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what type of paint is the most durable


schaefer72

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Hi i am mid way thru sandblasting and paint my tractor - i have been using spray cans - rustoleum primer then yellow spay can enamels - i was testing the durability of them and the primer held good when i hit it over and over with a metal bar but when i hit a piece that had primer and the spray can enamel it flaked off like crazy! it just isn't going to work when you consider the abuse these tractors have to take - i tested the original paint on my b-10 and it was stong as steel - i could hit it over and over with no scratching or chipping - am i going to have to use ppg type auto paints i have to mix and spray - what types of paints are the most durable ? - enamels ,ppg or what? - since i dont have a garage and most of my painting is done outside i would prefer to avoid mixing paints- i also prefer the ease of spray cans you use and toss out when finished - dont have alot of money to spend ?
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You want cheap, easy, and durable..? Don't we all..! You're not going to get a factory finish with spray cans, which are also probably the most expensive way to paint. If you don't have professional equipment, or expertise, here's a suggestion. Talk with a local auto body shop. You finish sandblasting, let the shop prime the tractor, you do the remaining hand sanding, let the shop spray the color coat. It may not be as expensive as you might think. Proper preparation is the hardest and most important part of a quality paint job. Ask the shop owner, or auto paint supplier, about products for metal etching, silicone & wax removal, types of primer / filler / bonder, and finish coat enamel, acrylic, catalyst, etc.
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You're not going to find anything as durable as the original paint unless you move to automotive acrylics that require mixing with a hardener. Those have the hassle of mixing and cleanup and they are very dangerous to breathe. You should have an air supply mask, not just a cartridge respirator, but the respirator is the absolute minimum even when working outside. The rattle can primer/ enamel mix should work better than what you're reporting, though. Are you sure the primer and final coat are compatible? For better adhesion, you can lightly sand the primer with 400 grit wet-or-dry abrasive paper before applying the final coat. Be careful not to sand back through to bare metal though, or you'll likely get wrinkled paint aroung the edges of those spots. Just some thoughts.
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I use the tractors I fix up , I don't want to park them in my living room and eat off them. Ha HA! (humor) So I brush them off with a fine wire wheel on a angle grinder, sand a little where needed, and paint with-cans. Sure, you can see imperfections when you get within 5'-if you are looking for them, but few people really notice. I get quite a few compliments on my "Quickee" paint jobs. Anyhow, don't mix brands of spray paints-especially with Rustoleum.(I hate Rrustoleum) Everytime I top coat Rustoleum with something else it peels. Hate Krylon too, it runs as bad if not worse than Rustoleum. I've been using Valspar for three years now with great success. I usually clean my parts with water and Dawn dishsoap getting all the oil off. Then I paint 3-4 light coats about 4-8 minutes apart. Then I let the pieces sit for 3-6 days to dry, more or less depending on the humidity and temperature. It seems to dry nice and hard, and holds up well. My routine, SmilinSam
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Catalysed paint is very durable. DO NOT sandblast body work, especially if it's thin. Spraying catalysed paint isn't for the newbie. You have to have the correct air mask to protect yourself from the fumes.[A href='http://www.wheatfarm.com']http://www.wheatfarm.com[/a]
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Well, Us Wisconsinites have stores called Fleet Farm ! (or Farm and Fleet) I always use their equipment enamel. The AC orange fits the full size tractors better so I add a little Red to match what I want. This paint will be very durable as long as the machine does not sit outside all of the time. The real key to making it shine is NOT to add any thinner. Spray as best you can with the highest air pressure. First a mist coat, let dry about an hour, then a full wet coat. It is real sticky so be sure to wear a bambushka or something. Otherwise you wont get a comb thru yer hair fer weeks ! I never bothered with a Primer under it. It is sticky enough and slow drying enough to stick to any Clean surface. Check out club member Ken's 725. That tractor was painted over 10 years ago. It was borrowed out to friends doing landscape work almost round the clock in summer, I pushed the whole neighborhoods snow all winter. Short of a few brush touch ups here and there it held up great. Of course this is my recommendation for a working class machine. If you are going Show only, gotta go with an automotive urethane. Chris L
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I too, have had no luck with Rustoleum, I will not buy it anymore. Using cans exclusively, I have had the best luck with Wal-Mart primer and Farm & Fleet implement paint.
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I use Rustoleum to cover parts I don't look at (like under the chassis) where it works well, but it's not a primer :-) As for urethane paint being only for cars, that's baloney. It's an incredibly tough paint. I've used it on lots of equipment that's used a lot. Yes, it's more work, but I enjoy that kind of thing :-) Nothing like having a tractor that has a nice shine to it.[A href='http://www.wheatfarm.com']http://www.wheatfarm.com[/a]
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ALL paint spraying requires a respirator mask even spritz bombs//that stuff is also very toxic,,
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