# paint em up



## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)

I like to keep my stuff looking sharp like we all do. I am just not very good at it.
To spend 3 grand or more on painting a tree truck, well, I just cannot do it.

So what I do is half as it myself. I tried painting off of a compressor for a number of years and some days it was too windy or too humid or just plain raining and sometimes rained on the fresh paint and destroyed it. On a hot day it was hard to keep the breather guard on so if I went without, I had orange hairs inside my nose telling me that nasty stuff was getting to my lungs. Also it became just plain illegal to spray paint outside.

So next we have been just taping em up and rolling and brushing it on and it looks decent to the eye from a distance which is really all we are trying to accomplish....a professional look.

The problem I have is when I sprayed the color seemed to last a lot longer and stayed shiny. The rolled and brushed paint, although the same product just oxidized quicker and looked good the first, ok the second year and the third year it was faded in color and sheen.

Was wondering how you all handle this task and if anyone has professional insights to this necessary evil in our trade. Here are a few picts of our latest effort.







Just purchased 99 BC 2000


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## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)




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## tree md (Jul 1, 2009)

I've never painted a chipper but I'm just wondering if you could use an airless to apply the paint? I had one that hooked up to my compressor but it seemed to work my poor little compressor too hard. I quit using it before I burnt the compressor up.


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## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)

I had the same prob with my $750 gas compressor. I have also considered airless and the units are quite inexpensive. Seems like they would have to be legal as they are used on house exteriors.






Here it is prior to taking off tape and putting on decals and new deflector bonnet we got. Also added new flaps in intake chute as they were shot.


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## tree md (Jul 1, 2009)

Yeah, they're legal. They work on a motorized pump and pressurized hose. Watch out for over spray though.

Your running the same colors as me.


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## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)

international orange? Are you using the airless or what are your methods tree md?





Here it is without some finishing decals and detail stuff. Within three years the reddish in the orange will have faded.

Is this because of lack of clear coat finish. Why does the paint job on a new truck last for 20 years and I get 3? Multiple coats .....density of spray?


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## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)

Here is my other rig (83 f600) bc 1250a,



we did a month ago.


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## tree md (Jul 1, 2009)

I have used the airless a couple times painting interior and exterior of houses. Not by choice, I got rooked into doing it by my folks on some of the properties they were working with. It is fast as hell but you have to make sure you get everything masked well. If you are not used to using one there is a hell of a lot of overspray. I know guys who spend two days masking and a couple of hours painting. I am not a painter though and I made a hell of a mess when I did it, lol. Spent 3 days cleaning overspray.

Yeah, my chipper is INT orange. My 2 ton dump is white. I am wanting to get a 1 ton dump and switch my colors to red (on the truck) and orange on the chipper.


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## PurdueJoe (Jul 1, 2009)

Dave,

I'm just spent the last day prepping my bucket for a new coat bright white and luckily the only thing I have to worry about when it comes to over spray are a couple rows of corn. I used Valspar brand truck and trailer paint for my chip truck body which I brush and rolled and have very good luck with the paint staying shiny and "new" looking. So far in the last 3 years of painting either wood or metal everything still looks great.


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## clearance (Jul 1, 2009)

Looks good treevet. A better color than Vermeer yellow and not as bright as Asplundh orange. Nice.


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## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)

tree md said:


> I have used the airless a couple times painting interior and exterior of houses. Not by choice, I got rooked into doing it by my folks on some of the properties they were working with. It is fast as hell but you have to make sure you get everything masked well. If you are not used to using one there is a hell of a lot of overspray. I know guys who spend two days masking and a couple of hours painting. I am not a painter though and I made a hell of a mess when I did it, lol. Spent 3 days cleaning overspray.
> 
> Yeah, my chipper is INT orange. My 2 ton dump is white. I am wanting to get a 1 ton dump and switch my colors to red (on the truck) and orange on the chipper.



I can handle the over spray but did it run from quantity? I am famous for running all down the side and that is why my gm does it.


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## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)

PurdueJoe said:


> Dave,
> 
> I'm just spent the last day prepping my bucket for a new coat bright white and luckily the only thing I have to worry about when it comes to over spray are a couple rows of corn. I used Valspar brand truck and trailer paint for my chip truck body which I brush and rolled and have very good luck with the paint staying shiny and "new" looking. So far in the last 3 years of painting either wood or metal everything still looks great.



Maybe I am just using too cheap of paint Joe. A buddy of mine used to swear by "emron(?)". Stuff I use is "Town and Ranch" $32 gal. 

Wish I was in the country for more reasons than painting but is this Valspar expensive? How come you brush and roll painting the chip box when you can spray?


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## treevet (Jul 1, 2009)

clearance said:


> Looks good treevet. A better color than Vermeer yellow and not as bright as Asplundh orange. Nice.



Thanks clearance. Wanted to look dif than Asplundh and the vermeer yellow does not stand out very much. This orange makes your eyes hurt when painting in the sun prob because because of the red in it I guess.

I have said before, I wanted to make my lot look like the "Hell" in that Clint Eastwood movie where they painted the whole town red before the bad guys attacked them. haha


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## tree md (Jul 1, 2009)

treevet said:


> I can handle the over spray but did it run from quantity? I am famous for running all down the side and that is why my gm does it.



Vet, it will run if you set it to spray too much. You can adjust it to spray however you want. It takes some experience to get it right though. Mine did run in places and I had to roll it in. My buddy's brother paints for a living and I've seen him spray a perfectly even coat. I tried spraying on a board to get the volume set right and did decent but I still had some runs. It's just like tree work. If you want a perfect job with no flaws you got to hire a pro.


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## ATH (Jul 1, 2009)

treevet said:


> .........Is this because of lack of clear coat finish.  Why does the paint job on a new truck last for 20 years and I get 3? Multiple coats .....density of spray?


Some paints need clear coat, others do not. Go to a "real" paint supply store - preferably an automotive paint supplier (some good locally owned parts stores do paint well). They will help you find the right paint.

Also...surface prep has more to do with end results than quality or type of paint. You truck will have long lasting paint (unless it is a Dodge) because they prepared the surface, primed, cured, painted, cured, top coated, cured all in a VERY controlled environment. It is probably not worth our time sanding down to bare metal (as a body shop would), but you have to recognize that this lack of surface prep will result in lower quality results as well...

As for air vs. airless: HVLP (run by compressor) is probably the best bet. Most compressors designed to run general air tools probably don't have/make enough air to keep up. I think you need better than 20 gallons. Gravity feed air sprayer is probably next followed by a suction gun. Airless sprayers are generally designed for thicker paints (latex). You can usually buy smaller tips for them.

Regarding legality: I am no expert here, but I am thinking releasing VOCs into the environment is the problem. That has more to do with the paint and less to do with the sprayer. That release happens regardless of what type of gun you are using. So I doubt that an airless is any more or less legal than HVLP...


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## ATH (Jul 1, 2009)

tree md said:


> Vet, it will run if you set it to spray too much. You can adjust it to spray however you want. It takes some experience to get it right though. Mine did run in places and I had to roll it in. My buddy's brother paints for a living and I've seen him spray a perfectly even coat. I tried spraying on a board to get the volume set right and did decent but I still had some runs. It's just like tree work. If you want a perfect job with no flaws you got to hire a pro.


Yep. Practice on a board - or maybe even better - on the inside of your chip truck...


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## PurdueJoe (Jul 1, 2009)

Dave,

Until last year the area that I kept my equipment at was near houses and people that wouldn't appreciate the mess of over spray or at least I didn't want to find out how they would react. Now where I'm located the story is much different and a little more laid back to say the least. The Valspar is available at Tractor Supply for $27.99 a gallon.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

tree md said:


> Vet, it will run if you set it to spray too much. You can adjust it to spray however you want. It takes some experience to get it right though. Mine did run in places and I had to roll it in. My buddy's brother paints for a living and I've seen him spray a perfectly even coat. I tried spraying on a board to get the volume set right and did decent but I still had some runs. It's just like tree work. If you want a perfect job with no flaws you got to hire a pro.



