Help with cleaning up 1250
 

I need some help cleaning up the 1250, I need to scrape off a layer of green paint from the fenders without damaging the original paint. I've added enough scratches already.
Also, any tips for removing the decals? I want to replace them soon and I need to get them off.

You aren't going to be able to easily take off green paint and not damage the original paint. Sand it all and repaint it.

Decals come off easier with heat, or a decal eraser wheel.

Why would you put new decals on a tractor you didn't repaint?
:RollEyes2:

Jon makes a good point. Sand smooth, epoxy prime, wet sand that, and paint it. First choice would be to just sand blast to steel but not sure if you have access to a blaster. I am guessing not if your being this tedious with removing paint.

I've never sanded an epoxy primer. They are harder than **** and it's unnecessary if you lay it on right. This ain't no show car.

I hate to say it Jon, Because we have been getting along so well LOL. But no.. The newer epoxy is quite sand-able and for a high quality job needs to be wet sanded. Up to 2000 or better depending on the color and type of paint your using. The 55 Ford as an example we wet to 2500 on. Epoxy's have changed quite a bit in last 5 years. The newer epoxies are meant to be your last prime coat these days. One and done so it needs to be blocked and wet out.

Edit, your right tho.. Lucky if he uses Krylon primer lol

You aren't my go to paint guy Coop. I'd ask an actual body/paint man if I have questions. I'll let it go.

I have heard of people using easy off oven cleaner to remove spray paint without damaging the original paint but have never tried it myself. I prefer a sandblaster.:biggrin2:

I've heard of that too.... but I've not tried it either.

Supposedly, that's how they got the names of the previous owners off my Goldwing that were painted on the trunk lid.

That's cool. I should note we use a high build epoxy that is meant to be sanded. The manufacturer notes that this can be your final primer but we use a second primer over that as our guide coat before paint. The high build epoxy is not cheap using multiple coats gets costly.

And I am an actual paint and body man Jon,... I would say 75% of what we do here is body/paint work. It is part of the refurbishment process.

Back when I was a kid my dad always had the name of the shop hand painted on the door of the truck, anytime he traded the truck in he always used easy off to remove the lettering and it never hurt the paint. It has to be the original easy off, fume free won't touch the spray paint at all.

That makes sense. I doubt any kind of hardener was used in the hand painted work. The oven cleaner must be able to soften the non hardened paint but not to the point of damaging the clear or hardened paint beneath it. I might have to try the oven cleaner sometime. We get machines back in off lease after 6 months with spray painted unit numbers from the airlines. The paint we sent them out with is still fine but getting the spray paint off can be a pain in the butt.

I've never actually semi professionally painted anything, just thrown a coat of paint over rust, but I at least know the basics. Rough up the paint, prime, 3 coats of paint, then sand smooth and clear coat. I'll do the fenders, frame, front rims, and the tunnel cover.
We do have a sand blaster, but the valve's busted off, and we have a compressor for a paint gun, but it's broke and the other compressor has a huge hole in the tank.

I would like to see this almost perfect original paint ya got there.. Your the one who said you scratched it up.

Paint all that stuff you said and leave the old paint. I don't think you will be happy with the shine against dull dead paint look

Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that I scratched up the paint on the fenders, where the green paint is.

Worst part is that the green paint crumbles basically into sand as it scrapes off, I don't know what kind of paint it is but it's a pain in neck to get off.

I guess before I repaint the fenders I'll also knock the bend out of the one fender (left side in pic).
https://image.ibb.co/j6xK59/2018_08_25_21_37_31.jpg

So your talking about not painting what? The hood and side covers?

The hood needs a touch up but it's fine overall, and the side panels are almost mint condition, save for some smallish rust spots.
https://ibb.co/kqKYiK
https://ibb.co/fKZAVz

If you want it all to match, you need to paint everything. If you don't care about it not matching... well then go for it

I'm basically leaving the patina on everything matching, I'm not painting the dash, side panels, grille casting, nose, hood, or the dash support. In fact, I'm debating not even painting the tunnel cover, just replacing the warning sticker on it. I don't know, though. It's obvious the PO dragged his feet, on every corner the paint's rubbed off. I expected this, after all, the tractor has 950 hours (I don't know, but it seems way too nice to have 1200-1500 hours, plus PO had about 6 other obviously more used tractors, mine was in the back of his little storage area and had obviously been sitting for a while)

It's your baby.. Have fun with it:beerchug:

I will agree with Coop on painting only parts of it. The new paint always stands out and looks worse than if it had just been left alone but it's your tractor so do whatever makes you happy.

