[Mark777]

Jambing

I left off (in Part ll) where I used the test pattern and shot a misting coat of color that's called the Tack Coat. I hate to do this but it's important for me to 'Rewind' and cover the process of jambing. Jambing IS another slang or painters jargon for shooting paint on the underside of sheet metal, hidden areas and hinge pillar posts where the door jambs are located...hence the term jambing . In busy commercial body shops they actually have employees that are dedicated painters helpers. All they do is mask off sections of vehicles, look over new parts selected for repairs, mix the appropriate colors, sand, mask and add the color to these parts before the painter ever touches it. And they commonly jamb these colors on, even if there is slight damage to the exterior. The painters helper, once finished, will pass off the parts to the body man who is assigned to the repair, installs the part and gives it back to the painter.

These guys are under allot of pressure to produce quickly, match paint accurately and keep the cycle going smoothly....but enough about them and more about you.

As a beginner in painting you are far better off when you learn to do it yourself. You are under no pressure to produce and you can take your time. Stuff happens too, and you can fix the problems as you work at your own pace. There's nobody looking over your shoulder and you can simply wipe away blemishes or problems in the paint with a rag saturated with reducer or let it cure and dry or wet sand it away and continue on when you feel like it. That is just cool 'cause it's learn as you go !

To wet your appetite here are a few pictures of a typical paint station, some of the materials you will be using and spray guns and stuff:

This picture includes the reducer (Valspar Restoration Series thinner), measuring cups, the spray gun and the catalyst (poisonous hardener), paint sticks...etc. etc.

(The gun is a SHARPE Finex HVLP. It runs around $140 bucks AND you do NOT need to spend that much money as there are much less expensive HVLP guns that perform just as well as this one)

This is a picture of some oil based paint that I purchase from True Value Hardware. Also the generic hardener that's sold at Tractor Supply co. The hardware store mixed it to match the color I'll be shooting on the outside but this is much less expensive, still plenty durable and will be applied to the undersides of all the Kubota's sheet metal. The tractor owner paid to have it done with PPG's DelStar acrylic enamel for all the exposed areas and catalyzed enamel for the jambing (for the undersides)

More of the same. Note the high dollar containers and professional atmosphere (recycled and cleaned peanut butter jars and coffee cans) .

One last picture. The gun in this picture is a SATA Mini-jet. This gun retails for around $300. It's a beautifully crafted, precision instrument that I spend the majority of the time in fear that I might drop it and damage all it's little, jewel like components. You absolutely do NOT need a gun like this. You can pick up an HVLP detail gun for 1/5th the cost and it will perform just as well (and you don't have to worry about someone touching it or dropping it on the floor).

I'll add more later.

Thanks for looking

Mark

 

[eaglenick130]

Good stuff Mark! I am really learning alot. Time, patience, and doing it right are all great things needed to get a project done. Question for you, in researching for my mid to late 1970's AMF garden tractor restoration, is the Kubota orange the same or near the same as the AMF orange was? Or is the AMF orange a completly different color? Also, are there part numbers for manufacturer's paint? Thanks again for the great information. Keep it coming. I am really interested to see the rest of the process! Nick

 

[Mark777]

High Nick,

Glad you're enjoying the tutorial!

I'm sure the two colors may look very similar but the manufacturers are oceans apart. Kubota's Orange has changed paint codes three times that I'm aware of. They are close but the old paint code numbers, when mixed, don't even come close to the newer model colors. You can see a dramatic difference when opening one can next to the other.

Companies that manufacture lawn and garden tractors just didn't maintain very good records of the paint and probably because they didn't make the paint, only selected the colors offered by their suppliers. Stores (jobbers) that specialize in automotive paints maintain a huge data base of automotive and truck colors...but not paint codes for tractors and other equipment. So, we're pretty much on our own. Those same jobbers DO have some very accurate paint scanners that provide them with formulas for the closest match possible. If you have a piece of sheet metal that isn't faded or the underside has the original paint, you can have it scanned and usually get an exact match (or at least very, very close).

The second picture (way up there somewhere) shows a scanner produced formula mixed for me from the hardware store. It's not very close at all to the color being used on the exterior of the Kubota. The reason it's not close enough for anything other than shooting the undersides is because, typically, you local hardware store has limited toners on their shelf to mix a closer match.

