1961 Wheel Horse Suburban Followed me home to get freshened up

[Spokane Dave 126]

So I am curious if anyone has any suggestions for getting the Embossed wheel Horse letters on the front of the hood white.

Obviously freehand painting is the answer, but I am NOT a good freehand painter.

I tried first off  to paint the letters white / mask off to then paint red, and remove masking to uncover white letters, but that failed miserably.

 

Just curious if anyone has any tricks . . . . .

[JPWH 6,147]

A wide paint marker works best for me.

[Spokane Dave 126]

1 hour ago, JPWH said:

A wide paint marker works best for me.

 

Hmmm

Good idea wonder if the crafty wife has one of those...

Edited December 12, 2017 by Spokane Dave

[wallfish 17,112]

 

6 hours ago, Spokane Dave said:

Obviously freehand painting is the answer, but I am NOT a good freehand painter.

I tried first off  to paint the letters white / mask off to then paint red, and remove masking to uncover white letters, but that failed miserably.

 

If you could freehand cut the tape that perfect, there's no reason you couldn't freehand paint it.  

[Spokane Dave 126]

1 hour ago, wallfish said:

 

 

If you could freehand cut the tape that perfect, there's no reason you couldn't freehand paint it.  

 

 Good point, but that was one of the issues  .... was going good cutting with exacto blades , but went bad fast, so I decided to bag it  

 

[Sarge 3,464]

A flat piece of rubber and some of that acrylic artist's paint in a tube and a plastic scraper . Put a dab of paint on a clean , thick piece of rubber - then smear it out with the plastic scraper . Those body filler applicators work good to smear the paint - takes a bit of practice to get the layer of paint just right on the rubber but it works great to do raised letters . I did a plastic dash that way , works sort of like a stamping pad but hard enough to only touch the top surface . Get the paint too thick and it will look uneven - you can always let it dry for a bit and apply a fresh coat . Round surfaces are the hardest but it's still easier to use a pad than to paint it by hand . I've done this with spray paint as well , just a few light passes onto the rubber but you have to be quick to transfer it to the letter/raised portions . Just make sure that rubber is clean and find something to practice on - that acrylic stuff will spread a lot if you try to rub it off and make certain it's compatible with whatever other paint you're using as a base .

 

Sarge

[Chris G 3,296]

I usually use the paint marker as well. cause i dont have the steadiest hands.

[wallfish 17,112]

20 hours ago, Spokane Dave said:

 

 Good point, but that was one of the issues  .... was going good cutting with exacto blades , but went bad fast, so I decided to bag it  

 

I was just mess'n with ya Dave, couldn't help it. I actually tried that method too and didn't make it past the  W

[WHX?? 49,486]

On ‎12‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 11:20 AM, Spokane Dave said:

I am NOT a good freehand painter.

I am too so I got the best idea here Dave ....get one of your  bro's who's good at it  to do it for you!

[Spokane Dave 126]

5 hours ago, Sarge said:

A flat piece of rubber and some of that acrylic artist's paint in a tube and a plastic scraper . Put a dab of paint on a clean , thick piece of rubber - then smear it out with the plastic scraper . Those body filler applicators work good to smear the paint - takes a bit of practice to get the layer of paint just right on the rubber but it works great to do raised letters . I did a plastic dash that way , works sort of like a stamping pad but hard enough to only touch the top surface . Get the paint too thick and it will look uneven - you can always let it dry for a bit and apply a fresh coat . Round surfaces are the hardest but it's still easier to use a pad than to paint it by hand . I've done this with spray paint as well , just a few light passes onto the rubber but you have to be quick to transfer it to the letter/raised portions . Just make sure that rubber is clean and find something to practice on - that acrylic stuff will spread a lot if you try to rub it off and make certain it's compatible with whatever other paint you're using as a base .

 

Sarge

 

Now thats a way that I did not consider 

 

1 hour ago, Chris G said:

I usually use the paint marker as well. cause i dont have the steadiest hands.

 

Okay so two for paint sticks 

 

1 hour ago, wallfish said:

I was just mess'n with ya Dave, couldn't help it. I actually tried that method too and didn't make it past the  W

 

 

 no worries the old skins still plenty thick and I have a great sense of humor 

 

 

26 minutes ago, WHX12 said:

I am too so I got the best idea here Dave ....get one of your  bro's who's good at it  to do it for you!