You won’t like putting new stickers on old paint. It will make the paint look even worse.
Here’s the quick and dirty way:
Remove decals.
Get a random orbit sander and scuff everywhere, feather the paint where it’s chipped. If the paint is on there this long it’s not going to come off, so just paint over it.
Prime
Scuff
Paint.

It’s not a show car, it’s a lawnmower.

So, if my plan works out I'll be doing the hydraulic lift swap, head gasket replacement, steering column repair and the repainting done all at once.

I'm in wayyyyyy over my head on this, someone end me now.

Be patient. Go slow. Do one thing at a time. When your new to this kind of stuff you have to treat each portion as its own project. Pic a part and work it till completion. IE engine. Do everything your going to do to the engine all at once and finish it. Next. Body work. work it one piece at a time. When all parts are to your liking, primer them then don't wait too long before you paint. But don't sand a piece, paint a piece, sand another,, etc.. you waste material that way.

I think that "high build" are the key words here...

The high build is absolutely meant to be sanded. And before it gets there, no I am not a body man.

To mudrig:

For the love, don't put new decals on old paint.

It's more trouble to prep than actually paint. Find a friend with a sand blast cabinet and take it to him. Tell him you'll mow his grass a couple times. Just don't paint over old rust or whatever it is you were thinking about doing. You know that comment you made about the green paint crumbling? That's what the previous guy did... he painted in half a$$. Don't be that guy. Ask for advice from some of these guys who are really good body guys. Listen to every detail, treat it like a methodical process.... like you were doing heart surgery. Everything clean, planned, and careful. Take your time and don't rush it. Let it dry before you put on your second coat. Wet sand. The whole works. Then post pics on here and enjoy the compliments.

Yeah, I'm not going to do what he did and paint over the clear coat he added. He put freaking clear coat before paint. We have a sandblast cabinet but it's broke and the sandblaster itself is broke and everything's broke, plus I don't know anyone who had a sandblast cabinet because no one near us does bodywork. They just throw paint on all willy-nilly.

Also, let me reiterate, I'm going to do all this stuff separately, but all with the tractor apart.

:bigthink:Not sure how you "break" a blast cab. A leak, easy fix. tip worn out, Easy fix.. Maybe your compressor is broken?? That would render the blast cab useless I guess.


Clear coat under paint huh.. Now I gotta see pics of this.

Agreed.

Mudrig,

Fair enough. Get some stripper and go to work. Come behind the stripper with some sand paper.

Or don't.

But whatever, like stated before, it's your baby. Do what you like. Just remember, you asked for "help". This is our advice...

The leg is bent, so it falls over. Plus the good compressor doesn't work and the other one can't build up much pressure.

It's hard to see in pics, but there's a layer of something on the paint which discolors it. I think it's a matte clear coat.
https://ibb.co/n6LLrJ

I probably won't even any special tools or chemicals to remove half the decals, as they are already peeling themselves off the tractor.

Are you saying there was green paint over this area?

No, it's on the sides of the fenders, and it's sort of a yellow-green.
This is where the clear coat is.

30 posts for this topic?? :bigeyes:

At least post some pictures of this abortion!!

X 2 :ThumbsUp:

You helped!:bigthink::biggrin2::beer2:

:biggrin2:Nearly 15% before my post right here and now.... Something's wrong! J-Mech is lagging behind, lately!

Don't encourage him...:bash2:

That made me LOL pretty good.:biggrin2:

He needs no encouragement :biggrin2:

Sand it, rattle can primer, rattle can paint, new decals, go get it dirty and enjoy. I really can't see this project being so complicated.

There we go. That's what I thought...... about 30 posts ago.