Snowblower Restoration Begins!

[Kevbo 80]

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! I finished Christmas day by starting a restoration on my snowblower that I picked up this year for $100. Everything works great it just needed a new paint job to protect againts the beginning rust. Tonight I sanded and primed most of the removable parts as you can see in the pictures below. This will be a rattle can job using both Rustoleum Self-Etching Primer and then Rustoleum Regal Red. I'll keep updating!

The parts before sanding.

Sanding before...

Sanding after! (40 grit orbital)

I got this hanger idea from the forum!

Some heavy paint fumes in my basement...

Goodnight!

[AMC RULES 37,125]

I don't know...painting in your living space is pretty dangerous.

[Kelly 1,029]

Be sure to vent the fumes outside open a window and put a fan in it, and be sure the furnace is no wheres near where your painting, or you could be on the news when the fumes build up and the furnace lights, BOOM. I know chances are slim but it only takes once, and the fumes can get all through the house and make people sick, especially kids.

Be sure while you have it apart you check the chain and sprockets, along with all the bearings.

[Kevbo 80]

Thanks for the concern. I have my basement properly ventilated. Just finished sanding the main assembly, looking to prime and paint tonight.

[HorseFixer 2,012]

Lookin Good Geter Done there Kevbo Snows Commin Yer Way Ill Prolly Be Blowin In The Morn but a Piddly Azz 4" Just enuff to Pi$$ off the Chucker. Oh well at this point some snow is better than none I guess. I plan to refurb my blower next summer mines not in bad shape just want a fresh resto to match the chucker. Take care fellow snow fighter..

Cheers ~Duke

[Kevbo 80]

Just an update here is the whole assembly primed and drying! I refinished the wheels and pulleys as well.

[can whlvr 993]

the auger looks like its never been used :thumbs:

[Kevbo 80]

Just put on the first coat!

Look closely it seems as some of the paint is almost running off at spots...the rattle cans tend to throw a lot of paint at once so hopefully another coat will cover up any mistakes =)

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,330]

Kev-

Sorry to say this but looking back at the timeline of your posts you did not wait long enough from primer to top coat. I would NOT put anymore paint on it right now. You should wait about 24 hours between primer and top coat.

[Kevbo 80]

The auger underside will get 24 hours but the top did not... The can said 20 minutes...what exactly does waiting for the primer to flash mean? All other parts got 24 hours to dry with the primer, the only part that did not was the topside of the blower. Is my paint job ruined?

[Duff 206]

Kev-

Sorry to say this but looking back at the timeline of your posts you did not wait long enough from primer to top coat. I would NOT put anymore paint on it right now. You should wait about 24 hours between primer and top coat.

Stevebo, Rustoleum suggests less than one hour or more than 24 hours between coats on all their rattlecan products I've used. The trick I've found is to let the primer "flash", wait an extra five or ten minutes, then start applying light top coats, letting each flash and waiting ten or fifteen minutes before following up with the next one. If you put the coats on too thick, sure as the earth is round the paint will alligator or crinkle on you (ask me how I know! ).

Controlling the thickness of the coat from a can does take some practice, to say the least, but it is doable.

Kevbo, "flash" means to let the paint dry to a "dull" surface finish - not glossy like when it's first applied. This is easier to judge in primer and matte or flat finish paints like primers. In gloss paints, you can see a difference in the amount of shine as soon as it flashes - very subtle, but visible.

Just my own experience, and good luck!

~Duff

[Kevbo 80]

Here's an update! Got the underside finished now for the 24 cure. Gotta get new hardware at Lowes too!

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,330]

That is it Duff!

I have not done well with applying top coats over a fresh primer ever. I usually wait 24 hours unless applied in the summer sun. I agree with the light coats of the top coat.

[Kevbo 80]

Hey everyone here is the final update! Thanks so much to everyone who helped me along the way! This forum has been so encouraging and the best in offering intelligent advice everytime! Today I put it all together with new zinc plated hardware and put it on my 414-8 and boy did it run nice! Such a geat feeling when something you spend a lot of time on works!! I love the regal red by Rustoleum...such a great match.

Before...

After!

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,300]

Are those wings homemade? I thought they all had a bend in the end to make then point straight ahead and cut into a snowbank and not get caght in it and dragged in.

Mike........

[Kevbo 80]

I'm not 100% sure I just put it back together how I found it. Here are some pictures of it when I first bought it off craigslist.

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,300]

Hmmm....maybe there are two styles of wings. Heres a pic of Martins blower with the bends at the ends of the wings.

Mike............

[Jake Kuhn 1,554]

Looks like you did a very nice job on it! :handgestures-thumbup:

[Martin 2,131]

Hmmm....maybe there are two styles of wings. Heres a pic of Martins blower with the bends at the ends of the wings.

Mike............

mines a 06-42ST01 (1980) if that helps any.....

by the way, your blower turned out nice......

Edited December 30, 2012 by Martin

[Fun Engineer 859]

Nice job Kevbo.

[Tankman 3,518]

Forced me to commit. Promise, this spring, the do-over.

The RustOleum self-etching primer is now on my shopping list.

My Harleys are ready! Even the heels are spit-shined! Next year.....blower too?