help with some painting tips
 

Ok today I got my cub cadet yellow in the mail. Few guys said to thin it. I did 25% thinner. Went to start spraying the paint and it looks like crap. Its like the paint seperates on the metal. Ive never seen anything like this. Should I have not thinned the paint of is there a certain kind of thinner to use for cub cadet type paint. O yea the quart was 39 dollars so Thats up in smoke now.What type of paint do you guys buy and use. Need some help quick. I need to get my mow back together.

When that happens to me, I have found I either didn't get the metal good and clean or, I am trying to spray something without primer.

What did you prime with before the paint, and what was that thinned with? What are you thinning the paint with?

This is why I keep telling people to buy auto paint/primer...you know it's compatible, instructions are provided, and it isn't really any more expensive than the OEM CC paint. When you start mixing different types/brands of paint and primer, there is always the possibility of a mess from incompatible products, and you very well may be experiencing that.

A few other thoughts...

25% thinner is WAY more thin than any paint I have ever sprayed. Also, what kind of gun are you using, is it clean, do you have a drier/filter, etc., what did you do for surface prep, and can you elaborate on 'looks like crap'? There are many, many variables here and you haven't given us a whole lot to work with.

If I were a novice painter and was trying to get decent results, I would go with the paint they sell at TSC and various other tractor supply store. In my neck of the woods we have Orscheln Farm and Home and they carry Vansicle brand paints. It is cheap ($30/gal), now has hardener available ($25/pint, enough for a gallon of paint) which increases the paints appearance, durability, and curing, and very forgiving to the novice. Instructions are on the can how to mix it, can cut it with naphtha or laquer (my personal preference, about $20/ gallon) thinner, and if your surface prep is not the best, it will still stick (it'll even stick to grease!). Biggest concern in using it is to apply in thin coats, 2-3 usually work great, the last coat being the heaviest coat, try to apply it so that it has a shine. It will flow out pretty nice, just don't go crazy with the last coat as it may try to run on you.

It sounds like you got thinner that wasn't compatible with your paint, your paint and primer clashed, or your parts had contaminates on them. Cutting the paint by 25% thinner doesn't sound to be too out of line, some automotive base coats get diluted at nearly 50%. Over thinning would not cause your problem, it would cause the paint to not cover very well or cause it too run easily.

I went to Orscheln Farm and Home stores around me and they didnt carry Cub cadet yellow in anything but a (rattle can) so I went with CUB CADET paint. I cleaned the surface good before painting. I was thinking the thinner and the paint had a chemical reaction or something. Now Im sanding it all back down. Im trying to find a way to buy Vansickle paint right now.

Vansickle paint you have to use transport yellow, maybe a litlle off color wise, as close as you can get though through them. If repainting the entire tractor would not be much of an issue as it will all match. I can't remember off the top of my head how it exactly differs from CC paint, could pick up a quart of some other color to mix in the safety yellow to try and make it look closer. Unless you are trying to make a 100 point show tractor, not many would notice the hue of yellow you chose is incorrect, they'll just notice how nice it looks!

Just thinking, if they have it in rattle can, they could most likely order it for you in gallons and quarts, whatever you need. I found van sickle paint site on line, here is a link for you:

http://vansicklepaint.com/tractor/vscolorcard.html

says they have international yellow in paint chart!

after a closer look, found this link:

http://vansicklepaint.com/tractor/vs...#International

scroll down the page, show they have cub cadet yellow stock number 454, I think that looks like the more modern era yellow, continue to scroll down to harvester they show a stock number 450 which references model number 483, I am sure that is the yellow you would want. I think I saw a paint chart on this site that if I remember correctly the #483 was listed in that chart!

Found the link to the Cub paint chart here you go!

http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=19

thanks alot im going to call tomorrow morning.