paint em up

[Nemus Talea]

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.

 

[Blakesmaster]

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.

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.

 

[Treetom]

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.

 

[groundsmgr]

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

 

[treevet]

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.

Great info here....thanx for posting.

 

[treevet]

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.

 

[treevet]

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.

 

[outofmytree]

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

Nice work mate.

 

[BlackenedTimber]

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.

 

[Nemus Talea]

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.

 

[Blakesmaster]

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.

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.

 

[Rftreeman]

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.

 

[treevet]

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.

 

[treevet]

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.

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

 

[treevet]

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?

 

[ATH]

........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...

 

[Rftreeman]

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.

 

[treevet]

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. (?)

 

[Blakesmaster]

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.

 

[Nemus Talea]

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?