Neighbors First Paint Job!

Mark777

Member
First off….I wish I had pictures and this story took place last year!

I just think it is so cool when I (we) get to see pictures regardless of the project. Anything from machinery to tractors has always fascinated me. Including all facets and stages from 'rattle can' to custom high dollar spray equipment. It's all good.

What made me think of this topic most was my neighbor, who has often said he would like to paint his first project by himself...He has, on many occasions, come over to my shop, asked questions, made mental notes, and asked what I thought of rattle can paint jobs? I answered (the standard answer) "Prep is Everything".

Not very often do I allow people to come by and observe. Even customers that stop by, and would like updates…forces me to stop and field their questions. If you have a one track mind (like I do) it’s easily disturbed and one loses his rhythm. This jolly fellow, I never seemed to mind though.

So he went for it on his old MTD.

Walt (6’6”, 265lbs) came into my shop and asked if I could shake his 2, 6-packs of spray paint? Sure I said as my shaker will accommodate a box of paint sideways…and so we shook it vigorously for a few minutes…talked about masking tape, paper, more preparation, grades of abrasive paper and Scotch-Brite.

He finished it that night and invited me over for my "Critique". I walked over and saw that he had a 9’ X 12’ plastic tarp spread out and anchored in the corners with square bales of hay. I’m very careful to never criticize a persons first attempts on any project…and seldom offer any tips, tricks or techniques after the fact…unless asked.

As we approached, and from about 25’ away, I noticed he used kitchen trash bags to mask off the wheels, steering wheel, a few for over and around the seat and maybe a few more under the hood. And copious amounts of duct tape to secure the bags and some cardboard for the grilled and head lamps. (Did I mention it was windy?)

OK, so now were only 5’ away and I noticed at one point of his painting process, a corner of the tarp had lifted, blown over and attached to the right side of the mower. Which he must have removed and re-secured with a few cinder blocks. There were also indications that he ’wiped off’ that area with a shop rag. Finally, both of us standing over his machine, he asked in his most serious and booming baritone voice; “So, What Do You Think?” I was speechless. I looked at this ’thing’ for a solid minute, walked around searching for one, single redeeming quality but found nothing. It had runs everywhere. Not little ones either…big, long 18” lace curtains, with straw, dirt, bugs and other unidentifiable debris. There were even winged critters still flapping and spiraling in to their final death dance. The mower looked victimized by vandals….and tarred a feathered for extra measure……Did I mention it was Windy? It was, without a doubt, the worst attempt at painting anything that I've ever encountered.

When I finally looked away from this awful, horrible and offensive to the eye paint job, AND while I was trying very hard to think of something encouraging to say, I looked at him and he burst out laughing and actually had tears in his eyes. Now there are two howling men in his yard...laughing through the tears and gulping for air. Every time the laughter subsided I would attempt to say something....and one look at his mower and it would start all over again. He finally admitted that every time he had a problem, he just added more paint and by the time he was up to his ninth can of Krylon...he figured it wasn't fixing the problem.

I told him I MUST go get my camera. He threw his garden rake at me and said he would shoot me if I came back with a camera. I'm glad he was still giggling.....and that the rake was plastic!

I saw him last washing everything down with some high dollar solvent (gasoline) and getting ready to retry next weekend. It has been many years since I laughed that hard, and thank god he has such a good sense of humor.

Walt moved away about 6 months ago, and gave me his little mower....but not until he removed all traces of the evidence! . I think about the guy every time I see his mower in my back 40...and when I look over in his yard, where the crime took place. I kinda miss him too as he was one of the very few people that was always jolly and could laugh with you and at himself at the same time.

Mark
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Thanks for sharing Mark. :thumb: Good one.
Not enough people like that in the world these days.
To bad you couldn't have snuck a picture.
 

California

Super Moderator
Staff member
Site Supporter
Great story, Mark!

After reading that, I'm afraid if I tried to paint mine the learning by trial and error would be a lifelong embarassment.

I don't have a shop compressor, air tools, any enclosed space, safety equipment, or a real spray gun, and I didn't even know that real painters have a paint shaker until I read your story.

I finally found a pair of spare front wheels. (I've been concerned that my cracked and welded front wheels might fold up some day.) I just got a $10 HF HVLP gravity feed gun. Maybe I'll cobble together my two little 1/3 hp tire compressors, three carry-around tire inflator tanks, Dad's left over yard-sale Rustoleum pints (suitably thinned and strained), and whatever else I can find, and repaint those wheels for a first trial. If that goes well, then maybe my pumpkin-orange rear wheels. But I don't plan to paint the whole tractor any time soon. Especially after reading that!
 

Mark777

Member
Yeah...it's an old story. I was dumping files in my word index and ran across it, deciding I'd share it with some of the folks.

I truly believe anyone can paint. A few of the basics, once understood and then let someone go for it. A good analogy is like giving someone all the information required to learn how to drive a stick-shift. Something really impossible to teach, or read from a book. One just has to experiment for an hour or two. Then C L I C K ! And suddenly everything else makes sense.

Mark
 
Well. At least he was going "high tech" and using spray bombs! A couple weeks ago, I traded a '52 Ford NAA I had for a pair of Ferguson F-40 "parts tractors" to cannabalize when I restore dads old Fergie. One of 'em had been painted with latex paint that appeared to have been applied with a ROLLER!:oops: :badidea:
 
M

mtntopper

Guest
A tractor is made to do work and not intended to be pretty. Paint is just a preservative and rust prevention.:yum:
 

shinnlinger

Member
I have read with convincing evidence that it is easier to take a rustleum type paint in a regular can (not spray paint) and thin it out and apply with a smooth roller.

This way you dont have to mask near as much and can do just a panel at a time. If you do miltiple coats and buff it out it can look very proffesional.

I plan to do this to my dump truck at somepoint.
 

Mark777

Member
I have read with convincing evidence that it is easier to take a rustleum type paint in a regular can (not spray paint) and thin it out and apply with a smooth roller.

Read something similar about guys in L.A. doing restoration muscle cars with 4" sable brushes and catalyzed enamels.(amazing results according to the magazine).


A tractor is made to do work and not intended to be pretty. Paint is just a preservative and rust prevention.

So true...at least I start out that way, fixing a small area, then expanding to include suspect areas, then thinking might as well do the whole thing, and then the tractor is in a hundred pieces, frame and drive train on jack stands, floors wet, exhausts fans running....then might as well use a higher line paint...and then, and then.......

Mark
 

Dougster

Old Member
A tractor is made to do work and not intended to be pretty. Paint is just a preservative and rust prevention.

So true...at least I start out that way, fixing a small area, then expanding to include suspect areas, then thinking might as well do the whole thing, and then the tractor is in a hundred pieces, frame and drive train on jack stands, floors wet, exhausts fans running....then might as well use a higher line paint...and then, and then.......

Mark
There is no reason why a tractor's paint job should be any less durable or attractive than a car or truck paint job! :) You ought to see the fine touch-up work I do!!! :D You'd think I worked for Mercedes-Benz or Porsche for goodness sake!!! :tiphat:

Dougster
 

California

Super Moderator
Staff member
Site Supporter
Read something similar about guys in L.A. doing restoration muscle cars with 4" sable brushes and catalyzed enamels.(amazing results according to the magazine).
Late 50's I used to deliver the newspaper to an old retired sign painter. He told me he used to brush-paint cars back in the Motel T era (teens, twenties) and his result was as good as modern spray work. He said you really have to understand materials, thinner, and drying rates to let the brush strokes flow together, and of course use the best, softest brushes made. I think he brushed on traditional bug-based lacquer, not the later nitrocellulose version.
 
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