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?

$25 is too much for paint, and I don't have a sprayer.  I got everything including primer and paint in cans for less than $25 already.  I got the appliance epoxy which seems pretty hard and durable.  Hopefully it doesn't chip off too easily

I know a guy with a fiberglass shop.... He sprays 85 percent of his coats with the cheapie guns from Harbor freight...... He likes the ones that use the Dixie Cups for small jobs and small clean up.. Friiy

You perked my interests, I just look up HVLP spray set from Harbor Freight for less than $100.  Very compact and doesn't require a separate compressor.

aa335 wrote:

There are two different HVLP spray systems listed at Harbor Freight for around $100.  Is this model that one you picked up (Chicago Electric 66297)? I would curious to know how it works out. I have a few things I'd like to paint.

 

Or is this second one the one below?

I was interested in the second spray system.    I didn't buy it but I finished up the job with spray paint instead. 

aa335 wrote:
It's all done? Can we get pics?

BTW, this is mine that I'm currently working on: http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=154484   It's all stripped and needs a bit more grinding. I may have to weld in a piece at the bottom of the bucket, not sure until I grind away all the rust. If there's no perforations, I'll use epoxy to re-level the area instead. It's not in a stress or wear area, it just has to be smooth.  This is a 20+ year old 48" single stage, the auger gets spun at 900 RPM by a 21HP engine.

Bill_H wrote:
Bill,   Can you give some more details on your use of epoxy to "level" the area. My ST8-24 is still very solid, but has some serious pitting on the inside of the chute & auger housing. I'm considering my options to smooth them out as much as possible. Has anyone ever used bondo successfully in these areas?

Cheers

Bill_H wrote:
It's put back together ready to blow snow.  It's looking good now.  However, there are various other details that the perfectionist in me just have to do before I'm satisfied.  I'm ordering some decals and various hardware pieces such as new wheels, washers, and clips to bring it up 100% functional as new. 

I'm thinking about lining the inside of the discharge chute with teflon sheets but debating whether I should drill holes and rivet it in place.  I want it to be as close to original and not butchered up.  There are adhesive backed sheets but not sure if that will remain sticky in the cold weather.  Maybe I'll just repaint inside the chute and clear coat.  I will wet sand and respray the clearcoat yearly to replenish the worn clearcoat layer.

Probably wet sand the red plastic cover too, put on another coat of red paint, and then seal it with clearcoat.  I got both kinds of clearcoat, the satin and gloss.  Not sure which one to go with.

I'll post pictures when I'm all done.  Stay tuned.

GtWtNorth wrote:
I don't know about Bondo. I'm sure it would work but would it scratch off too easily?

I have a some fiberglass supplies I purchased for an auto body job left over and if I don't use it I'll probably end up tossing it. I discovered from some I spilled on the garage floor that the epoxy is incredibly hard and clings very well - it's still there. So I'm going to mix some up and smooth it on then sand it down. Sort of like expensive Bondo :D Time will tell how well it wears, I'm pretty sure it will be good enough. My original plan was to fill in with weld, but that'll take forever.

I would leave the plastic alone....u need the right flex agents in the paint in order for it to stay well on the cover.

But do wetsand in between coats on metal just to keep the paint ~flat~.

I've been eyenalling things here and there before making my master parts list.
As much as I love mailorder...I hate paying $7 minimum to get a $3 part so I prefer to order all my parts in one shot.
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