I have some questions on PAINT!!!

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mmsllc

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I'm looking to re-paint a machine due to a lot of over-spray. It's the kinda of overspray paint where removing it is just more difficult, than repainting would be. Plus, the underlying paint is not that great. So, where should we get paint from? I know Mr. TAZZA has repainted a machine before with great results. Anyone else have any input? I want something that will be pretty durable.
 

Tazza

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Bobcat sell paint, i assume it's pretty tough too.
Or you could get automotive paint, as long as it's quality, it shold last, better than a rattle can spray job would.
 

Hotrod1830

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Bobcat sell paint, i assume it's pretty tough too.
Or you could get automotive paint, as long as it's quality, it shold last, better than a rattle can spray job would.
Bobcat sells quart cans of their paint. You can spray it thru a cheap HVLP gun. It is a decent paint, and fairly safe to spray. You can use the spray cans, but paint guns are much faster. Urethane automotive paint is the most durable paint you can use, but it is extremely hazardous to spray without the proper safety gear. I had a run in with it several years ago, and you DO NOT want to mess with this stuff unless you have access to a paint booth and all the safety gear. My recommendation it to use the Bobcat paint and be done with it.
 
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mmsllc

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Bobcat sells quart cans of their paint. You can spray it thru a cheap HVLP gun. It is a decent paint, and fairly safe to spray. You can use the spray cans, but paint guns are much faster. Urethane automotive paint is the most durable paint you can use, but it is extremely hazardous to spray without the proper safety gear. I had a run in with it several years ago, and you DO NOT want to mess with this stuff unless you have access to a paint booth and all the safety gear. My recommendation it to use the Bobcat paint and be done with it.
OK. I will call the dealer tomorrow.
 

rodbuilder

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I do this a LOT. It's cost-prohibitive to buy ANY paint at Bobcat, so I bought my last spray cans there a couple months ago. $13 + tax for a frikkin' spray can!! So I simply prayed an old license plate - 1/2 Bobcat white and 1/2 Bobcat orange! That said - Take your samples to a local farm store that sells Valspar equipment paint. Have the pain Meister mix you up a quart of Bobcat white. BE SURE TO BUY THE LITTLE CAN OF HARDENER, OR IT WILL TAKE FOREVER FOR IT TO DRY!!! Do the same for your orange. As for the gray parts, I bought a quart of black and mixed myself, using some Valspar white. Ya' gotta love it - $10.00 a quart, vs $13. per spray can!!!! BINGO - Bobcat white, orange and gray!!! AND SAVE THE LICENSE PLATE FOR LATER USE!!!! You don't need to use a spray gun, If you have a fairly dust-free place to paint it, you can use a good-quality 4 inch roller, or a 3 inch brush, but don't get the place too hot inside. so the paint will "lay down" for you.
 

vinito

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I do this a LOT. It's cost-prohibitive to buy ANY paint at Bobcat, so I bought my last spray cans there a couple months ago. $13 + tax for a frikkin' spray can!! So I simply prayed an old license plate - 1/2 Bobcat white and 1/2 Bobcat orange! That said - Take your samples to a local farm store that sells Valspar equipment paint. Have the pain Meister mix you up a quart of Bobcat white. BE SURE TO BUY THE LITTLE CAN OF HARDENER, OR IT WILL TAKE FOREVER FOR IT TO DRY!!! Do the same for your orange. As for the gray parts, I bought a quart of black and mixed myself, using some Valspar white. Ya' gotta love it - $10.00 a quart, vs $13. per spray can!!!! BINGO - Bobcat white, orange and gray!!! AND SAVE THE LICENSE PLATE FOR LATER USE!!!! You don't need to use a spray gun, If you have a fairly dust-free place to paint it, you can use a good-quality 4 inch roller, or a 3 inch brush, but don't get the place too hot inside. so the paint will "lay down" for you.
" ... to a local farm store that sells Valspar equipment paint. BE SURE TO BUY THE LITTLE CAN OF HARDENER, OR IT WILL TAKE FOREVER FOR IT TO DRY!!! "
Could you add a bit of specific information to that? I will be repainting my machine pretty soon too and I would get something like the implement paint from a farm store except that I've played with that before, as well as Rustoleum, and both of them did indeed take forever and a day to get past the tacky-to-the-touch phase. Probably three weeks. It was frustrating. I guess it wasn't technically tacky, but it was certainly still soft and you could feel this by just touching it.
Is the "little can of hardener" something they just have displayed near the paint? Are you talking about "Japan drier" from way back or something else? Thanks for any further info.
 