That is true. I could never set up the gun I bought and it was a high end with the can in one hand and sprayer in the other. We gunked it all up, kinda like running a saw in the dirt I imagine.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

ATH said:


> Some paints need clear coat, others do not. Go to a "real" paint supply store - preferably an automotive paint supplier (some good locally owned parts stores do paint well). They will help you find the right paint.
> 
> Also...surface prep has more to do with end results than quality or type of paint. You truck will have long lasting paint (unless it is a Dodge) because they prepared the surface, primed, cured, painted, cured, top coated, cured all in a VERY controlled environment. It is probably not worth our time sanding down to bare metal (as a body shop would), but you have to recognize that this lack of surface prep will result in lower quality results as well...
> 
> ...



That is a lot of info I was fishing for ATH. Thanks

I bought the paint in a commercial paint store but you gave me more info here than I have gotten from them over the years. Prob not interested in teaching an amateur a pro job like we would feel the same way.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

PurdueJoe said:


> Dave,
> 
> Until last year the area that I kept my equipment at was near houses and people that wouldn't appreciate the mess of over spray or at least I didn't want to find out how they would react. Now where I'm located the story is much different and a little more laid back to say the least. The Valspar is available at Tractor Supply for $27.99 a gallon.



Good source, I buy all kind of stuff at TSC.


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 2, 2009)

Hi guys. This is my first post though I have been lurking here for years, - reading posts and using the search option. I am posting now because this is something that I know about. I used to paint street rods, taxis, schoolbuses, semi wreckers, heavy utility trucks, cranes,etc. 
ATH gave very good advice. Check around for a small shop that would be interested in squirting on some single stage enamel paint for you. preparation is where they make money on labor and that is what makes a nothing special paint job on a chipper truck cost $2-$3000. If you find the right guy (probably a small timer or bar buddy) he will spray the paint on your preparation work. Most will not care for spraying paint on an amateur prepared surface so you may encounter a little attitude. No quality guarantees will be offered so find a guy you trust or are trading work with... he goes first though.
I have painted bright yellow school buses in direct sunlight with 15 to 20 mph winds and with the exception of a couple bugs, the paint flowed on nice and would look good for 5+ years. - salt covered roads mind you. It is possible to lay on good paint outdoors.
The prep work is most important. for enamel paint, 120 to 180 grit sandpaper on a dual action sander will give the paint something to bite into but not be so coarse that you will get sand scratch swelling. If it's not sanded it won't hold the paint so get some course 3M scuff pads to do the tight spots. Degrease what you can and for primer use something good-quality but don't go crazy with $70 a quart urethane stuff. Some primer sealer may be necessary if past repaints had bad reactions or you're unsure of its chemical makeup and how it will get along with the new paint.
Single stage enamel paint is good enough and won't break the bank. With a little hardener and some fisheye eliminator it sprays real nice. Imron, as was mentioned earlier, was a urethane paint that even if applied outdoors would require a supplied air source for the painter. Bad stuff too breath. Very expensive too.
Talk it up and sooner or later you'll find a couple guys interested in making a deal. $350-$500, not including materials, should be what you hear. Chippers have a lot of hard angles and a lot of surface area. They take more time and paint than most people think. If thats IH orange two coats would do but three would be better. 
If you do it yourself, definitely go to an auto parts shop that sells paint as ATH said and speak to a rep about what you would need.


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## Blakesmaster (Jul 2, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> Hi guys. This is my first post though I have been lurking here for years, - reading posts and using the search option. I am posting now because this is something that I know about. I used to paint street rods, taxis, schoolbuses, semi wreckers, heavy utility trucks, cranes,etc.
> ATH gave very good advice. Check around for a small shop that would be interested in squirting on some single stage enamel paint for you. preparation is where they make money on labor and that is what makes a nothing special paint job on a chipper truck cost $2-$3000. If you find the right guy (probably a small timer or bar buddy) he will spray the paint on your preparation work. Most will not care for spraying paint on an amateur prepared surface so you may encounter a little attitude. No quality guarantees will be offered so find a guy you trust or are trading work with... he goes first though.
> I have painted bright yellow school buses in direct sunlight with 15 to 20 mph winds and with the exception of a couple bugs, the paint flowed on nice and would look good for 5+ years. - salt covered roads mind you. It is possible to lay on good paint outdoors.
> The prep work is most important. for enamel paint, 120 to 180 grit sandpaper on a dual action sander will give the paint something to bite into but not be so coarse that you will get sand scratch swelling. If it's not sanded it won't hold the paint so get some course 3M scuff pads to do the tight spots. Degrease what you can and for primer use something good-quality but don't go crazy with $70 a quart urethane stuff. Some primer sealer may be necessary if past repaints had bad reactions or you're unsure of its chemical makeup and how it will get along with the new paint.
> ...



Any chance you got a mobile shop, nemus? I've never tried to paint a thing and don't have any of the equipment but I'm in serious need of some paint on my new chipper. We'll help with the prep work if you'll point and yell for us but I'd like to have a pro shoot it. If you're interested send me a pm and I'll see if I can get some pics to you.

Also, where do you guys get new decals? Call the "local" dealer or is there a site online. Yahoo didn't turn up anything for me.


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## Treetom (Jul 2, 2009)

nice job, treevet. i've painted some of my machines with case orange, $80.00 per gal a few years back. tractor supply has a minneapolis moline color that's pretty close to the same. can't beat the price.


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## groundsmgr (Jul 2, 2009)

Nice job. That is what i will be doing too.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> Hi guys. This is my first post though I have been lurking here for years, - reading posts and using the search option. I am posting now because this is something that I know about. I used to paint street rods, taxis, schoolbuses, semi wreckers, heavy utility trucks, cranes,etc.
> ATH gave very good advice. Check around for a small shop that would be interested in squirting on some single stage enamel paint for you. preparation is where they make money on labor and that is what makes a nothing special paint job on a chipper truck cost $2-$3000. If you find the right guy (probably a small timer or bar buddy) he will spray the paint on your preparation work. Most will not care for spraying paint on an amateur prepared surface so you may encounter a little attitude. No quality guarantees will be offered so find a guy you trust or are trading work with... he goes first though.
> I have painted bright yellow school buses in direct sunlight with 15 to 20 mph winds and with the exception of a couple bugs, the paint flowed on nice and would look good for 5+ years. - salt covered roads mind you. It is possible to lay on good paint outdoors.
> The prep work is most important. for enamel paint, 120 to 180 grit sandpaper on a dual action sander will give the paint something to bite into but not be so coarse that you will get sand scratch swelling. If it's not sanded it won't hold the paint so get some course 3M scuff pads to do the tight spots. Degrease what you can and for primer use something good-quality but don't go crazy with $70 a quart urethane stuff. Some primer sealer may be necessary if past repaints had bad reactions or you're unsure of its chemical makeup and how it will get along with the new paint.
> ...



Great info here....thanx for posting.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> where do you guys get new decals? Call the "local" dealer or is there a site online. Yahoo didn't turn up anything for me.



My parts book that came with my 2 chippers (Vermeer) has all of them in it.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

Treetom said:


> nice job, treevet. i've painted some of my machines with case orange, $80.00 per gal a few years back. tractor supply has a minneapolis moline color that's pretty close to the same. can't beat the price.



thanks I'll ck that out. I have been buying my supplier out of stock.


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## outofmytree (Jul 2, 2009)

Darn it Dave. Now Im gonna have to paint my Bandit to match my truck!

Nice work mate.


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## BlackenedTimber (Jul 2, 2009)

I would prep by sanding as best as possible, then pressure washing. Then with an HVLP gun in my closed garage, I would then apply 2-3 coats of rustoleum gray primer, thinned with a littler paint thinner to help it through the sprayer gun. After that had all dried, I would spray 2-3 coats of rustoleum hunter green. After than dried, I would spray 2 coats of john deere green, from my local auto parts store, i think it was about 70 bucks a gallon. Then 2-3 coats of clear coat.

I bought 2 used intl dumps from the state, one for 800, one for 1000 bucks. Painted em, and had my neighbor, who had a billboard/store sign business, apply white latex decals with my company name and number. They looked damn good.

I prepped and painted an F250 and Fitchburg drum chipper in one day with one of my guys.


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 2, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> Any chance you got a mobile shop, nemus? I've never tried to paint a thing and don't have any of the equipment but I'm in serious need of some paint on my new chipper. We'll help with the prep work if you'll point and yell for us but I'd like to have a pro shoot it. If you're interested send me a pm and I'll see if I can get some pics to you.
> 
> Also, where do you guys get new decals? Call the "local" dealer or is there a site online. Yahoo didn't turn up anything for me.



Sorry Blakesmaster, I hung up my spray gun 10 years ago.

If you can wait till fall, and you're not expecting a glassy finish, you could contact a local Boces Center and offer to let them paint your chipper for the sake of experience. It will cost you materials, and boy those school kids can really waste some material, but it would still be a good deal for you. if you go this route, tell the teacher it must stick. None of the old paint should be shiny before it gets squirted. Lots of sanding.

As with tree service, many guys in auto body are looking to do side jobs. Start a constant whine about your chippers paint and somebody who knows somebody with a spray gun will speak up. Some crying at the local bar, auto parts store, car show or cruise night should get you something. Weddings, bar mitzvahs, school recitals - your family and friends will hate you, but who cares, you'll have a sharp looking chipper.

"Boo-hoo! Boo-hoo! my poor chipper!" then throw yourself to the ground and cry till you puke.


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## Blakesmaster (Jul 2, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> Sorry Blakesmaster, I hung up my spray gun 10 years ago.
> 
> If you can wait till fall, and you're not expecting a glassy finish, you could contact a local Boces Center and offer to let them paint your chipper for the sake of experience. It will cost you materials, and boy those school kids can really waste some material, but it would still be a good deal for you. if you go this route, tell the teacher it must stick. None of the old paint should be shiny before it gets squirted. Lots of sanding.
> 
> ...



S'all right, boss. I think we're gonna try to tackle this ourselves. We had a customer back out for tomorrow's job so we're gonna go to napa for some primer tonight, tractor supply for some paint, and sears for a gun. My old man ( who has "some" painting experience ) said we'd probably do ok with a craftsman sprayer in the $150 - $200 range. I hope he's right. Just got off the phone with our Bandit dealer and he said he can get the decals to me by Wednesday so it looks like we're spraying this weekend. Any more info you guys can toss out there will be extremely helpful. Can't guarantee I"ll be able to interact but I'll check back here and there to see what's been said.


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## Rftreeman (Jul 2, 2009)

treevet said:


> Here it is without some finishing decals and detail stuff. Within three years the reddish in the orange will have faded.
> 
> Is this because of lack of clear coat finish. Why does the paint job on a new truck last for 20 years and I get 3? Multiple coats .....density of spray?


Are you using a good primer/sealer prior to paint? this could be the reason for the fading, if the old paint is not sealed then it's like putting white paint on a water stain on your ceiling with out some sealer primer, the problem comes back, try some epoxy primer (the yellow stuff) and see if the fading stops. It could also be the quality of the paint.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

BlackenedTimber said:


> I would prep by sanding as best as possible, then pressure washing. Then with an HVLP gun in my closed garage, I would then apply 2-3 coats of rustoleum gray primer, thinned with a littler paint thinner to help it through the sprayer gun. After that had all dried, I would spray 2-3 coats of rustoleum hunter green. After than dried, I would spray 2 coats of john deere green, from my local auto parts store, i think it was about 70 bucks a gallon. Then 2-3 coats of clear coat.
> 
> I bought 2 used intl dumps from the state, one for 800, one for 1000 bucks. Painted em, and had my neighbor, who had a billboard/store sign business, apply white latex decals with my company name and number. They looked damn good.
> 
> I prepped and painted an F250 and Fitchburg drum chipper in one day with one of my guys.



Love to see some picts.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> Sorry Blakesmaster, I hung up my spray gun 10 years ago.
> 
> If you can wait till fall, and you're not expecting a glassy finish, you could contact a local Boces Center and offer to let them paint your chipper for the sake of experience. It will cost you materials, and boy those school kids can really waste some material, but it would still be a good deal for you. if you go this route, tell the teacher it must stick. None of the old paint should be shiny before it gets squirted. Lots of sanding.
> 
> ...



:hmm3grin2orange: 1st good laugh I had all day. bad day today


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

Rftreeman said:


> Are you using a good primer/sealer prior to paint? this could be the reason for the fading, if the old paint is not sealed then it's like putting white paint on a water stain on your ceiling with out some sealer primer, the problem comes back, try some epoxy primer (the yellow stuff) and see if the fading stops. It could also be the quality of the paint.



We did some priming of new welds and exposed paint but have never done any sealer. Epoxy primer? I would think primer means put on only before painting?

Sealer a different substance I would assume?


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## ATH (Jul 2, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> ........probably do ok with a craftsman sprayer in the $150 - $200 range. I hope he's right.......



I have a Porter Cable PSH3 (linked) ----or better for only a couple dollars moremodel PSH1. Mine has served me well. Biggest problem is it has a small cup. Either is less than $100...


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## Rftreeman (Jul 2, 2009)

treevet said:


> We did some priming of new welds and exposed paint but have never done any sealer. Epoxy primer? I would think primer means put on only before painting?
> 
> Sealer a different substance I would assume?


epoxy primer is the sealer, two things in one pretty much, you apply it and wet sand with 600 or 800 grit paper then apply the paint.


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## treevet (Jul 2, 2009)

Rftreeman said:


> epoxy primer is the sealer, two things in one pretty much, you apply it and wet sand with 600 or 800 grit paper then apply the paint.



I am not following this.....(but although momma didn't raise us ugly, she may have raised us stupid)......If you are putting epoxy on prior to painting....would not this be considered a "primer (before)". Unless of course it is "sealing" the surface prior to painting. (???)

I am thinkin' a sealer is gonna protect (seal) the finished paint and keep it from fading in color and sheen, like a lacquer or something. (?)


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## Blakesmaster (Jul 3, 2009)

ATH said:


> I have a Porter Cable PSH3 (linked) ----or better for only a couple dollars moremodel PSH1. Mine has served me well. Biggest problem is it has a small cup. Either is less than $100...



We ended up purchasing a Kobalt sprayer. Gravity fed, top of the line ( as far as Loew's is concerned ) for 97 bucks. It seems a decent unit, we'll see tomorrow. I have a gallon of primer ( acrylic ) with 1 gal. thinner and 2 gallons of "Oliver green" industrial paint from TSC. The guy at napa said epoxy paint was the best but we'd do just fine with acrylic. Guess we'll see.


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 3, 2009)

treevet said:


> I am not following this.....(but although momma didn't raise us ugly, she may have raised us stupid)......If you are putting epoxy on prior to painting....would not this be considered a "primer (before)". Unless of course it is "sealing" the surface prior to painting. (???)
> 
> I am thinkin' a sealer is gonna protect (seal) the finished paint and keep it from fading in color and sheen, like a lacquer or something. (?)



Primer sealer is applied over the whole machine after the primer surfacer has been spotted into rust and dent repairs. Epoxy primers are excellent but pricey. A mist coat of epoxy primer can serve as a primer sealer. The purpose of a sealer is to create an inert resin layer between the old paint and cureing primer surfacer against the solvents of the topcoat. A possible violent reaction between old and new is then nullified. I would reserve epoxy primer use for fiberglass repairs and high-end jobs. Great stuff, but it's a matter of economics. For working equipment just sandblast it, prime it, sand it, and shoot it - with single stage enamel. The machine is going to take a lot of abuse, and someday, you'll probably trade it in for a better rig.

