painting a stump grinder

[murphy4trees]

I just bought an '87 Rayco 1665 AC stump grinder.... Has an air cooled Wisconsin 65 Hp. gas engine... Very rough looking, but generally seems mechanically sound...

Picked it up very cheap... Took a day to service it and get it running... Planning on painting it...

This is a second machine for storm chasing.. planning on taking it to Florida ASAP... I Am already running an '03 Super RG-50 there now!

So any suggestions on painting this oldie but goody are appreciated. I need the machine to look good and may even keep it as a back up for a number of years....

I was planning on just using an angle grinder with a stiff metal brush to clean up the rust... I don't neeed an immaculate restoration job, but have some good help to get it cleaned up... Sandblasting might be best for all the nooks and crannies, but is impractical....

So what kind of primer and paint should I use... should I just prep it and take it to Maaco or find a shop that shoots equipment.... I have a firend that owns an auto body shop that owes me a few hundred and another mechanic friend said he would shoot it for me....


Also want to replace the rubber curtains and windshield....

Thanks in advance for your suggestions....

See pics below

 

[murphy4trees]

Here's another pic

 

[MasterBlaster]

Start cleaning and sanding, for now.

 

[treeman82]

Time to call in some favors

 

[murphy4trees]

I'd like to keep the $ down under 250-300

 

[DDM]

Steam Clean it see how much comes off, The either the Wire Brush and get some Rustoleum Rusty metal primer them Whatever Paint you desire...

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm seeing double!

I swear I'm seeing two threads!

 

[MasterBlaster]

My new blue glasses don't lie!

 

[SilverBlue]

Daniel use this stuff first then top coat it with the color of choice.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=374&itemType=CATEGORY

 

[glens]

<a href="http://www.earlscheib.com/" target="_blank">Earl Scheib</a>.&nbsp; I don't know how much a car paint job is now, but "Earl Scheib, $39.95" comes to mind from the depths of my memory.

 

[Stump Man]

I have painted around 25 stump grinders. I usually take engine off and cover anything that sandblasting will hurt with first masking tape and then duct tape. Sandblast machine and atleast prime it at once. I use Rust-Oleum paint from Graingers. I always cover all hyd hoses as it looks a lot better without painted hoses. Hope this helps./

 

[rb_in_va]

If you have any buddies in a sheetmetal or machine shop, they should be able to sandblast it for you (disassembled of course). Then just have someone shoot a coat of paint on it for you.

 

[a_lopa]

how much was cheap?

 

[kiwiclimber]

try someone with a water blaster not a toy but one that will do about 35,000 psi.This will bring rusted metal to shiny clean without the mess of sand blasting.this way will be alot quicker than a wire brush.

 

[burnandreturn]

Why is sandblasting not an option?

 

[jokers]

Large scale sandblasting of any machine that is assembled is a no no. Sand gets into seals and bearings like you wouldn`t believe unless you seen it. Water blasting is almost as bad. Soda blasting and CO2 blasting are better but these aren`t DIY options.

BTW, 35,000psi isn`t required and is very hard to work with. 10,000 psi works nicely and will even remove layers of concrete.

The best results that I have had with machine restoration for a working machine, not a show piece, is to use a cup wheel in an angle grinder to remove the rust and loose paint and then Rustoleum or Krylon "rusty metal primer" followed by a decent enamel top coat. If it is a high wear or corrosion piece I will use P.O.R 15 covered with a good topcoat because the P.O.R. is UV sensitive.

If you use a wire wheel in a grinder make sure that you are careful around any seals that you do not intend to replace.

Russ

 

[Dadatwins]

Should be able to get paint from Rayco for that machine and get mats to fit it also. Have used truck mud flaps for mats but can be a pain cutting and fitting them and they do not flex like the rubber mats. For the older machines I found calling the main Rayco in Ohio was more helpful than local dealer. Air cooled wisconsin a good motor also had a few of the smaller ones and they were great workers, keep up with the oil changes and keep the air filter clean. Remember the manual from an old vermeer I had to let the motor run a few minutes with out a load after grinding to let it cool itself off. While you are sanding it and paint prepping that is the best time to check for any frame cracks that might be hiding also. Found one on my old machine that I would have never saw if I did not wire brush the rust off. Good luck with the machine.

 

[huskycandoit]

painting

I think u should just sand it then spray the rust protector on the spry it yellow there that about wat 4 can of paint if your good maybe only 2

 

[burnandreturn]

I guess I should have said "media blasting" ! For assembled machines I use ground up Pecan shells. Works great and I have an unlimited supply. Takes paint and rust off but doesn't damage hoses and such. Watch the wires. The pressure will rip them off.

 

[murphy4trees]

paint prep

OK here's a shot of the grinder in the paint booth..
Ended up using a angle grinder with stone wheel to blow through the rust which was throughout the metal... probably overkill, and I know it will leave scratches.... that's OK... they'll help hold the paint.... New decals from Rayco ran about $36....

I won't do this again... Too much time and trouble..

Anyone know the type of wheel used by the old Raycos?? I need a spare for the trip to Florida... I haven't bothered measuring the lug pattern yet