Tazza

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" ... to a local farm store that sells Valspar equipment paint. BE SURE TO BUY THE LITTLE CAN OF HARDENER, OR IT WILL TAKE FOREVER FOR IT TO DRY!!! "
Could you add a bit of specific information to that? I will be repainting my machine pretty soon too and I would get something like the implement paint from a farm store except that I've played with that before, as well as Rustoleum, and both of them did indeed take forever and a day to get past the tacky-to-the-touch phase. Probably three weeks. It was frustrating. I guess it wasn't technically tacky, but it was certainly still soft and you could feel this by just touching it.
Is the "little can of hardener" something they just have displayed near the paint? Are you talking about "Japan drier" from way back or something else? Thanks for any further info.
I think he is talking about two pack paint. You mix the paint with a hardener to make it go off, sort of like epoxy glue.
You can take paint samples to a paint joint and get them to match it for you.
A member a few years back gave a paint recipe for the charcoal, he mixed 4:1 black to white to get the charcoal grey. I have yet to try this, but sounds about right.
If funds allow, go two pack paint, the end result from this is awesome. Yet it is stinky stuff to spray around and you really should wear a respirator out in the open. The over spray doesn't dry quickly like other paints, it floats and sticks to all sorts of things.
 
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mmsllc

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I think he is talking about two pack paint. You mix the paint with a hardener to make it go off, sort of like epoxy glue.
You can take paint samples to a paint joint and get them to match it for you.
A member a few years back gave a paint recipe for the charcoal, he mixed 4:1 black to white to get the charcoal grey. I have yet to try this, but sounds about right.
If funds allow, go two pack paint, the end result from this is awesome. Yet it is stinky stuff to spray around and you really should wear a respirator out in the open. The over spray doesn't dry quickly like other paints, it floats and sticks to all sorts of things.
The little can should be an activator that allows the paint to "set up", without it, it will take forever to dry & will most likely never set correctly / stay too soft for way too long.
 
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mmsllc

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The little can should be an activator that allows the paint to "set up", without it, it will take forever to dry & will most likely never set correctly / stay too soft for way too long.
I was also curious about what makes paint so special?? I know that a lot of equipment only gets painted once & that is all it will ever get. So, what part of their paint so enduring?? Is it lead based or something? O something more like an epoxy based??
 

SkidRoe

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I was also curious about what makes paint so special?? I know that a lot of equipment only gets painted once & that is all it will ever get. So, what part of their paint so enduring?? Is it lead based or something? O something more like an epoxy based??
From my experience at work with military vehicles, it is all in the preparation. Starting with a clean surface that is completely free of rust, using the correct prewash primer, then using a quality primer, are all critical. Then ensuring that you have the correct thickness of top coat.
HTH - SR
 

lesgawlik

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From my experience at work with military vehicles, it is all in the preparation. Starting with a clean surface that is completely free of rust, using the correct prewash primer, then using a quality primer, are all critical. Then ensuring that you have the correct thickness of top coat.
HTH - SR
I have had good luck with POR (Paint Over Rust) paint, topcoated with Bobcat spray can paint. The POR paint is extremely tenacious, to the point where if you don't wear plastic gloves, the paint will stay on your hands until it wears off. It is a single stage paint, cured by moisture. UV will degrade it, so it needs a top coat. My machine worked for a concrete contractor for some time, and it was a rusty mess. All you have to do is scrape off the rust that is actually flaking, like with a wire wheel. That's all the surface prep you need. I did this several years ago, and the result is still very good.
 