A urethane clearcoat may be what you're thinking of. That would be another chunk of money that may be better spent elsewhere.

Is your paint discolored or just oxidized from the sun? Give it a quick hand buff to see if you can shine it up.

Right out of high school I worked for a big truck equipping shop in Buffalo New York. We sprayed so much paint that we mixed the colors ourselves. Lots of colors, chemicals and binders go into each final color paint. If brushed on the paint may not stand the way it would if sprayed making it more susceptible to oxidation. Maybe?


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## ropensaddle (Jul 3, 2009)

Wow I did not know it was illegal to paint!?/////


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 3, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> We ended up purchasing a Kobalt sprayer. Gravity fed, top of the line ( as far as Loew's is concerned ) for 97 bucks. It seems a decent unit, we'll see tomorrow. I have a gallon of primer ( acrylic ) with 1 gal. thinner and 2 gallons of "Oliver green" industrial paint from TSC. The guy at napa said epoxy paint was the best but we'd do just fine with acrylic. Guess we'll see.



Good luck and have fun. A guy I know bought a cobalt sprayer to touch up his snow plow and it worked good for him. Don't expect it to last very long though. His seal pack failed after three uses. I only owned Binks spray guns that were rather pricey but you can get a good job out of your cobalt. 

Variables like your paint, temperature, and humidity will dictate but a good rule of thumb is that your paint should be reduced till it slightly splashes from your mixing stick into your paint cup as it drips. 

gotta go, let's see the pics when you're done.


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## outofmytree (Jul 3, 2009)

Man, this all sounds complex. Anyone would think painting was a trade........

I'm going back to my corner now before the wave of abuse washes over me and I drown... :jester:


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## Blakesmaster (Jul 3, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> Good luck and have fun. A guy I know bought a cobalt sprayer to touch up his snow plow and it worked good for him. Don't expect it to last very long though. His seal pack failed after three uses. I only owned Binks spray guns that were rather pricey but you can get a good job out of your cobalt.
> 
> Variables like your paint, temperature, and humidity will dictate but a good rule of thumb is that your paint should be reduced till it slightly splashes from your mixing stick into your paint cup as it drips.
> 
> gotta go, let's see the pics when you're done.



Fun? Ha ha ha! What a PITA! We finished our metal work, degreased, sanded and primered today. The gun works decent, I can't complain for just a hundred bones. I would've liked a nicer one but couldn't find any for sale last night. Oh well, we're going to shoot our fist coat of paint in the am and hopefully the sun'll cook it enough to spray another afternoon. My bandit dealer will be sending the new decals along with some other odds and ends next week so it should be looking good soon. I'll be sure to post some before and after shots when we're done.


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## PurdueJoe (Jul 4, 2009)

I finished throwing a coat of white to my bucket yesterday and now its a coat of black for the underside. Doesn't look to bad for a truck painted next to couple of ponds and a corn field. Couple of bugs here and there but a whats the point of an 8K paint job on a 10 year? I like the idea of getting the voce boys to do the paint job however don't do what my old boss did and pay them cash at the beginning of the day. He paid them to fix the rusty spots on the old international and they spent half a day masking an outrigger then left never to be seen again.


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## treevet (Jul 4, 2009)

:camera: Man, this thread needs some pictures.

Maybe a summary as well for the layman equipment painter that is listed in numbers and embellished by others to a final thought.

Anybody game for that.

Here's my dummy sequence.

1. Take truck etc to a truck wash and spray it with Simple Green then scrub and wash to get all grease and dirt off.

2. Take to lot and tape and paper it and cover wheels with a tarp.

3. Sand all shiny old paint with any kind of sand paper and primer (cheap spray can) all bare metal. Wipe off sanded material.

4. Roller paint and brush where nec and then re roll to prevent runs. We use an additive they said will keep the paint from stiffening and help with humidity...... Wait a day and half and pull the tape.

5. Tire shine the tires and then spray the wheels gloss black out of a can. 

Total time for a chip truck usually a day and a half.


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 4, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> Fun? Ha ha ha! What a PITA! We finished our metal work, degreased, sanded and primered today. The gun works decent, I can't complain for just a hundred bones. I would've liked a nicer one but couldn't find any for sale last night. Oh well, we're going to shoot our fist coat of paint in the am and hopefully the sun'll cook it enough to spray another afternoon. My bandit dealer will be sending the new decals along with some other odds and ends next week so it should be looking good soon. I'll be sure to post some before and after shots when we're done.



I don't know what kind of paint you are using but if it is acrylic enamel, 15 minutes between re-coats would be good enough. If you are enjoying the same weather as we are near Buffalo this low humidity is great for spraying.

The other day I intended to walk you through how I would paint equipment but was called away. I guess by now you have figured it out for yourself. The biggest trick to laying paint is using the trigger correctly, distance, and timing. The trigger is two stage. The first stage is just air and the second stage sprays the paint. At the end of each sweep with the gun let the trigger off to release only air so the nozzle can clear itself and not leave too much paint at the end of each run. Depending on paint and wind your aircap should be about 8 to 10 inches away from the painting surface - do not let the gun arc. Timing is important when you cannot see the paint as it lays on - a hard angle, high low angle, or the sun's glare.

If you used a hardening additive be sure to clean the gun immediately after use. If it dries overnight the spray gun will never be serviceable again.

Not having fun? Obviously the neighborhood cats are the same color today as they were yesterday. (Easy PETA d-bags, I'm just joking.)


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## treevet (Jul 4, 2009)

What is the value of a hardening agent?

I have found a spray gun and pot (separate) combination in the Grainger catalogue that holds a full gallon. One of my many problems, beside having little patience, was that it really was a bother to refill the pot. I had a quart pot separate from the gun (that I ruined) that was a Binks Debylis (?guess) and it seemed better than spraying with the pot on the gun either below or above it just from the standpoint of weight on the spray arm while moving back and forth. What is your preference if spraying a huge truck?


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 4, 2009)

treevet said:


> :camera: Man, this thread needs some pictures.
> 
> Maybe a summary as well for the layman equipment painter that is listed in numbers and embellished by others to a final thought.
> 
> ...



If I had to paint something nowadays that's how I would have to do it. (Got rid of all my body and paint tools) The paint just has two stick right? The truck shop I used to work at was pretty fast-paced. Masking came off as soon as the spray gun was cleaned. Still wet. Several times, at the insistence of the front office clowns, trucks would roll out into snow or rain after having dried only an hour! In two years I only saw one come back because the paint severely blushed when the rain hit it. 90° summer thunderstorm.

How much do you have to reduce your paint so it will roll on?


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## tree MDS (Jul 4, 2009)

We painted my old bandit 200+ with the epoxy primer and imron (dark green) paint about 13 years ago now. I sold it last winter and the kid that bought it still keeps a shine on it. Properly applied (liberally and prepped well) that paint is absolutely amazing. My dump still looks good too, same paint, twelve years latter.

Hopefully next winter I'll get to finally painting the new 250 company colors. I figure so what if it takes three months (laid back beer drinking months mind you) if it lasts anywhere near as long as the last one.

The factory imron paint jobs dont hold up as well unfortunately, my newer chipper has the imron option, its in its fith year and the 200+ almost looks as good after 13. Maybe they watered down the imron sinse I last used it?? I think they changed the epoxy sealer along the way too.


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 4, 2009)

treevet said:


> What is the value of a hardening agent?
> 
> I have found a spray gun and pot (separate) combination in the Grainger catalogue that holds a full gallon. One of my many problems, beside having little patience, was that it really was a bother to refill the pot. I had a quart pot separate from the gun (that I ruined) that was a Binks Debylis (?guess) and it seemed better than spraying with the pot on the gun either below or above it just from the standpoint of weight on the spray arm while moving back and forth. What is your preference if spraying a huge truck?



