How to paint a mower?
- Thread starter Bethieboo
- Start date
Agree - prep is the key to a quality repair. I suggest spending some time in your local library. There are plenty of text books that provide the 'How-to' of body repair and painting. I suggest finding a scrap piece of metal to practice your newly learned skill prior to spending hours on your project to finish and be less then satisfied with your product. I learned to prep & paint that way. I spent a few hours on practice panels (junk yard fenders) before I was comfortable enough to prep, paint and finish my project. With practice you'll find the 'right' grade of sandpaper that leaves the minimal amount of scratches. I did find one trick - use self ecthing primer. It's bit more expensive but a lot more forgiving, fills in sanding scratches, provides good adhesion to both the meatal and the final coat of paint.
Best advice is start your research at the library. You may also want to check out Adult Education classes at your local Technical School. Good Luck......
Best advice is start your research at the library. You may also want to check out Adult Education classes at your local Technical School. Good Luck......
nuffer460
Forum Newbie
It doesn't matter if you hand sand or use a machine. Prep work is dirty. First and formost. Degrease and degrease, and degrease as you take a part for prep work. The finer the sand paper the better the finish. 600 grit leaves a nice finish, with a good bite to the surface. Wire wheels are great on rust. Here are some pictures of a 2000, John Deere F-620 Z Trak that I repaired and painted two seasons ago. I used PPG Acrylic Enamle with a urathane hardner. The primers were epoxy primer both as a base primer and reduced as a sealer. The SMC plastic body was repaired and that needed a thicker filler primer also.
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How new do you want it to look? I mean for complete restoration, I would completely dissemble it, bead or soda blast it and powdercoat or primer/paint it, and chrome the rims for fun.
On the cheap though, I would use a combo of a grinder with wire wheel, sanding and solvent prep then rattle can it.
On the cheap though, I would use a combo of a grinder with wire wheel, sanding and solvent prep then rattle can it.
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adan
Well-Known Member
Hi Nuffer! How long did it take you to degrease, sand and paint your machine? Just wondering. I imagine it takes some real time and effort that may have affected your other activities.
I just finished the complete refurbish of a 9 year old Scag 61" Turf Tiger
It had 3000 hours n it and was very used and abused. Today it looks better than new.
I completely disassembled it. Cut out and replaced over 200lbs of bent and twisted steel.
I also added a very heavy duty roll bar since the model I have was not equipped with one.
The new steel was carefully TIG welded using over 20 pounds of TIG welding rod.
And almost 4 bottles of Argon gas.
The frame was cracked in 5 places, those were welded and properly reinforced.
After the welding was completed, I had every piece of metal sand blasted or replated..
When I got all of the pieces back from the blasting operation, I washed all of the parts with phosphoric acid to be sure that all rust spores had been killed.
I used two coats of KBS Rust Seal urethane enamel as a primer to completely seal every surface. I have used it on several other projects during the past 10 years and have been very satisfied. It is self leveling, as a result it was not necessary to sand anything. The KBS simply leveled out all of the sand blasting surface imperfections and provided a wonderful surface for top coating. Following that and within the appropriate recoat window, every thing received two full wet coats of PPG Concept Single Stage Urethane, of the appropriate orange color. All bolts were replaced with grade 8 Yellow Zinc coated Bolts. All new decals were installed. All bearings and seals were replaced. And many of the connectors were replaced with spherical bearing rod ends. It's like a new machine, I love it
It had 3000 hours n it and was very used and abused. Today it looks better than new.
I completely disassembled it. Cut out and replaced over 200lbs of bent and twisted steel.
I also added a very heavy duty roll bar since the model I have was not equipped with one.
The new steel was carefully TIG welded using over 20 pounds of TIG welding rod.
And almost 4 bottles of Argon gas.
The frame was cracked in 5 places, those were welded and properly reinforced.
After the welding was completed, I had every piece of metal sand blasted or replated..
When I got all of the pieces back from the blasting operation, I washed all of the parts with phosphoric acid to be sure that all rust spores had been killed.
I used two coats of KBS Rust Seal urethane enamel as a primer to completely seal every surface. I have used it on several other projects during the past 10 years and have been very satisfied. It is self leveling, as a result it was not necessary to sand anything. The KBS simply leveled out all of the sand blasting surface imperfections and provided a wonderful surface for top coating. Following that and within the appropriate recoat window, every thing received two full wet coats of PPG Concept Single Stage Urethane, of the appropriate orange color. All bolts were replaced with grade 8 Yellow Zinc coated Bolts. All new decals were installed. All bearings and seals were replaced. And many of the connectors were replaced with spherical bearing rod ends. It's like a new machine, I love it