On to the next one.............701

[whfan74 2,015]

Well the Lady Ranger is done and the 701 has been sitting in pieces begging to be put back together. We have had everything back from the powder coater for a while and dad was supposed to be doing this while I was doing the Lady Ranger. Unfortunately he ran in to some other things that took more priority so I am helping him along with this machine.

We need to really get cranking on this one as we are wanting to show it in one month at the show in Fort Wayne at the Coliseum.

Here is what it looked like when we brought it home...........

I worked on it a bit about a week ago..........

Stopped in for a few minutes tonight and decided to take a picture since I forgot to this weekend.....

The tins and belt guard for the motor are all done and powder coated. The motor itself is going to need a lot of cleaning and TLC before we can spray primer and paint. Hoping to get cranking on this one. Found out we need to get new front tires since the originals ended up falling apart. So we are leaning toward putting tri-ribs on the front.

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,034]

Looks great so far. If you do not mind, what is the cost to powder coat the entire tractor? Also, is there a universal color code for powder coating or does that vary like paint?

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,452]

Nice start! You even have the hard to find dual belt cover. Seems like you never take a break Scott.

Mike............

[whfan74 2,015]

Thanks Steve, it is a little dusty though from sitting in the barn uncovered. Big oops on my part but will be cleaning things up as we assemble more.

The cost for us to sandblast and powder coat this entire tractor............$140. That is including the tins off the motor, rims, and the rest of the tractor. The only thing not powder coated is the motor itself.

Yes there are codes for the different colors of paint along with the different manufacturers that produce powder. Our powder coater deals with 3-4 different manufacturers to order powder from. I can't remember the name of our color right off the top of my head but it may be IH red. I will check with him soon as I will be dropping off a 500 Special for him to do for my little boy next. Need to focus on getting this one done with dad first.

Now don't get me wrong I know we are getting one heck of a deal. But here are the drawbacks.......1. He doesn't do any filler like Martin does. 2. If we miss a ding or dent it get's powdered over and then we are stuck. 3. Powder in some areas where you don't want it so there is a lot of sanding, filing, and grinding happening.

But the good............1. The price 2. The durability (especially with the little kids around) 3. The price 4. Ready to assemble as soon as it is cool enough to handle 5. The price 6. No mess in the shop 7. Did I say the price????

Nice start! You even have the hard to find dual belt cover. Seems like you never take a break Scott.

Mike............

Yeah just ask my wife's opinion on that one!

[can whlvr 991]

wow,thats a great price,do they blast it too,and thats probally not even in the park of real cost would it,if so id powder them all

[whfan74 2,015]

Yeah the same guy does the blasting.

Blasting and powder coating together............final bill $140

Oh yeah......I forgot his name and his phone number too! :ychain:

[can whlvr 991]

man how could ya not powder it,o took me many hours of blasting on my c101,it seemed like 20 hours,again thats a real bargain

[Jake Kuhn 1,547]

Looks good Scott! You can't argue for a price like that. Jake

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,034]

Can you use the typical bondo filler prior to powdercoating? Is there a different type of filler? I assume powdercoating is much more forgiving then paint in terms of covering up smaller imperfections?

[whfan74 2,015]

Can you use the typical bondo filler prior to powdercoating? Is there a different type of filler? I assume powdercoating is much more forgiving then pain in terms of covering up smaller imperfections?

Hey Steve I am going to let Martin deal with this one. I hope he chimes in as he understands the powder capabilities a lot better than I do. My guy has only been doing it for a year and a half so I think there might be some new areas that we can explore in the future to give some better results. Not trying to be coy..........just leaving it to someone who can probably explain it much better.

Martin did mention in his 1057 restore that you can use some filler but have to start the oven out at a cooler temp. To do powder on bare metal you are in the 400 degree range. I believe Martin mentioned starting at 100-150 degrees if filler has been applied.

[kpinnc 10,686]

Well for 140 bucks a tractor, you're getting out cheaper than using premium paint.