Binks and Dyvilbis are the husqvarna and stihl of spray guns. (and like saws some models are better than others.) When we painted big dumps we always had the dump body half raised so we could spray the underside and any modifications to the frame. (the hydraulic scissor frame chocked in place of course) The only way to spray the cab shield and front half of the body was from a 20 foot folding ladder and scaffold. Running up and down that to refill a paint cup was no fun. We would use the big paint pots on these big jobs but accurately mixing the paint was difficult and the lines from the pot to the gun would trip us as we tried to climb up and down the ladders.

As I said before we sprayed a lot of paint and you know a loaded paint gun gets pretty heavy. Scrawny kid as I was, I soon became ambidextrous. Switching hand-to-hand and having an extra guy just mixing paint soon became standard operating procedure on the ladders. The only place we liked using the pot was for painting the top of the cab shield and insides of the body because one load would put on two coats. (Of course this paint would be destroyed in one use but it's a new body and we had to splash a little color on the inside of it.) Still, a lot of extra trouble to clean up.


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## Nemus Talea (Jul 4, 2009)

tree MDS said:


> We painted my old bandit 200+ with the epoxy primer and imron (dark green) paint about 13 years ago now. I sold it last winter and the kid that bought it still keeps a shine on it. Properly applied (liberally and prepped well) that paint is absolutely amazing. My dump still looks good too, same paint, twelve years latter.
> 
> Hopefully next winter I'll get to finally painting the new 250 company colors. I figure so what if it takes three months (laid back beer drinking months mind you) if it lasts anywhere near as long as the last one.
> 
> The factory imron paint jobs dont hold up as well unfortunately, my newer chipper has the imron option, its in its fith year and the 200+ almost looks as good after 13. Maybe they watered down the imron sinse I last used it?? I think they changed the epoxy sealer along the way too.



I haven't played with Imron paint in 20 years. I loved it and hated it. It sprayed on real nice and was supertough. Applying it to NYSEG utility bodies was brutal because all that nasty overspray came right back in your face when spraying the insides of the cabinets and the pull out parts drawers. My eyebrows and eyelashes would be orange for a week. To compare, regular paint overspray would wash out immediately.

Don't get me wrong it's a great material but I don't think a novice without proper equipment should apply it and the painting surface must be meticulously prepared. This stuff costs a lot and if it flies off in the breeze it's money wasted. And as with all urethane and polyurethane it is very very dangerous to breathe. Think, "chainsaw operation without chaps." A regular respirator is not good enough.

I got out of painting as rules became stricter and water-based paints became the norm for regular automotive. Perhaps Imron is now safer and more earth friendly but whatever made it so nasty probably made it so good.


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## tree MDS (Jul 4, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> I haven't played with Imron paint in 20 years. I loved it and hated it. It sprayed on real nice and was supertough. Applying it to NYSEG utility bodies was brutal because all that nasty overspray came right back in your face when spraying the insides of the cabinets and the pull out parts drawers. My eyebrows and eyelashes would be orange for a week. To compare, regular paint overspray would wash out immediately.
> 
> Don't get me wrong it's a great material but I don't think a novice without proper equipment should apply it and the painting surface must be meticulously prepared. This stuff costs a lot and if it flies off in the breeze it's money wasted. And as with all urethane and polyurethane it is very very dangerous to breathe. Think, "chainsaw operation without chaps." A regular respirator is not good enough.
> 
> I got out of painting as rules became stricter and water-based paints became the norm for regular automotive. Perhaps Imron is now safer and more earth friendly but whatever made it so nasty probably made it so good.



I couldnt agree more dude. Good post, rep coming. 

Funny thing, when I was starting out I would have done shots of that crap if I thought it would have turned my equipment green faster. lol.


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## Ted J (Jul 4, 2009)

tree MDS said:


> We painted my old bandit 200+ with the epoxy primer and imron (dark green) paint about 13 years ago now. I sold it last winter and the kid that bought it still keeps a shine on it. Properly applied (liberally and prepped well) that paint is absolutely amazing. My dump still looks good too, same paint, twelve years latter.
> 
> Hopefully next winter I'll get to finally painting the new 250 company colors. I figure so what if it takes three months (laid back beer drinking months mind you) if it lasts anywhere near as long as the last one.
> 
> The factory imron paint jobs dont hold up as well unfortunately, my newer chipper has the imron option, its in its fith year and the 200+ almost looks as good after 13. Maybe they watered down the imron sinse I last used it?? I think they changed the epoxy sealer along the way too.



I think that the quality of the paint being used will determine how long it last, as most evebody will probably agree. Even though it's a work truck, and you might eventually trade it in or sell it down the road, then you might get more for it because it looks good.

If you can put on one coat and have it last 10 years like *tree MDS* did, then it might be the reason he had it as long as he did, 'cause it probably still looked good. How many times have you looked at your truck, with that faded out paint job with 3 coats on it and decided it was time to get rid of it. You probably had or will lose money just trying to get rid of it.

It's all about curb appeal, and how much your time is worth. I'de rather mask it off and prep the surface the right way the first time, than do it 3 times. Most things get screwed up when ya get in a hurry.

There are some industrial coatings that you can spray, brush or roll, and recommend different additives for each. Most of the industrial brands make coating systems that are used together, and are formulated that way for a reason, to minimize any reasons for screw-ups in the finished product.

When I used to go out to the chemical plants I would see them apply the paint in any or all three ways and they always looked good. They had to look good, the customer was putting out some big bucks $$$. 

Here is a link for one manufacrurer, that I have no affiliation with, but you can go to the individual product data sheets, that describes the prep, application and clean-up. http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/visitor/b/dic/s/product/dic.html

Later,
Ted

PS: I agree that this post needs more PICS though, or it just ends up being :spam:


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## Ted J (Jul 4, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> I haven't played with Imron paint in 20 years. I loved it and hated it. It sprayed on real nice and was supertough. Applying it to NYSEG utility bodies was brutal because all that nasty overspray came right back in your face when spraying the insides of the cabinets and the pull out parts drawers. My eyebrows and eyelashes would be orange for a week. To compare, regular paint overspray would wash out immediately.
> 
> Don't get me wrong it's a great material but I don't think a novice without proper equipment should apply it and the painting surface must be meticulously prepared. This stuff costs a lot and if it flies off in the breeze it's money wasted. And as with all urethane and polyurethane it is very very dangerous to breathe. Think, "chainsaw operation without chaps." A regular respirator is not good enough.
> 
> I got out of painting as rules became stricter and water-based paints became the norm for regular automotive. Perhaps Imron is now safer and more earth friendly but whatever made it so nasty probably made it so good.



I was painting cars as a hobby 20 or so years ago, and I use to vaseline coat the inside of my nose with q-tips, and also apply it to my hair and face with a light coat making me look like a greaser. It did make clean up so much easier, even though I had all the protective gear on.

Ted


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## treevet (Jul 4, 2009)

That is a good idea. Man, when it is 90 degrees out it is hard to keep safety clothing on and eye protection gets steamed up. If you had a booth and a/c it would all be a pleasure. (relatively speaking).

Here is a pict of the next candidate for improvement. It is currently getting an engine rebuild.

Couple of fenders, then a quick makeover. We use this truck for a lot of things. It pulls the mini skids, small stump grinder, small sprayer, runs around on a golf course, etc


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## Blakesmaster (Jul 4, 2009)

Nemus Talea said:


> I don't know what kind of paint you are using but if it is acrylic enamel, 15 minutes between re-coats would be good enough. If you are enjoying the same weather as we are near Buffalo this low humidity is great for spraying.
> 
> The other day I intended to walk you through how I would paint equipment but was called away. I guess by now you have figured it out for yourself. The biggest trick to laying paint is using the trigger correctly, distance, and timing. The trigger is two stage. The first stage is just air and the second stage sprays the paint. At the end of each sweep with the gun let the trigger off to release only air so the nozzle can clear itself and not leave too much paint at the end of each run. Depending on paint and wind your aircap should be about 8 to 10 inches away from the painting surface - do not let the gun arc. Timing is important when you cannot see the paint as it lays on - a hard angle, high low angle, or the sun's glare.
> 
> ...



