How To Paint a Tractor Accurately? – Cheaper and Faster
There is no alternative to painting when it comes to giving a nice and shiny look to the old tractor and also becomes necessary when old paint fades away or rust builds up.
You can bring back an old tractor’s outlook swiftly with quality by applying the coats following our steps. Don’t think it’s a tedious job you can paint it easily. To get the finest result you just need to give your time following the weather.
So we’ve designed this article to give you a proper guide on how to paint a tractor perfectly.
How To Paint a Tractor Step by Step Guideline
Let’s take a quick look at the equipment you’ll need!
- Quality paint(with necessary things like a reducer, thinner)
- Primer
- Sandpaper of different grits
- Respiratory
- Masking tape/plastic cover
- Random orbital sander
- Paint gun
- Air compressor(only if you are going to use a paint gun)
- Step 1: Basic Preparation
Every painting job needs basic preparation includes surface preparation and safety measurements. Preparing a tractor for paint and doing necessary bodywork is the main surface preparation.
Wear a basic respiratory mask, as you are dealing with chemical substances which are sometimes harmful.
Start off by cleaning the tractor. Clean away dust from the tractor’s body so that it doesn’t affect the paint job. A great choice of cleaning will be a power wash. Firm cleaning will remove the dust and rough patches.
After done with the basic preparation follow the next step.
- Step 2: Use a Sander
Remove all the removable metal pieces from the tractor’s body including wheels. Doing that will make tractor paintings unchallenging.
A random orbital sander to sand the bare metal. Depending upon the surface, select the grit. Normally rough patches require starting with sandpaper having coarse-grit 80. It will remove all the rough patches and old rust.
- Step3: Apply Primer
Select a primer compatible with your paint. Apply the first coat of primer to bare metal just after sanding. Apply it 2-3 times instantly because flash rust can build up on the body.
Without primer, the paint might get peeled off soon and too ensures the durability of the paint.
After the first coat dries, it’s time to sand the body again with higher grits. Finish sanding with 320 grits for a smooth surface.
Meanwhile, you have to wait until a day to apply a coat of primer. Some primers in the market dry within an hour. If you want a rapid result, use one of them.
- Step 4: Apply Paint
It’s time to use the masking tapes in places where you will not paint. Electrical parts, steering, radiator, rim, and parts that are included in that section. You may use plastic covers or papers that are more available. Just be careful in covering as leaving sensitive places unmasked may harm your tractor performance.
Ensure quality; you must choose a standard grade light coated paint. Rust-oleum paint works great in preventing rust from farm types of equipment. The wrong color can lead up to a scruffy tractor. Red and dark gray are the most popular colors for painting tractors.
Using a paint gun gives better flexibility. It’s easy to use spray paint through a spray gun. You can use a brush, but the process is lengthy.
While using enamel-based paint, mix a reducer to make the paint thinner. Maintain the proper ratio of paint and reducer as instructed on the can. Mixed paint remains usable for about 7-8 hours. So, start painting just after mixing.
Apply a light tack coat first, let it dry for a day. Then apply the main light coat. Apply 2-3 light coats keeping a 24 hours time between each coat.
Some Tips to Follow
- Choose a place where there will see enough shadow
- Make sure the working area has proper air circulation.
- Wetting the ground area where you will paint works amazing to prevent dust from getting on new paint, especially when painting outside the tractor.
- The working area should have a warm temperature during winter.
Conclusion
It needs experience to paint like a professional, which may not be noticeable if you are a beginner. By following the above steps, you can do a quite striking job.
Now you know the obvious answer to how to paint a tractor?. Remember even if the process is time-consuming, it’s completely worth your time.
Happy Painting!