Looks great so far Scott!

[whfan74 2,015]

Agreed Kevin.........it may not be perfect, but it is perfrect for me. I just can't pass up the cost. Even after the cost to have it done, buying the tractor, adding all new stainless hardware, getting a few new items that have been worn out from years of neglect it still adds up to a big cost. Thankfully this keeps it somewhat more manageable.

Thanks for the compliment!

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,034]

IMO it is not only the cost savings however the labor like you mentioned. I guess I need to find a good powder coater in this area ...

[Martin 2,130]

scott, what? another one already! boy youre running circles around us slow tractor building folk out here....

its looking real nice though,

steve, the bondo i use for filling is just the regular stuff. no. 265 i think.

ive had it a while and it was sort of used as an experiment to see if it would work or not. it handles the temp of the ovens fine. one thing im not sure of is if it 'gasses' in the oven or not. sometimes when painting porous materials,when in the cure process they will emit gas and if you have a gelled over coat of powder paint on the part, the air is going to escape through the paint, causing tiny bubbles. cast iron is the worst for this.

one way to reduce amount of gassing is to preheat the part, run it through a heat cycle. 400 deg f for 45-60 min. then let it cool and then paint it.

what ive been doing with the bondo is preheating the part, let it cool. then when im ready to paint it, put it back in the oven for 5 min at 400,( time varies on thickness of part). this should get it to about 100-150. then paint the part. you dont want it too hot, it gets too hard to regulate how much powder you are getting on the part as its glossing over when your painting it. just want it hot enough to 'stick' the paint and provide for the lack of ground charge that will occur with non conductive bondo or previous powder coat on the part.

powder is more forgiving on small defects, but if its a hole or small cavity big enough that you are painting over and you manage to get air trapped inside when painting, guess whats going to happen to the air when curing in the oven? like scott said, its a one chance deal to get the metal right, if you miss anything, you need to just deal with it or strip it and go over it again.

scott, does your powdercoater strip parts as well, if you need to redo something? not sure how big a coater you have?

if theres enough interest, i can start a thread on this stuff. i dont want to hijack this thread with my ramblings......

im no expert at powdercoating but ive been around it for the past 12 years and put in roughly 20,000 hours at any of up to 5 booths/ paint lines spraying this stuff. im still learning, the biggest challenges are painting the old tractor stuff with the rust and what ever else is lurking in the metal to screw you over. my 20,000 hours of production time is a walk in the park compared to doing the old stuff, because new parts is new, no rust, no dents, no bs to deal with. sure theres rework, wash machines not washing oil good enough and screwing with the powder, or hundreds of other things that can happen, but you can go weeks without any problems, and perfect parts...... but throw some old stuff in there for a customer, or my own red stuff! and just wait for the trouble to begin. i guess im being pessimistic as its not all bad, dealing with rust pitting is definitely a learning experience though....

hope this answers a bit of the curiosity, like i said i will start a thread on the subject if theres enough interest and i will try to answer all the ?s there, if anyone has anymore. maybe some pics of the lines at work too.

right now though, i want to let scott get on with his tractor, theres probably another 3 or 4 he needs to get done before the summer season hits.... :)

[whfan74 2,015]

Martin,

Keep on sharing what you have. I don't mind sharing a thread with you and help getting the word out about the positives and negatives with powder coating. Like I mentioned, my guy has only been doing powder for about 2 years. He does a really good job but I have to make sure I have my parts exactly how I want them before I send them to him. He just blasts, washes, and coats. If I need a weld job he doesn't mind doing a little of that either.

He has goofed or somehow something got in to the powder in the past and he will strip and start over free of charge. If something comes back that I am not satisfied with he will re-do with no questions asked.

I haven't had a chance to really sit down with him and learn more about the process. This is what puts food on his table and don't want to keep him from his work. So anything you can share with the rest of us is very beneficial. I know the rest of the group would love to have a thread dedicated just to this to weigh their options in the future. Like anything else it has it's drawbacks but as you can see for me I just can't beat the price.