My old man showed us the trick with the trigger and we got fairly decent by the end. Of course, there's a few runs here and there and it's not pro by any means but we used good quality paint and primer, plus spent a lot of prep time so I'm pretty satisfied with the results. I'll post some pics as soon as I get the decals on. It's a little too much green right now. Thanks for all your help, boss.


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## treevet (Jul 5, 2009)

The trick at the trigger being....you pull it and air only is expelled. Then you span a sprayed area with more trigger emitting paint. Then at the end of the span you let off trigger and the paint is cleared from the lines and you have just air again to start the next span with just air. Is this the trick?


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## Blakesmaster (Jul 5, 2009)

treevet said:


> The trick at the trigger being....you pull it and air only is expelled. Then you span a sprayed area with more trigger emitting paint. Then at the end of the span you let off trigger and the paint is cleared from the lines and you have just air again to start the next span with just air. Is this the trick?



That's what I was referencing. Nice little system. Keeps everything much more consistent.


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## capetrees (Jul 5, 2009)

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it in here but every couple years I paint my frames and underbodies of my trucks with a Wagner power sprayer, the wagner paint crew, http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/portal/wagner_paint_crew_spray,43225,747.html
and I have been using rustoleum and have had pretty decent results. It does dull out but it defends against rust great. We plow the trucks in the slush and salt and undercoating is a must. Clean up of the paint crew is a bit much but man does it put out some paint! Drips are everywhere but thats a good thing for undercoating. 

What designation is rustoleum? Is it acrylic enamel or what is it? I'd like to use the same set up to paint the outer shell of the trucks and equipment but need a paint that won't dull out as quick and can clean up easy. Any insights? I've seen mentioned the Imron paints. Any others? I understand Urethane enamel is the best but where would I buy something like that and is it easy to apply?


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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)

treevet said:


> That is a good idea. Man, when it is 90 degrees out it is hard to keep safety clothing on and eye protection gets steamed up. If you had a booth and a/c it would all be a pleasure. (relatively speaking).
> 
> Here is a pict of the next candidate for improvement. It is currently getting an engine rebuild.
> 
> Couple of fenders, then a quick makeover. We use this truck for a lot of things. It pulls the mini skids, small stump grinder, small sprayer, runs around on a golf course, etc



Couple of new fenders, $35. in paint, $2700. engine rebuild, $500. paint job.

This truck gets used a lot so it deserved a little tlc.


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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)




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## Blakesmaster (Aug 29, 2009)

treevet said:


> Couple of new fenders, $35. in paint, $2700. engine rebuild, $500. paint job.
> 
> This truck gets used a lot so it deserved a little tlc.



That color, man. It just hurts. Is that an old diesel or a 22R?


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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)




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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> That color, man. It just hurts. Is that an old diesel or a 22R?



You know Blakes, they notice it. They tell me that. Besides it is an off the shelf product, not mixed (been down that road before).

It is a 22RE, but was bored over and now we got some power.

I am wondering if it would carry the Dingo and grapple instead of pulling it.

Any opinion? It is an 87 Yota Delux which I think it has a little more capacity.

PS....don't know how that repeat pict got in there


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## Blakesmaster (Aug 29, 2009)

treevet said:


> You know Blakes, they notice it. They tell me that. Besides it is an off the shelf product, not mixed (been down that road before).
> 
> It is a 22RE, but was bored over and now we got some power.
> 
> ...



I'd try and put it on there but it'd probably squat quite a bit. We use 'yotas for everything here. Pullin' the stumper, skiddin' logs, climbing stupid hills for our campsite and they perform quite well at that stuff but weight is a bit of an issue. For example, we have an annual party we attend in PA on memorial day and we bring the most redneck version of a beer truck imaginable. This year we filled the bed of my brother's '91 with 3 half kegs and ice. In a tarp. Seriously, we filled the whole bed with ice. It went down the road but boy, was she squattin'. I don't know what that load weighed or what a dingo's weight is but I can't imagine them being too far off. We've also had my partner's packed full of stump grindings towing our little 630B down the road and her ass was hangin' pretty low too. I have no doubt your engine will handle the load ( there's always low range ) but your going to need to beef up them rear springs. That would be a slick little unit though with a dingo in the back.


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## Blakesmaster (Aug 29, 2009)

You ever see top gear's "How to kill a toyota"? Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk


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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)

> lways low range ) but your going to need to beef up them rear springs. That would be a slick little unit though with a dingo in the back.


[/QUOTE]

That's what I was thinkin'. Man those parties sound like a truckload of fun (pun intended). Wish I was still a lush as I would look you all up.

Adding springs or a helper may be the way to go. We too pull a 630 (a) and a tow behind Bean sprayer and the splitter and the Dingo (2k lbs plus attachment) and just the light Dingo tilt trailer and heap brush on it and take it to the chipper, a conveyor, pull trees over with it, it crawls up the hill like a spider. Too much fun. Last one I had had the name "Datsun" on it.


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## Blakesmaster (Aug 29, 2009)

That's what I was thinkin'. Man those parties sound like a truckload of fun (pun intended). Wish I was still a lush as I would look you all up.

Adding springs or a helper may be the way to go. We too pull a 630 (a) and a tow behind Bean sprayer and the splitter and the Dingo (2k lbs plus attachment) and just the light Dingo tilt trailer and heap brush on it and take it to the chipper, a conveyor, pull trees over with it, it crawls up the hill like a spider. Too much fun. Last one I had had the name "Datsun" on it.[/QUOTE]

Ha ha! Yeah, I'm currently driving a Datsun ( Nissan ) as well and am super envious of my bro's 'yota. I sold him my last one a few year's back. The Datsun's are still a good truck though, just not as bulletproof. My grandfather took his Datsun into the woods in remote Maine at 65 years old, drove 40 miles down a logging road, shot a 450 pound bear and SOMEHOW got it out of there. He's 79 now, deaf as hell but I had the pleasure of working with him this past weekend. He naps too! Kind of guy that will die in his work boots. We've used Toyotas on many jobs, great for sticking a chipper in the woods when chips are blown onsite, nothing better for a stumper IMO, and they work great as firewood carts to get wood out of backyards.


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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> You ever see top gear's "How to kill a toyota"? Check it out.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk



Hey Blakes, that vid is priceless. Let me at it with a can of orange paint and a roller lol.


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## Blakesmaster (Aug 29, 2009)

treevet said:


> Hey Blakes, that vid is priceless. Let me at it with a can of orange paint and a roller lol.



Ya know, I've seen it I don't know how many times, but I think I'll watch it again.


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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)

> Ha ha! Yeah, I'm currently driving a Datsun ( Nissan ) as well and am super envious of my bro's 'yota. I sold him my last one a few year's back. The Datsun's are still a good truck though, just not as bulletproof. My grandfather took his Datsun into the woods in remote Maine at 65 years old, drove 40 miles down a logging road, shot a 450 pound bear and SOMEHOW got it out of there. He's 79 now, deaf as hell but I had the pleasure of working with him this past weekend. He naps too! Kind of guy that will die in his work boots. We've used Toyotas on many jobs, great for sticking a chipper in the woods when chips are blown onsite, nothing better for a stumper IMO, and they work great as firewood carts to get wood out of backyards.


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## ropensaddle (Aug 29, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> That color, man. It just hurts. Is that an old diesel or a 22R?



Gives me flaskbacks lmfao


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## ChiHD (Aug 29, 2009)

treevet said:


> Here is my other rig (83 f600) bc 1250a,
> 
> 
> 
> we did a month ago.



i think they all look great...can see you coming from 4 blocks away too!


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## treevet (Aug 29, 2009)

ArborCARE(705) said:


> i think they all look great...can see you coming from 4 blocks away too!



Thanks ArborCARE. Not too easy on the eyes but they all the same color. Today we had the first open Sat. with no rain in sight, humidity low and we slapped a coat on my smaller picker. It was looking real bad. 

