Painting and putting back together

[41chevy 74]

When restoring what order do you use? I’ve taken my B 80 completely apart and stripping everything but the frame. I’ve got a couple questions

I plan on painting inside and outside on each piece, and hopefully not scratch anything putting it back together. Correct?
What do you do with bolts? I’m removing paint from bolts, nuts, and flat washers, and replacing any that need to be. What procedure do you use to get the bolts red again? If I paint them before hand the wrench’s will take the paint off and I won’t be able to paint them afterwards, unless I paint with an artist brush. Your thoughts please.

 

[Achto 27,512]

8 minutes ago, 41chevy said:

Your thoughts please.

 

It can get pricey but I like to replace all visible hardware with stainless. This allows you to service the tractor without having to touch up hardware every time.

 

Other wise, paint your hardware with one or 2 coats of paint and then brush touch them after installation.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Achto

[953 nut 55,116]

3 minutes ago, 41chevy said:

If I paint them before hand the wrench’s will take the paint off and I won’t be able to paint them afterwards, unless I paint with an artist brush.

What you have described is the way to go, a small brush at the end of assembly works fine. When painting both sides of sheet metal I always paint the inside first, let it dry a day and then sand overspray off the topside and paint it. If you paint both sides of sheet metal at the same time the evaporation of solvents from both sides at the same time can cause one side or both to blush.   

[ri702bill 8,294]

What I found works pretty well is to take a piece of corrugated cardboard and using a tapered t handle reamer make snug fitting holes to push the fasteners into up to their heads - a 2 inch spacing allows you to paint all 6 sides of the hexbolts  - and not the threads.

Bill

[WHX?? 48,800]

Like Dan I tend to favor stainless on my restos. We use a lot of those 1/4-20 bolts with the 3/8 head much like the orginals. Get them mail order from Wally world of all places! 

  A neat trick he taught me is with those or any bolt for that matter is use a nylon washer under the head to protect. I wash my decks a lot so they get all stainless fasteners. 

Another trick on painted hardware is put a shop rag between the head and the socket. Helps but some touch up is always gonna be needed. 

[41chevy 74]

Thanks guys, some good advice! Steve

[Achto 27,512]

21 hours ago, 41chevy said:

Thanks guys, some good advice! Steve

 

One note : If you decide to go the stainless route, avoid using a stainless nut with a stainless bolt. Often times this will end up giving you some thread binding issues and make it difficult if not impossible to remove them at a later date.

[lynnmor 7,302]

36 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

One note : If you decide to go the stainless route, avoid using a stainless nut with a stainless bolt. Often times this will end up giving you some thread binding issues and make it difficult if not impossible to remove them at a later date.

 

The problem is real, but the use of a stainless steel assembly paste should prevent the problem.

[41chevy 74]

Good point about ss, I learned that the hard way a few years back but had forgotten. Thanks

3 hours ago, lynnmor said:

 

The problem is real, but the use of a stainless steel assembly paste should prevent the problem.

 

3 hours ago, lynnmor said:

 

The problem is real, but the use of a stainless steel assembly paste should prevent the problem.

 

[c-series don 8,671]

I’ve heard about putting a couple of drops of oil on the bolts before assembly of stainless hardware to prevent that? 

[Achto 27,512]

9 minutes ago, c-series don said:

I’ve heard about putting a couple of drops of oil on the bolts before assembly of stainless hardware to prevent that? 

 

Believe it or not a little blue Loctite will prevent this as well.

[Horse Newbie 7,057]

On 12/10/2021 at 8:04 AM, ri702bill said:

What I found works pretty well is to take a piece of corrugated cardboard and using a tapered t handle reamer make snug fitting holes to push the fasteners into up to their heads - a 2 inch spacing allows you to paint all 6 sides of the hexbolts  - and not the threads.

Bill

This is my method also…

[WHX?? 48,800]

13 hours ago, Achto said:

 

One note : If you decide to go the stainless route, avoid using a stainless nut with a stainless bolt. Often times this will end up giving you some thread binding issues and make it difficult if not impossible to remove them at a later date.

The Squonky @squonk calls this galling and as much as I hate to admit he is right......he is right. Even the small amout of heat generated by two pieces of raw stainless sliding together  can sieze the the fasteners together forever. 

  Especially  with the larger sizes 5/16 and above. 

 I use  antisieze but think any lubricant would be ok .... what say you lube police @peter lena? 

Joke here @Achto if any thing  over 1/4" grease her up like @Pullstart s plow handle ! 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by WHX??

[Achto 27,512]

16 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Joke here @Achto if any thing  over 1/4" grease her up like @Pullstart s plow handle ! 

 

[JCM 9,130]

I use the cardboard method myself for hardware with 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of finish. Good results with small artist type brush for touch ups if needed @41chevy

[peter lena 8,588]

@WHX?? agree with the stainless never seize lubricant , the stainless I use is the real thing , 316 -food grade stainless , left over from my work days , not the Chinese garbage they sell today , always flat washer it during build , no galling at any point , smooth threading , no problems, pete

[peter lena 8,588]

@JCM nice lay out there , regularly detailing the hell out of any set up I  use makes it work easier / better . that lucas x-tra heavy duty , green chassis grease would save every part of that , also use in  the pto inside needle cone bearing , like butter. OPPORTUNITY  for you to enhance the pto lever handle ,at your build state . look at the sloppy end of the pto lever , under battery area ground rail mount hole. added 3/8" or more washers and lube to firm up the play at lever end , 3 of mine are very solid and smooth in the lever engagement , also enhanced all related movement areas , also added heim joint at foward lever end , scary how easily that lever set up works , just what I do, keep it greasy , pete  

[kpinnc 11,934]

Everyone has given good pointers. So I'll add a few more:

 

I love stainless too, but take care where you use it. It isn't a good electrical conductor, so don't use it where you're grounding, or around the engine. When in doubt, grade 8 is your friend. Buy by the pound at TSC. Wheel Horses use 3/8, 1/2, and 1/4 on dang near everything. 

 

Another tip to help prevent marring paint as well as protecting decals: turn flat washers concave side up. Won't dig into paint as much, and won't wrinkle decals nearly as much. 

 

Use anti-sieze on everything. If you have to go back into something, makes life better!

[Southern_Secret 463]

On 12/11/2021 at 7:13 PM, WHX?? said:

what say you lube police @peter lena? 

@WHX?? I'm not sure @peter lena is knowledge in this area 

[peter lena 8,588]

@Southern_Secret, there is a specific stainless ,never  seize, should help, its the lack of real stainless in the " stainless fasteners "  today , that creates the problem , Chinese standards are anything they can make and sell , bolt standards do not exist for them . my friends repair shop , has nut / bolt problems every day , nothing fits , threads curl off retainers , nuts are deformed on the sides to lock onto threads , so now you cannot repair that again , great idea. the real industrial 316 ,food grade stainless , hardware I  have left is , bombproof , you will probably have to try and find anything old / new stock , deal . get new steel bolts and never seize them , experiment , remember that today is the good old days , for people coming up , very scary , pete  

[WHX?? 48,800]

10 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

I love stainless too, but take care where you use it. It isn't a good electrical conductor

This I did not know 

[kpinnc 11,934]

1 hour ago, WHX?? said:

This I did not know

 

Yep- check continuity on a SS bolt with any old multimeter and compare with regular old steel. Then put a magnet to both and see which one sticks...

 

Don't get me wrong- stainless bolts on a battery are great if used to hold terminals and lugs together. Just make sure stainless is NOT the conductor itself.

[WHX?? 48,800]

 

6 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

 

Don't get me wrong- stainless bolts on a battery are great if used to hold terminals and lugs together.

Guilty as charged but I seldom do a connection with out a star washer between the lug and battery post no matter the fastener material. 

[kpinnc 11,934]

36 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Guilty as charged but I seldom do a connection with out a star washer between the lug and battery post no matter the fastener material. 

 

That's perfectly fine- so long as the star washer is regular steel.

[Southern_Secret 463]

16 hours ago, peter lena said:

there is a specific stainless ,never  seize, should help, its the lack of real stainless in the " stainless fasteners "  today , that creates the problem , Chinese standards are anything they can make and sell , bolt standards do not exist for them . my friends repair shop , has nut / bolt problems every day , nothing fits , threads curl off retainers , nuts are deformed on the sides to lock onto threads , so now you cannot repair that again , great idea. the real industrial 316 ,food grade stainless , hardware I  have left is , bombproof , you will probably have to try and find anything old / new stock , deal . get new steel bolts and never seize them , experiment , remember that today is the good old days , for people coming up , very scary , pete  

@peter lena The info you have stuffed in that head of yours never stop amazing me! This is your wprld and we are all just living in it  P.S. im sure you know i was  in my last post