Recycling old implements - making them pretty

[ctgoldwing]

Although I am 'bruised knuckle' limited, I want to attack some projects with / for the tractor. My first attempt will be to make a snow plow for my quick attach loader either with an old skid steer unit or welding up an old snow plow to a homemade mount (I have never welded, yet). From what I have read here I now have a false sense of optimism. I have assembled a couple of motors before including a 351C from a bare block but I have 0 experience with hydraulics.

Assuming I can plan the project out & gather the needed materials how does one (in their backyard) make the final product pretty? I am sure that whatever I get will be rusty & in need of paint. How do you clean it down to the metal - I certainly don't have a sandblaster. Is a wire brush on a drill my only option? Are there specific paints that stand up to this kind of service? Do they need to be sprayed on - I do have air & guess I could get an air sprayer???

I always look at the finished product of any of my projects and, assuming it works/does what it is supposed to do, the next most important thing is does it look good - like a professional would do it?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[bobodu]

I prefer to go with a wire wheel in my angle grinder,then lots of Rustoleum. "Pretty" is far down my list of necessities. Functionality,safety and strength come first.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I always look at the finished product of any of my projects and, assuming it works/does what it is supposed to do, the next most important thing is does it look good - like a professional would do it?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

It really depends...
When I built my front blade, i used an old rusty Fisher and short of spending HOURS on a wirewheel it would never have looked good so I let a pro do it...I have a Powdercoating shop near by that is glad to do small projects when THEY have time... I dropped off a pair of rims off my F935 once and it took 3 weeks to get em back, the last blade I built I dropped it off on a Monday and that Thursday I went to pick it up.... When it was all done and said, I couldnt have bought the paint, and spent the time for what it cost me to have the blade 100% sandblasted and powdercoated JD Yellow. Not to mention, the finish of the blade is just like a new blade.

When I built my power rake, I used all new steel, so I painted that myself here...for a couple reasons. First of which was I was building it in stages, so as I completed a major component I painted it up....

I'd look around for a place that does industrial refinishing, or at the very least a sandblast shop....having it sandblasted isnt "expensive" and the end results are WAY worth it IMO.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Once you have the implement that you are looking for, be sure that it works as you want before you go to the trouble of making it look good. But then you probably already know that. To have it look the best that it can, you will be best off to disassemble it and take it to a powder coat place as Spudland Dave has said. At the powder coater that I use, it can be less $$$ to have it done with another run that they are doing with the same color. My guy uses a lot of black and has done stuff for me at a reduced rate because he is already set up. Sort of depends on how much $$ you want to save. Time frame can sometimes save $$ also. There are paints that hold up as well or even better than powder coating, but cost more.

If you want or have to do it yourself, then wire wheel and a lot of 40, 60, 80, 120 grit sand paper. If the metal is pitted, it will take a whole lot of primer to get the pitts filled in if you are worried about them. Again as has been mentioned, if you want to have it look nice and especially if it is in rough shape, the paint and prep materials will cost you more than to take it in and have it powder coated. Keep in mind though, that powder coating may or may not fill in the pitts if there are some.

Hey, what implement are you looking for? Good luck with your project.

 

[Scotty370]

Just a word of caution. If you use a wire wheel on an angle grinder, be sure to use the 'twisted-finger' wheels, designed for the grinders high speed, not a standard drill wire wheel. Don't ask this 'human-dart-board' how i know.........~Scotty

 

[Egon]

For the wire wheel use an angle grinder. Drills really aren't made for that type of duty cycle. Also make sure you are wearing goggles and long sleeves. Them bristles do break off and end up sticking in you wherever they hit. Might spend some time digging them out of your clothes to.

You said you have air so get a needle scaler. They work very nicely on removing rust.

After the mechanical prepping is done paint with phosphoric acid and wire brush that. Then paint again with the acid and then apply your rustoleum primer or base coat.

Do some INTERNET research on the rust prevention and painting.

This summer I repainted and redecked my trailer. Lots of hours scaling, brushing painting and spraying.

 

[Dirtnut]

I think you are setting your standards to high.We all have the ability to accomplish most projects if we put our minds to it, but we are all limited by our tools.Professionals have all the proper tools & use new steel most of the time & have a shop to do the work.You must consider what you can realisticaly accomplish with the tools you have and what shape the implements are in.Do the best with what you have to work with & you will still be proud in the end.If i added up all the cost of tools that i keep buying to improve my builds it would end up being cheaper alot of times to just go buy a professionaly built impement,but i enjoy the challenges of the projects.I have projects that are less than perfect to most people but i am proud of them knowing what it took to build them.As others have said get a (good) electric angle grinder, they have a lot of attacments for working steel.Also get clamps.You can build your tool collection as you see fit but it can get expensive.When you buy power tools try to buy good ones.I have tried to save money in the past on cheaper ones & end up buying better ones in the end.So roll up your sleeves & be proud of what you can do with what you have.

 

[joes_427_vette]

Like bobodu says, wire brush ( I prefer to sand blast it ) and paint it GREEN !
A sand blaster is so simple to make it should be your first project. A tank, couple holes cut for pipe nipples, couple valves, hose and a tip. I found a ten gallon stainless tank for $15.00, hose for $20.00, nozzle and tip for $12.00 and misc. fittings / ball valves for $10.00. Add a couple wagon wheels, a handle and you have a machine that will last a life time. It makes the finish on the completed project so much better and last longer. Good luck in the fabrication department. Trial and error are always present so don't get discouraged if you change designs several times. I mentally build it in my head and make the modifications ( sometimes many ) along the way.