My GM and I were kidding that after everything is painted it is time to start on the first one again.

I would love to find a guy to kick a grand or so and give him the paint and have him do them but no such luck yet. It was nice to get a semi pro job on the yota tho. They are pro's but I told them to give me a "not real fussy job". They did a lot of stuff I didn't even ask for including spraying the frame and fixing a few pretty significant dents. $500.....can't beat it. But they only have car/pickup sized bay doors.


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## lt1nut (Aug 31, 2009)

It would be worth the while going to the website of "Car Craft Magazine", I believe it is carcraft.com. Over the years they have done some fairly in-depth series and articles on how to do your own paint and body work, for us gear-heads that not only like to do our own work but also don't have a ton of money. YES, there is an easy way to use Rust-O-leum but IIRC it involves a fair amount of thin coats with sanding involved after each coat. Either way, definitely worth a check-see over there. Spending $20 on a book on how to paint and do body work is a cheap investment, much like how those of us that don't work on trees for a living rely on a few key books on tree pruning, cutting, and management.

Not to dis any painter but most of the good ones tend to enjoy beer. A LOT of beer. OFTEN. This can lead to them not being able to stay at one job very long. That leads to them not always having enough money to pay rent. As mentioned earlier, talking about needing a painter at a few bars, smaller body shops, car shows, cruises, and motorcycle shops in addition to NAPA and non-chain auto parts stores will yield names or people. May well be worth mentioning it at the local home and auto paint stores. May also wish to call the local VoTech and speak to the painting instructor and see if there is a qualified student or alumni that would be willing and able to do it.

90%-95% of a good, long-lasting paint job is prep. You simply can not be too clean or sand too much.

Hope I'm not stepping on toes by posting in the Pro's room/section here....


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## ChiHD (Aug 31, 2009)

lt1nut said:


> It would be worth the while going to the website of "Car Craft Magazine", I believe it is carcraft.com. Over the years they have done some fairly in-depth series and articles on how to do your own paint and body work, for us gear-heads that not only like to do our own work but also don't have a ton of money. YES, there is an easy way to use Rust-O-leum but IIRC it involves a fair amount of thin coats with sanding involved after each coat. Either way, definitely worth a check-see over there. Spending $20 on a book on how to paint and do body work is a cheap investment, much like how those of us that don't work on trees for a living rely on a few key books on tree pruning, cutting, and management.
> 
> Not to dis any painter but most of the good ones tend to enjoy beer. A LOT of beer. OFTEN. This can lead to them not being able to stay at one job very long. That leads to them not always having enough money to pay rent. As mentioned earlier, talking about needing a painter at a few bars, smaller body shops, car shows, cruises, and motorcycle shops in addition to NAPA and non-chain auto parts stores will yield names or people. May well be worth mentioning it at the local home and auto paint stores. May also wish to call the local VoTech and speak to the painting instructor and see if there is a qualified student or alumni that would be willing and able to do it.
> 
> ...



some great points, thanks for posting.


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## treevet (Aug 31, 2009)

:agree2: that is the kind of info along with other's on here that I started this thread for.


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## rtsims (May 16, 2013)

*Finally!*

From start to finish i put in 5 long days but man was it worth it
This is what i started with. 99 GMC C7500, ex Asplundh truck. 
View attachment 295667


I spent a full day degreasing, pressure washing, degreasing and pressure washing again, then scrubing and pressure washing again. 
Day 2: Masked everything off and primed everything that was to be painted
View attachment 295668

This is the primer i used:View attachment 295669



Day 3: Masked off areas around what was getting painted black. I did not want black over the primed areas that were getting painted white. 
Sprayed black on front bumper, frame, rear boxes, rear bumper and hitch area, and wheels. 
View attachment 295670


Day 4: Masked off areas that i just sprayed black, and started shooting the rest of the truck white
View attachment 295671


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## rtsims (May 16, 2013)

Day 5: Touched up spots that i missed, spots that werent as glossy as i wanted, waited a few hours and pulled tape, and rolled her out in the sunshine to get a good look. Then i put everything back on the truck that i had taken off. 

Final Product:View attachment 295672
View attachment 295673


Logo will go on next week or so.
And i apologize but i have no idea how to rotate all these pics.

I also painted the guards that go over the hydro controls black, breaks up the white nicely. Then i replaced the marker lights with new LED's, and the rear lights that are mounted up on the box. New mud flaps that dont say Asplundh. Looks like a professional truck now, i couldnt be much happier. The only down side is the inside of the cab and all the doors are still orange, but i wasnt about to open that can o worms.


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## imagineero (May 16, 2013)

Nice work, looks tidy!

Must be something in the air, I did my truck last week and have been prepping the chipper the last couple days. Was going to spray today but it was too windy. Will have a go tomorrow if the weather is good.


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## climb4fun (May 16, 2013)

is it just me or does there seem to be a common trend with tree service companies to either go with construction orange or white? you want good advertising? make that sucker look like an ice cream truck. every kid in the neighborhood will be talking about you to their parents roflmao :hmm3grin2orange:


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## ducaticorse (May 16, 2013)

rtsims said:


> Day 5: Touched up spots that i missed, spots that werent as glossy as i wanted, waited a few hours and pulled tape, and rolled her out in the sunshine to get a good look. Then i put everything back on the truck that i had taken off.
> 
> Final Product:View attachment 295672
> View attachment 295673
> ...



Congrats! You turned a 12K auction truck into a 50K Tri State Forestry / Schmidty's retail truck! (Except your finish is of much higher quality) they sure are going to be pissed when they find out you're divulging their secrets!!!!


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## 2treeornot2tree (May 16, 2013)

I used van sickle paint with hardener when i painted my truck. Best part is if i get a scratch in the paint, i can use a $3 can of paint to touch it up. 

I hope during your prep process, you skuffed the paint. If not your gonna be sorry.

Here is a pic of before and after of my truck paint project. Been a couple years, so when i get time, I will be breaking out the spray can and making her pretty again.


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## rtsims (May 16, 2013)

I wire wheeled all the bad problem spots and sanded and scuffed the majority of the truck.


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## 2treeornot2tree (May 16, 2013)

rtsims said:


> I wire wheeled all the bad problem spots and sanded and scuffed the majority of the truck.



Not scuffing the paint enough to get the primer to stick is the number one cause of paint chipping off. I learned with painting that you have to really take your time during the prep phase to get a great paint job.


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## mckeetree (May 17, 2013)

ducaticorse said:


> Congrats! You turned a 12K auction truck into a 50K Tri State Forestry / Schmidty's retail truck! (Except your finish is of much higher quality) they sure are going to be pissed when they find out you're divulging their secrets!!!!



I think old schmidy tries to make $30,000 on some of that old #### for just throwing on that white paint job. Oh, and of course the obligatory chrome simulators.


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## 2treeornot2tree (May 17, 2013)

mckeetree said:


> I think old schmidy tries to make $30,000 on some of that old #### for just throwing on that white paint job. Oh, and of course the obligatory chrome simulators.



I know manurak, buys those elevator forestry trucks at the jj kane auction for around $38k. Sometimes they put a new engine or trans in them, sometimes not. They slap some paint on them and try to sell them for $75k. I under stand that they need to make money, but it seems a little greedy to try and make that much money. 

If i had more time, i would buy trucks at the auction and fix them up and sell them. I am sure, my asking price would be alot less, and most likely the trucks would be fixxed up alot better too.


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## sgreanbeans (May 17, 2013)

I think they all do, I bought this last truck at that KidCars IN Rockford, major mistake..... they suck 2. Actually think they are the worst of them, these dudes lied to me saying they where vets to get me to "trust" them. My mistake for believing them, pretty sad when ya resort to tactics like that. 
My truck is white washed now, this winter it will turn Marine Green like the last one.


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## sgreanbeans (May 17, 2013)

Where are these auctions? I wouldn't mind buying a elevator and "re furbin" it myself.