 

Been rackng my brain but unfortunately my 3 old painter buddies worthy of doing it are all dead  

 

 

Edited December 13, 2017 by Spokane Dave

[ACman 7,624]

Thumbs up for all the above but the last remark...that sucks  .

[Spokane Dave 126]

6 minutes ago, ACman said:

Thumbs up for all the above but the last remark...that sucks  .

 

Yea that's a profession that almost guarantees early cancer in life, but these were all old school painters who may or may not have used respirators etc as is standard these days ..... still sucks none the less, as they all died in their 40's 

[Spokane Dave 126]

I did pick up a new  wear bar for the plow blade today, so all that is left is fitting / cutting it then paint it and the lift linkage I forgot the other day and I can get it all out together. 

 

I do do need to go get some plugs for the dash holes as well - in hindsight I should have tigged them shut but early on thought I might utilize them

Edited December 13, 2017 by Spokane Dave

[Spokane Dave 126]

Curious if anyone knows the actual volume / amount of gear lube that goes in the rear end - I know the fill process just curious if the actual volume is known ?

[Racinbob 11,300]

I go by the lubrication chart Wheel Horse way back. They also stated that "Some lubricant recommendations have been updated and will not agree with the owners manual". Basically that's 1 1/2 quarts in the 3&4 speeds and 2 quarts in 6&8 speeds. I haven't pulled an overflow plug in decades.

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Racinbob

[WHX?? 49,486]

Thanks Bob handy file to have.

[Spokane Dave 126]

1 hour ago, Racinbob said:

I go by the lubrication chart Wheel Horse way back. They also stated that "Some lubricant recommendations have been updated and will not agree with the owners manual". Basically that's 1 1/2 quarts in the 3&4 speeds and 2 quarts in 6&8 speeds. I haven't pulled an overflow plug in decades.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Bob that's what I needed

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

That is turning out really sweet. Nice job on her.

 

Glenn

[Spokane Dave 126]

           

I found some midnight oil time so I stoked up the fire in the garage the other night, and the old girl is purt-neer completed - Still need a couple hole plugs for the dash, and still need to get a safer pulley for the motor output.

 

Proudly displayed the high quality decals from Vinylguy (Thanks Terry) where they belonged, and I decided to Use the cheap  Fleabay decals for the plow face and cut the other up for the back.

 

The crappy old little plow came out better then I expected after putting a wear bar on it (never had one before) - I threw in a pic of the lift linkage/ mechanism I made and forgot before.

 

I decided to paint the wear bar on the plow white to accent the wheels - Waddayathink ?

 

  So I have a question for all of you . . . . . . . I know people name there horse's - Do you guy's name your wheel horse's?

While admiring / marveling in my restoration results this evening. . . . . . I was thinking this old Girls name should be "PURDY" The Wheel Horse

 

Well enough yammering  . . . . Here are some more pic's for your viewing enjoyment 

 

Edited December 15, 2017 by Spokane Dave

[SylvanLakeWH 26,148]

[WHX?? 49,486]

Didn't know if I was gonna like the frame stretch but looks good now.   Not a big fan of the wheelbarrow fronts tho they might skid too much?? What's your thoughts on the rears being backwards? Better in snow?

[Spokane Dave 126]

39 minutes ago, WHX12 said:

Didn't know if I was gonna like the frame stretch but looks good now.   Not a big fan of the wheelbarrow fronts tho they might skid too much?? What's your thoughts on the rears being backwards? Better in snow?

 

Thanks . . . . .There was a bit of a snaffu in supply when I went to get the front tires, so I settled with the WB fronts - I to was thinking they may slide steer, so was thinking of whipping out some mini chains for the front.

As for the rears . . . just a 50% chance of mistake (it was Eye crossing late when they installed) and had not noticed  . . . is there really any difference / benefit to turning them backwards ??

[RandyLittrell 3,885]

Suburban looks good! I like that you took what you had and slicked it up while leaving the old modifications. All restored tractors just look alike! 

 

 

 

 

 

Randy

[ol550 830]

7 hours ago, WHX12 said:

Didn't know if I was gonna like the frame stretch but looks good now.   Not a big fan of the wheelbarrow fronts tho they might skid too much?? What's your thoughts on the rears being backwards? Better in snow?

 

My dad always ran the tires backward on the combine, where you couldn't go you could back out of.

[Spokane Dave 126]

Well I thought I would let you all know "purdy" the old wheel Horse went to her new owners today who anxiously and happily handed me 25 Crisp 100 dollar bills for her.

 

Now I am on the hunt for my next victim