Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have a 10 year old single stage snowblower that's undergoing a full restoration this winter. I got the snowblower bucket disassembled from the chassis and engine. The bucket has been completely stripped down to bare metal. I want good adhesion and abrasion resistance and I'm willing to put in the time and money to get the best paint job that I can do myself without sending out.

What do you guys recommend for primer and paint? Any preparation techniques in addition to stripping down to bare metal and roughing up the surface?

JimmyM wrote:
Yeah, a few guys at work also recommend powder coating as the ultimate durable finish.  I'll check that out.

 I found a "Epoxy Appliance"  paint for stoves and such at home Depot ...  They only had black and White,  but is sure was tuff stuff..(nice gloss too)

Just a note..... we paint and cure things at work from time to time,  I recommed a heat lamp (french fry lamp)  for getting things done in a timely manner. 

Friiy

DavidNJ wrote:
This stuff looks good.  It's expensive, though.   Although  I'm not going to be using much paint so it may be okay.

I like the Hardnose and Metal Mask versions.

friiy wrote:
Black is all I need.  Is this a brush on or spray can?

rattle can......

Friiy

One of the best choices is a good self etching primer.can be purchased in auto store and rattle can too.Then top coat .

I would go to your local automotive store. They have everthing you need. Strippers, Rust preventing primer, fill primer, epoxy paint, and clear coat. The more clear you put on the better. If you hit a rock it will chip the primer not your paint. A good dealer wiil show you how to mix  and apply everthing. if you want to strip it down to metal you can go to Habor Freight and get a cheap sand blaster. You can get a spray gun too .

I've had good results over the years using Tremclad rust paint. Usually available in a lot of colors. If my wife isn't looking, I'll also slip parts into the oven to bake. It seems to produce a smoother harder surface.  My goal is to remove as much rust as possible and not worry about the smoothness of the final finish except for the inside of the auger housing, where I will spend a bit more time smoothing.

I have also used muriatic acid. That stuff eats rust for breakfast. BUT, be very careful to use all the safety equipment, gloves, old clothes, eye & breathing protection. I usually use it outdoors with a fan to blow the fumes away. You also need to get some primer on asap as things will start to rust almost right away. Oh yeah, store the tightly closed acid container inside another tightly closed container. The fumes from the acid can cause rust on your tools and other exposed metal stored in the same room.

Powder coating would be the way to go, I've had experience trying to sand powder coated parts, very tough stuff.

Cheers

whitetail wrote:
I have stripped the paint down to bare metal with a wire brush.  There were very little surface rust, no pitting, and I have removed all rust.   Would the etching primer improve adhesion?

Don't powder coat it!

I'm currently restoring a 48" Case Snocaster that will be my primary snow removal machine. After disassembly, I took a look at the inside of the bucket and decided I would not be able to do a really good job with a wirebrush, so last week I took it to a local guy who powder coats professionally, as my compressor is too small. He sandblasts most things before powder coating and has all the equipment for that.

We were discussing the type of finish I should use to get maximum durability and rust protection. He mentioned that he had powder coated a plow for a friend and after 3 years it looked horrible. Powder coat sounds great, it's very hard and very smooth, but it does not penetrate seams at all. What happens is you get a little bit of water in a seam or a scratch elsewhere and you get rust underneath the powder coat, which then peels off. He told me to not even ask him to powder coat it. Since he's a pro, I took him at his word. That night I was googling to see what else I could do and by chance happened across a discussion on an auto body forum where a guy tried having a frame powder coated as part of a restoral project. His story of the powder coat failure matched just what the pro had told me. Powder coating is great but not for everything.

Sandblast it, wirebrush if you can't, clean it, then treat the rust with a phosphoric acid product, then use an epoxy primer. Warning: it's not cheap and you need a spray gun. Then cover with a few coats of enamel with hardener added.

Since I don't have a spray gun and I'm stuck with rattle cans, the epoxy is out. I'll use self etching then hi fill to smooth out the little pits, and rattle can enamel. I'm doing my auger and bucket the same color so I can touch up any scratches as they appear. I don't want to go through this whole process again.