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## 2treeornot2tree (May 17, 2013)

sgreanbeans said:


> Where are these auctions? I wouldn't mind buying a elevator and "re furbin" it myself.[/QUOTE
> 
> JJ Kane inplymouth meeting, pa is the closest one to me. I know they have auctions all over the east coast.
> 
> I know that liberty financial deals with them a lot and pre approve you so you can buy one at auction with a loan.


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## ducaticorse (May 17, 2013)

sgreanbeans said:


> Where are these auctions? I wouldn't mind buying a elevator and "re furbin" it myself.



I think 38 K for an el at auction is really high to be honest. You gotta keep your eyes peeled. My home town is trading in a 98 INT ALC 55 dt 466 with maybe 50K on the clock, centermount to terex for 5K. I'm trying to get them to sell it outright to me.


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## imagineero (May 17, 2013)

I got my chipper painted up today, I'll get some pics up over the weekend. If I had to do it over again I probably wouldn't do it. I never really thought about it much before having a go, but the bandit chippers are a lot more work to paint than vermeers. Like a *lot* more work. So many surfaces.... really hard to get into all the nooks and crannies. I didn't disassemble it, but I probably should have.... or at least taken off the main belt guard and the fuel tank. I got quotes on painting my truck and chipper, the truck was quoted at $3k, and the chipper at $1500. The truck was well worth doing, it took me only a day to prep, mask, undercoat and two top coats, inside and out. I only painted the bin. The paint was only about $150 all up with thinners etc.

The chipper was totally the opposite. A full day for me and another guy to prep (degrease, sand, mask, clean) and then another full day to prime and one top coat only. It would look better with a second top coat, but I'm out of time and honestly I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It's a huge improvement over how it looked, I just didn't realise it would take so long, and so much effort.

Shaun


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## ducaticorse (May 17, 2013)

imagineero said:


> I got my chipper painted up today, I'll get some pics up over the weekend. If I had to do it over again I probably wouldn't do it. I never really thought about it much before having a go, but the bandit chippers are a lot more work to paint than vermeers. Like a *lot* more work. So many surfaces.... really hard to get into all the nooks and crannies. I didn't disassemble it, but I probably should have.... or at least taken off the main belt guard and the fuel tank. I got quotes on painting my truck and chipper, the truck was quoted at $3k, and the chipper at $1500. The truck was well worth doing, it took me only a day to prep, mask, undercoat and two top coats, inside and out. I only painted the bin. The paint was only about $150 all up with thinners etc.
> 
> The chipper was totally the opposite. A full day for me and another guy to prep (degrease, sand, mask, clean) and then another full day to prime and one top coat only. It would look better with a second top coat, but I'm out of time and honestly I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It's a huge improvement over how it looked, I just didn't realise it would take so long, and so much effort.
> 
> Shaun



I want to paint my chipper, and I received a very detailed proposal at a cost of $1600. almost 40 hours of prep work alone. Then a primer, then paint. I think Im going to go that route after hearing the above...


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## imagineero (May 17, 2013)

ducaticorse said:


> I want to paint my chipper, and I received a very detailed proposal at a cost of $1600. almost 40 hours of prep work alone. Then a primer, then paint. I think Im going to go that route after hearing the above...



I think it's a fair price honestly. Having done it, I'd paint my truck again in a heartbeat, but the chipper I'd pay someone else to do. The cost of my time and materials added up to more than what I thought. I figured I'd get two coats out of a gallon, because I did two coats inside and out on my chip bin with just over a gallon. The many surfaces of the chipper suck up a lot of paint though, so I got only one coat out of a gallon, and I didn't do underneath the chipper, or parts of the chassis that you can't see etc.

The guy who quoted the paint job for me works for bandit as a sub contractor, and painting chippers is all he does. I'm pretty sure the price included the factory stickers too, which ended up costing me nearly $300 from memory. If I had a vermeer, or other similar enclosed chipper with simple surfaces I'd paint it myself. 

Shaun


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## imagineero (May 18, 2013)

Some before photos of the chipper. I dont have any of the whole machine. It was generally pretty tatty though - surface rust, cracks, stickers peeling/missing, various repairs.


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## imagineero (May 18, 2013)

Showing after paint and new stickers. 

There was quite a bit of prep involved - first all the original stickers were removed, cleaned it out with blowers, then water blasted. I spent a whole day welding up cracks, and made up a few new things for the chipper, shown in the next post. After that, a degreasing to get all the grease and crap off it, then a light sand and a wipe down with thinners. Then masking off all the little ID tags, moving parts, levers, tyres etc.

Then one coat of primer and one top coat. Could have looked better with a second top coat but I ran out of paint and patience. It's just a chipper after all. You have to keep telling yourself that or you're going to spend forever on getting it perfect. The new stickers didn't really stick and needed a coat of 3M spray adhesive before they would sit down properly.


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## imagineero (May 18, 2013)

As well as tidying all the cracks up, I made up a few extra things. My chipper never came with an adjustable flap at the end of the discharge chute, so I made up a flap from some 1/8" steel, hinges, and the height adjuster off a lawn mower. It works well. I used to get a lot of stray chip up on the roof of the chip bin, but not any more

Second pic shows some holders for wheel chocks when parking up

Third pic shows a holder for a 5 gallon drink cooler. I fill it up with ice and water in the morning and it lasts a couple days. Sure is nice, and a lot cheaper than all those crappy energy drinks. It used to just ride in the back of the chipper but it was forever falling over and sometimes the lid came off and we lost out drink. 

Finally a vice. I couldn't find anywhere better to mount it, but it's not the best place. 

I also made up a new linkage for the reverse/forward/stop bar, which is a lot smoother and easier to use.


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## tree MDS (May 18, 2013)

Looks real nice for a quickie shaun!! I wish my tailgate was in that good of shape. I think the winch is responsible for that.


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## tree MDS (May 18, 2013)

Here's mine after a year or so. I just spritzed it off at the end of yesterday. So far she's holding up pretty well..
View attachment 296000


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## imagineero (May 18, 2013)

Thanks mate. If it was a quickie I think I'd be happy. That's the result of 3 days work, plus one of my workers giving me a hand, and $$$ in materials. Like I said, If I had to do it over again I wouldn't. I think I would have got a better result paying someone else to do it, and ended up in roughly the same financial position.

Really, you need to have your chipper off the road 3-5 days to do a decent job, which is a long time. That's a lot of lost working hours. The days need to be consecutive too, which means you can't just get your workers to chip away at it if you have the odd spare day available. The only time of year I end up with that sort of time is winter, which is completely unsuitable for painting. If I had a heated shed things might be different. I guess you've got to add on top of that the spraying is really bad for your health (not the paint so much, but the thinners) and illegal in most places also. 

In comparison, Doing my truck was well worth it, and a huge savings. I painted it with rollers and brushes (completely legal) which was fast, wasted no paint, and gave a good result. It saved a good amount of money also, $3k to get it painted vs one day of my time, and about $200 in materials all up.

Shaun


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## imagineero (May 18, 2013)

tree MDS said:


> Here's mine after a year or so. I just spritzed it off at the end of yesterday. So far she's holding up pretty well..
> View attachment 296000



That's real tidy! Did you paint that yourself?


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## treeman75 (May 18, 2013)

sgreanbeans said:


> Where are these auctions? I wouldn't mind buying a elevator and "re furbin" it myself.



They have them in DesMoines. There is a guy in Knoxville Ia that seems real fair on his trucks. Petty Motors, Inc - Bucket Trucks


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## treeclimber101 (May 18, 2013)

treeman75 said:


> They have them in DesMoines. There is a guy in Knoxville Ia that seems real fair on his trucks. Petty Motors, Inc - Bucket Trucks



That 2000 forestry body is nice , and for 20 K could ya go wrong .


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## treeman75 (May 18, 2013)

treeclimber101 said:


> That 2000 forestry body is nice , and for 20 K could ya go wrong .



Thats what I thought too.


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