Yes Martin I am on to another one and I have neglected to actually show one other that was going on the whole time during this. It is almost complete and maybe I will throw up a picture of it sometime soon. I need to get it cleaned up because it has become a definite dust magnet with the tornado that has been going through the barn.

But just to have fun with you.......I am bringing over my son's 500 Special real soon and going to get it torn down and over to my guy so I don't have to wait for it when I am done with these other two. Last time I talked to him he said he is swamped with stuff right now so I figure it might as well sit in line while I am doing something productive.

[whfan74 2,015]

IMO it is not only the cost savings however the labor like you mentioned. I guess I need to find a good powder coater in this area ...

And you are right Steve it really cuts down on my labor time. I just have tear down and reassembly time, which still can be time consuming but not nearly as much as going over my parts multiple times. Of course I have already mentioned filing, sanding, and cleaning threads from time to time. That definitely slows down reassembly but it is more than worth it in my book.

[Ken B 3,116]

IMO it is not only the cost savings however the labor like you mentioned. I guess I need to find a good powder coater in this area ...

Steve if you find someone let me know, I'm very interested in this as well. Not only does it sound like it cuts down on the cost and labor I'd be willing to bet it will cut down on a big mess of over spray all over my work shop as well.

[COMMANDO6 20]

we need to get new front tires since the originals ended up falling apart

At least you weren't riding it when they fell apart!

[whfan74 2,015]

Yes Martin I am on to another one and I have neglected to actually show one other that was going on the whole time during this. It is almost complete and maybe I will throw up a picture of it sometime soon. I need to get it cleaned up because it has become a definite dust magnet with the tornado that has been going through the barn.

Well like I said we haven't been slacking off this winter. The barn is a complete mess, but it is because we are trying to crank some stuff out. Here is what dad is finishing up. Unfortunately we need some fittings for the gas line and have been unable to find something that looks like stock so far. So if any of you out there have anything that might help us out, we would appreciate it. Or if you can point us in the right direction.........that wouldn't hurt either. The photo isn't that great as we neglected to cover it up and it is a little dusty along with being a crappy cell phone picture. At least it gives you an idea.

[Jake Kuhn 1,547]

That walk behind looks great scott! Have to agree you have been getting alot done this winter! Jake

[Ken B 3,116]

Scott, does your high energy level come in phases? Sometimes I'm like you, getting tons of stuff done. Then there are times when I can't get off the couch!

Very nice walker, luv it!

[whfan74 2,015]

You hit the nail on the head Ken. There are some nights I get over to the barn and just start working and get in to a groove. And of course I have those other days as well......go out to the barn, turn on the lights, look around, and just want to walk right back out.

Now I can't take all of the credit, all of these things have been a two man job. Dad is plugging away on some of it as well. I am sure many of you get in to projects and wish you had another set of hands to get things done. Well in my case, I do have that luxury.

[whfan74 2,015]

Sorry for the delay between posts. We have not been able to put any focus on this project in the past week. It was weird not spending a Saturday morning over in the barn wrenching on something. Thankfully I am pretty sure I will get some time this week to get some things accomplished.

Thanks to all of you that are following along. My March 30th deadline is coming faster than I would like and it is becoming a little stressful. The motor is torn down right now and will get be getting some new parts to hopefully make this a nice running K-161.

This tractor is going to be a 20 footer unfortunately. It was neglected way to long and has some pitting. It may get some newer tins in the future but this will have to do for the mean time.

[buckrancher 2,673]

Can you use the typical bondo filler prior to powdercoating? Is there a different type of filler? I assume powdercoating is much more forgiving then paint in terms of covering up smaller imperfections?

you want to use a product called lab metal instead of bondo

[whfan74 2,015]

Thanks Brian, I am definitely going to have to look in to that as I am very displeased with the results of the hood. I will see if our powder coater would be willing to strip it so I can do some body work on it. This will be a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to find a nice replacement in the future.