, and I would like this to turn out well. Thanks again Basketcase

Basket , If they didn't scare you off I would go to your nearest auto body ,paint store and ask for their help in choosing the best paint for a novice painter.I used the Iron Guard paint sold by IH It was good paint and primer You need to use the same material or compatable material so the paint will work with the primer I refain from using Krylon do to to fact that it takes @ 60 days to harden and the rattle cans don't contain the hardener that will give you the gloss shine that you will really want . I have a HVLP gun and I haven't used the 2 stage paints . but I may use it on the next cub good luck Just rember that you will always have time to do it right the second time.Good luck Steve

Basketcase, don't get scared off yet, If I can paint a tractor anyone can!! Practice a little first on a few things that aren't so important, I painted a wagon and my car!!!
It's a real nice feeling when someone asks " Wow, who painted your tractor?" and you can say " I did.

Basketcase,

Parts man is right, you shouldn't be scared off. The HVLP guns and new paints available make it eaiser than ever for beginners like us to lay down a pretty good paint job on our first try. There are also some videos out on painting tractors that might help. Learn a few basic techniques from a video or book, practice on a few items laying around the barn (I have two sets of metal shelves and a refrigerator in my barn painted Farmall Red that I practiced on) and I think you'll find it's a lot of fun and as Parts Man said, very rewarding.

parts man wrote: Practice a little first on a few things that aren't so important, I painted a wagon and my car!!!

mmm...IH2150 on the car....

I too, have a new HVLP gun. going to paint on Primer Pete after a trial run on a CC125 worker tractor for my son. He's getting pretty proficient on the MIG, so I've got to learn to paint. Need a water trap for the compressor, though.

Basketcase, if your paint job doesn't turn out quite as you wanted, you can always be creative. I once used Van Sickle paint Ford tractor blue to paint my 63 Chevy pickup using a Wagner airless gun outside. Turned out pretty good, except that the dew fell before it dried. When people asked about the dull finish on the hood, I just told tham that since I was driving toward the sun morning and evening I did that to cut down on the glare. Don't know what I would have said if they had ever looked at the top of the cab.

Thanks again fellas. I plan on talking to a pro sometime in the near future. My problem is I am only able to strip and blast 1or2 parts a week. I was using the krylon primer to keep the parts from rusting. I guess I will need to go back and remove the Krylon and re-prime the parts with the good stuff. Have no fear, I am having a ball working on this little darling. Basketcase

BC:

Not that I am an authority, but I have been around spray guns for over 30 years. Primarily with lacquers and catalytics. I painted my snow plow on Ellie-Mae a couple of weeks ago. Used a good epoxy based primer and an acrylic enamel paint. Turned out pretty good for a guy not used to using automotive type material.

Couple points. Biggest and most important part in painting is getting the prep done right. Once the prep is done, then prime. Mix up 1/2 pint at a time until you are comfortable with what is going on as you learn about your gun. Spray light but not thin coats and do edges first. Smooth strokes side to side with a slight overlap. Once you have it all primed, then comes the good part.

Taking your time (within reason of course and according to the wet time of the product you are using), don't rush.... biggest mistake anyone makes in finishing anything is to rush the process... don't do that.

dose any one know if they were primed at the factory or was it just shot with enamel

Somebody always has to crash the party. Painting with the paint material that is used in today’s automotive industry without the proper equipment is deadly. I know because I was a victim of high concentrations of Trimethyl Benzene in my blood which caused in my Doctors opinion tumors around my Thyroid Gland. Trimethyl Benzene is one of the chemicals used in the hardener additive you add to the paint before application. Also I had high concentration of Aromatic 100 another chemical used in the hardener additive.

At one time, every weekend was occupied with a painting project. I was safety minded and used the proper equipment but, the Doctor said the chemical must of absorbed through my skin. I always rolled my sleeves up because; the protective clothing bothered me around my arms when spraying.

After my surgery which was four years ago, my Doctor put a scare into me that I will never forget about the hazards of air born chemicals if you don’t use the proper equipment.

The safety equipment I used is about 10 years old and outdated for the automotive industry now. When I purchased it the cost was about $1200 dollars. (Respiratory & Clothing material)

Now the automotive manufactures use computerized robots to paint their products in the factories. The automotive repair shops have built in paint booths with their own ventilation system and the painter uses equipment that resembles an astronaut.

The auto shop I work which incorporates a body shop, suspended an employee for three days for just walking in a paint booth with out the ventilation system operating. He had the proper equipment on and there was no paint work being done at the time. All he wanted to do was look at the repair he did one hour before.

Yes I still paint my own things only but, I cover myself like a Mummy.

End of sermon.

Jack Fowler

Dogman,

IH did not put primer on the Cubs until about 1960 or so.
I am positive there was no primer used on the Cubs from 1947 until 1955.
I have not been able to track down exactly when they started primeing the Cubs. I have to spend more time in the archives. Study production photos and paint committee decisions.

Mike

Thank you, Jack,

I've not had a paint gun in my hand for nearly four years. There's absolutely no way I would ever consider using any more of the exotic paints, or even hardener...ever again. The risks are simply not worth it.

My pulmonary specialist says my lungs are now stable at 60% of what they should be. He has said I could try a little spraying on the huge backlog of stuff with proper precautions when it gets warm enough to see how it goes. You can be sure I will only use simple enamel if I do pick up a gun again.

It's tough to not be able to paint my projects after enjoying the transformations since the early 60's.