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

Before I finally get around to putting my 1988 ST824 project back together (just in time for Spring), I need to repaint the auger housing (I have one of the Ariens SnoThros that have the paint peeling off in sheets).  I figure that with all the work I have put into it, it might as well look good.  Has anyone found a suitable (similar color to Ariens orange) paint?  The previous owner used what appears to be a flat fluorescent orange marker paint.  As you might expect, it doesn't really match at all- it looks pretty bad. 

I will probably bring the housing over to my dad's house and use a few pounds of black beauty to get the housing clean.  It's sad to see how poor the paint was on a few year's models.  My 1974 still has great looking paint. 

Any suggestions/ recommendations as to what steps (prep, primer, etc)  to take to ensure the best paint "performance"?

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Ralph

Looks sweet...awesome job!

Richie wrote:

Hi there Bill,

I didn't notice I had a typo in my comment.  I meant to say if the Auger housing ever needed painting, you may want to try airbrushing the flaming skull onto that part of it, not the headlight housing.  Since you mention you don't airbrush, that cool sticker can always be clear coated so it can never peel. I remember my old Honda dirt bikes used to have the Honda logo's clear coated with the rest of the fuel tank. 

I like the custom cleanout pole.  All that machine is missing is a very cool set of drift breakers.  Since the attachment points are already there, you should come up with another great idea for those.  It'll really dress the machine up

BTW...folks, aren't the new snowblowers actually powder coated these days?  If so, and since us consumers don't have equipment like that, how does normal automotive paint hold up on these machines?

Chriss,

Thanks for posting for me , much appreciated.

Marty,

I'm sure you're more than capable of painting that Sears, I wouldn't be surpised if you had a spray booth set up somewhere and put my job to shame, you have just about every  tool known to man. I think I know what I did wrong in posting the pics, should I have another problem I will email you.

Richie,

Yes I plan to clearcoat the decal, the sides were already clearcoated when I appied it. I'll wait to the summer, much better environment to paint in. I'm sure no automotive paint will be as good as the factory  powder coat paint as far as duarbility, but I did spray paint my rear house door about 12 years ago with a white automotive lacquer using a borrowed compressor. Paint still looks decent aside from a few nicks, I believe I paid about 25.00 a quart back then.

Nice looking but rust is cancer it always

come back that's the bad thing about it

3 things:

1) i was at the ope shop last night. they had the ariens orange spray paint on the shelf. thought that 4.99 was good price....then saw it was 14.99';

2) what about touch up paint....like the ones we get for cars? is there any?


3) if u put touch up paint on w/out preparing the surface will it just rust thru?

solara wrote:

1. If you need it, 15 bucks isn't much to preserve the paint.

2 I haven't seen any?

3. If it was rusted before, yes it will rust through again. Remove the rust, sand and prime. If you just have chips with no rust, you can get by with touch up only.

That headlight looks like factory.  Beautiful job there. 

I've used the Dupli Color Orange enamal on the tractor housing and it's really nice stuff - goes on easily, doesn't run easily, and seems to be tough.

But what about the White? I tried "Wimbledon White"  which seemed the closest match in the store, but the Ariens white is a little more towards beige.

Not a big deal as I'm repainting the wheels and handlebars, and the new engine is black. But I have an ST824 that I'd like to repaint the wheels on as well.

I use Chevy orange engine paint it matches Ariens orange pretty good, you can buy it at WAL-MART.

I am pretty sure that in the 6 years that have past he has found paint and painted it.   flathead wrote: