RE: (ET) painting mower deck...

["Rick Barnes" <barnesr nwlink com>]

Know what you mean about sandblasting, sounds like a good idea but takes
forever with inadequate equipment.

I bought a pressurized sandblaster which works amazingly well with a much
smaller air demand. This type would be a good match for your compressor. I
found it at a local tool store called Lucille's for $120. Here is a link to
a picture of one like mine.
http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NTE_full-sizeimg.d2
w/report?prrfnbr=581&prmenbr=6970 I use the white silica abrasive sand from
ACE Hardware, they have 2 or 3 different grits.

Or, you might consider taking it to a professional sandblasting company.

Rick Barnes
Aloha, OR

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-elec-trak cosmos5 phy tufts edu
> [mailto:owner-elec-trak cosmos5 phy tufts edu]On Behalf Of dave barden
> Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2000 9:37 AM
> To: MR23 (Christopher M. Meier, Mpls, MN); fiskfarm mediaone net;
> elec-trak cosmos5 phy tufts edu
> Subject: (ET) painting mower deck...
>
>
> Well before putting the mower to use I decided to paint it.  Searching 
> the
> archives I decided to use POR 15 on the underside and rustoleum topside.
>
> I had visions of quickly sandblasting the whole thing down to bare metal
> with a friends compressor and sandblasting gun.  It didn't take long to
> burst my vision.  It takes a lot of air to blast, I quickly discovered.
> I've now lowered my expectations (and increased effort) to wire brushing,
> disc sanding, and blasting only the small nooks and crannies the wire
> brush and disc can't reach.  Perhaps my blast media is too course?  I'm
> using (trying to use)  #35 Kleenblast which is copper slag medium fine.
> For the blast gun tip size I'm using it recommends 10-15 cfm of air.  I
> have 9 max.  I can blast about 40 seconds before the compressor motor
> kicks in again.
>
> So you folks that have done this before what are you using?  Do you 
> remove
> all rust and paint over the entire piece or just spot prep before
> painting?  I know, it depends on how good you want it to look.  I don't
> care much about looks I'd just like it to be effective and last a while.
>
> Any other tips and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Oh one 
> other
> question.  I am debating whether or not I need to topcoat the POR 15.  
> I'd
> rather not (it is  underneath where the shine don't shine so I'm not
> worried about UV light) but would like as slick a surface as I can
> reasonalbly get so the grass won't build up so bad.  I need to decide
> before I apply the POR 15 as the primer/top coat needs to be applied
> before it dries.  Will the POR 15 (brushed on) produce a reasonably 
> smooth
> surface??
>
> Thanks much,
>
>     dave
>
>