Hotrod1830

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I have had good luck with POR (Paint Over Rust) paint, topcoated with Bobcat spray can paint. The POR paint is extremely tenacious, to the point where if you don't wear plastic gloves, the paint will stay on your hands until it wears off. It is a single stage paint, cured by moisture. UV will degrade it, so it needs a top coat. My machine worked for a concrete contractor for some time, and it was a rusty mess. All you have to do is scrape off the rust that is actually flaking, like with a wire wheel. That's all the surface prep you need. I did this several years ago, and the result is still very good.
I will second both the importance of prep and P.O.R. POR is like ink. It will stick to anything and it's really hard to get off your hands. But it works. Period. Yes, prep is THE most important step in painting. Even the oil from your hands can cause paint to not stick and peel or bubble. Also fumes from a kerosene heater can have the same effect.( found out the hard way) In the world of paint, there is a mechanical bond and a chemical bond. Mechanical bond is sanding the bare metal before primer. Chemical bond is when ALL of the coats of primer /paint are compatible. Get one of them wrong and you will probably get peeling paint, or worse. Wipe the surface with a wax and grease remover before painting. I thought I mentioned it, but the Bobcat paint is an acrylic lacquer. Dupicolor paint is also the same. OSHA white, KUBOTA orange, and semi gloss black are the colors.(Dont know the name for the grey) All bobcat offers is Charcoal.
 
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mmsllc

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I will second both the importance of prep and P.O.R. POR is like ink. It will stick to anything and it's really hard to get off your hands. But it works. Period. Yes, prep is THE most important step in painting. Even the oil from your hands can cause paint to not stick and peel or bubble. Also fumes from a kerosene heater can have the same effect.( found out the hard way) In the world of paint, there is a mechanical bond and a chemical bond. Mechanical bond is sanding the bare metal before primer. Chemical bond is when ALL of the coats of primer /paint are compatible. Get one of them wrong and you will probably get peeling paint, or worse. Wipe the surface with a wax and grease remover before painting. I thought I mentioned it, but the Bobcat paint is an acrylic lacquer. Dupicolor paint is also the same. OSHA white, KUBOTA orange, and semi gloss black are the colors.(Dont know the name for the grey) All bobcat offers is Charcoal.
I agree with you all who have chimed in. Prep work is understood to determine the best outcome, along with using only top quality paint. Someone mentioned that the paint needs a good thickness in order to best survive machine life & daily use. Does anyone know about how thick / heavy it should be; from bare metal to finished top coat??
 

Hotrod1830

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I agree with you all who have chimed in. Prep work is understood to determine the best outcome, along with using only top quality paint. Someone mentioned that the paint needs a good thickness in order to best survive machine life & daily use. Does anyone know about how thick / heavy it should be; from bare metal to finished top coat??
1-2 light coats of primer and 2-3 light coats on topcoat is all you need. Read the label on the can and obey the recoat window rules to a tee. Recoat a layer of paint too late without prep and it will peel the same as no prep. Remember, A chemical bond relies on the recoat window to work. If done properly, and all of the paint is compatible, it is all like one super tough layer of paint, that will stick for a lifetime. If you want an example, you need not look any further that OE paint jobs.
 
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mmsllc

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1-2 light coats of primer and 2-3 light coats on topcoat is all you need. Read the label on the can and obey the recoat window rules to a tee. Recoat a layer of paint too late without prep and it will peel the same as no prep. Remember, A chemical bond relies on the recoat window to work. If done properly, and all of the paint is compatible, it is all like one super tough layer of paint, that will stick for a lifetime. If you want an example, you need not look any further that OE paint jobs.
Gotcha. I am not a painter. I get the gist of the of the process, but I still don't know enough to try it on my own yet. I've never really had a chance to paint something that was actually worth painting before. So, I don't have any / much experience with it past the sanding & taping off aspect. I guess, I should just try it out.
 

Heetseeker

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Gotcha. I am not a painter. I get the gist of the of the process, but I still don't know enough to try it on my own yet. I've never really had a chance to paint something that was actually worth painting before. So, I don't have any / much experience with it past the sanding & taping off aspect. I guess, I should just try it out.
I mix the paint with acetone, not thinner. It dries very fast.
 
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mmsllc

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I mix the paint with acetone, not thinner. It dries very fast.
Ok. Why is paint drying fast a good thing? Doesn't that affect its "surface / tensile strength" / resistance to flaking or scratching & so on?? (Maybe I am showing my lack of painting experience here!)
 

Hotrod1830

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Ok. Why is paint drying fast a good thing? Doesn't that affect its "surface / tensile strength" / resistance to flaking or scratching & so on?? (Maybe I am showing my lack of painting experience here!)
Paint that dries too fast will have toe "Orange peel" effect. Follow the label........
 
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