 

[flusher]

I think you are setting your standards to high.We all have the ability to accomplish most projects if we put our minds to it, but we are all limited by our tools.Professionals have all the proper tools & use new steel most of the time & have a shop to do the work.You must consider what you can realisticaly accomplish with the tools you have and what shape the implements are in.Do the best with what you have to work with & you will still be proud in the end.If i added up all the cost of tools that i keep buying to improve my builds it would end up being cheaper alot of times to just go buy a professionaly built impement,but i enjoy the challenges of the projects.I have projects that are less than perfect to most people but i am proud of them knowing what it took to build them.As others have said get a (good) electric angle grinder, they have a lot of attacments for working steel.Also get clamps.You can build your tool collection as you see fit but it can get expensive.When you buy power tools try to buy good ones.I have tried to save money in the past on cheaper ones & end up buying better ones in the end.So roll up your sleeves & be proud of what you can do with what you have.

Sometimes I do it the easy way--use a rust converter to change the rust layer to a tightly bonded layer that acts as a primer over which you can paint. Gemplers makes one brand of RC--there are others

Gempler's Rust Converter Success Stories | Gempler's

Here's an example. I restored an old Minneapolis Moline P3-6 grain drill last year.



The feed cups were rusted pretty badly.



I used Gempler's RC on the cup housings and the fluted feed cylinders. The black coating on the flutes is Gempler's. I sprayed the housings with cold galvanize spray paint to prevent more rusting.



I used that restored grain drill last month to plant 5 acres of Kanota oats. The drill worked fine.

 

[Dirtnut]

I get their magazine will check it out.Thanks.

 

[workinprogress]

I have had pretty good luck with using a wire brush on a angle grinder and then follow with a "Rust Reformer" made by Rust-Oleum ( RustOleum.com ). Can find it at most auto parts store. The rust reformer converts the rust into some thing else (forming a black primer). I have used multiple paints onto this primer and they all seem to hold well.

Good luck with your projects.

 

[ctgoldwing]

Sometimes I do it the easy way--use a rust converter to change the rust layer to a tightly bonded layer that acts as a primer over which you can paint. Gemplers makes one brand of RC--there are others

Gempler's Rust Converter Success Stories | Gempler's

Here's an example. I restored an old Minneapolis Moline P3-6 grain drill last year.

View attachment 150161

The feed cups were rusted pretty badly.

View attachment 150162

I used Gempler's RC on the cup housings and the fluted feed cylinders. The black coating on the flutes is Gempler's. I sprayed the housings with cold galvanize spray paint to prevent more rusting.

View attachment 150163

I used that restored grain drill last month to plant 5 acres of Kanota oats. The drill worked fine.

Hey thanks to all for the great advise! I had the racks of the '97 F350 I just acquired painted at a local body shop & I'm pretty sure he talked about a 'rust converter' instead of sanding / grinding & painting (I told him this was a budget job). It came out GREAT.

I picked up (today from ebay) a skid steer plow that had been used one year & stored 2. The paint has mostly peeled off from being outside but all in all it really doesn't look bad. I will probably pull the hydraulics off it & replace them with a welded up pinned stop assembly - my plowing needs are really basic here at the house & a fixed angle will work fine.

I'll try to take pix as I go.

I really do appreciate all the info. Thanks again & hope everyone has a great & healthy new year!

 

[JohninCT]

I picked up (today from ebay) a skid steer plow... that had been used one year & stored 2. The paint has mostly peeled off from being outside but all in all it really doesn't look bad. I will probably pull the hydraulics off it & replace them with a welded up pinned stop assembly - my plowing needs are really basic here at the house & a fixed angle will work fine

Are you talking about just one fixed angle or a manually adjustable angle? Its seems kind of a shame to ditch the hydraulics especially if they are in useable shape. Do you have a rear remote? Have you scoped out what it would take to get the hydraulics hooked up? You could make a manually adjustable angle using the square tube with punched holes (I call it stop sign post). Replace the hyd cylinders with a tube within a tube secured together with a pin. I don't know, maybe this is what you already had in mind.

 

[ctgoldwing]

Are you talking about just one fixed angle or a manually adjustable angle? Its seems kind of a shame to ditch the hydraulics especially if they are in useable shape. Do you have a rear remote? Have you scoped out what it would take to get the hydraulics hooked up? You could make a manually adjustable angle using the square tube with punched holes (I call it stop sign post). Replace the hyd cylinders with a tube within a tube secured together with a pin. I don't know, maybe this is what you already had in mind.

Hi John,

The tube within a tube is exactly what I had in mind. I won't do anything that can't be 'reversed' - I'll be able to put back on the hydraulics. I don't know enough about hydraulics to know whether I can use my tractor's or not but from what I have read here it doesn't sound like I can without changing the loader valve - Too much $$$ right now.

 

[studor]

The other way to remove the rust is washing soda in water, a sacrifice rod, a container big enough to hold the item in the soda and water and a battery charger Hook the positive to the sacrifice rod, the negative to the item and let it go for a day or two. I think there is a post on here somewhere that this was done to a plow prior to painting