I'm sure you've been to a Home Depot, Lowes or your local hardware store and have had some paint mixed for your house. Well, they offer a base in semi-gloss, gloss and flat (it says base right on their gallon can). They take your paint chip or scan your color choice and the scanner displays how much and of what color toner to use....they squirt a little of this and a little of that, shakey shakey on the paint shaker and viola - lid comes off and there's your color! They do that with 12 different white bases and about 12 different basic toners and they can make thousands of different colors. Now, the same scenario when you walk into a automotive paint store - big difference. They have about 60 color toners, another 48-50 metallic toners, maybe 15-20 mica and peal toners and those formulas mixed in combination's produce hundreds of thousands of color combination's and perhaps millions more when combined with the metallics and peals. So, you chances of an exact match favor the visit to the paint jobber....but, you WILL pay for it, but it's worth every penny. They start with clear vehicles (instead of the hardware store white base), and high solids pigments that cover much faster and better PLUS these paints have high concentrations of UV (ultra violet) screeners that make you paint work last for decades if taken care of properly. You really do get what you pay for in this instance.

Mark

 

[Mark777]

These following pictures show various pieces of sheet metal upside down and in the process of 'jambing' the color that isn't really visible when the tractor is assembled. You may have to imagine, or visualize the process as I was doing this before I took the pictures.

These two, show a second and third coat of the cowl panel and grille. As I mentioned earlier the tack coat, already applied, provides the glue that keeps this paint from runs and nasty sags. The shine and appearance is not nearly as important (because it wont be visible) as good coverage to prevent rust and corrosion.

This is the dash panel that fits into the cowl.

These you may find interesting. Because the fender undersides take so much abuse during operation, I have included a heavy coating of truck bed liner. This stuff isn't cheap but is tenacious if applied to a clean, dry and lightly sanded surface. The polyurethane based liners will not come off, seldom chip or scar and even resistant to aircraft grade paint stripper.

I've prepared the hood underside the same as the fenders. You don't have to include this step but my customer opted for the added materials to keep his Kubota as durable as possible.

That's it for jambing your parts. I can't think of anything else that would be helpful during this process. When you do this it gives you a great opportunity to become familiar with you guns or rattle cans, and how they work.

I can't begin to guess how many motorcycles, cars and trucks, (2 airplanes) and tractors and equipment I've painted in my 40 years in the industry....but the feeling you get once the project is assembled and you look at all of your efforts and results, well...it's indescribable!

I'm down to just a few more pictures of applying paint to the outside of the sheet metal, assembly and what the tractor ends up looking like . I'll include those soon and wrap this up then.

Thanks for reading,

Mark

 

[eaglenick130]

Mark,

That is looking sharp! I cannot wait to get back and start my resotration process! Learning alot from you. Do the hard part first! The rest will come easy! I have found out that Ariens orange is very close, if not the same as AMF orangenfrom a friend back home. Will have to do a test sample and compare. Thanks again!

Nick

 

[eaglenick130]

Mark one more question. What is your take on soda blasting? Easy? Hard? Worth while?

Nick

 

[Mark777]

Nick,

I've had parts (doors, fenders etc.) soda blasted and they turned out OK. I've never done it myself though. I do have a portable blaster for media and sand. It works well but something you don't really want to do inside your shop (messy).

Either will do nicely before you do body work or priming but should be done quickly to avoid rusting...especially down here with such high humidity.

Mark

 

[tackit]

Thanks Mark. I'm learning the insider stuff, I lke it.

 

[Mark777]

Painting & Final Assembly

These are the few remaining pictures of have applying paint and prior to final assembly. Somewhere in the middle of all this, I lost my photographer (my Mrs.) and had to stop, grab the picture and take the remaining shots all by my lonesome .

The sheet metal that's already jambed, flipped over and wiped down with, first denatured alcohol and, after it evaporates, a gentle pass with a tack cloth.

This picture, more of the same but if you look closely you can see small primered parts hanging from galvanized fence wire. (I have wire fastened tightly from one side of the shop to the other).

Yeah....this picture again. Only this time the paper "Test Panel" was torn down and replaced with fresh stuff. I'm trying to impress upon you that this part of the cycle from 1- the paint station, 2- the Test Panel and 3- shooting the paint on your project is extremely important to produce clean, trouble free paint work !

These pictures just show the tack coat and first pass on the exterior parts, the distance of my gun tip and a general idea of how to apply the color:

Here is where I have to apologize....there's a big gap of missing pictures that I cant find. They showed the final passes, cleaning my guns and walking out the door . I have searched high and low and fear I've somehow deleted them. I do have pictures of the assembled Kubota and a 5' brush hog that was painted to match . I hope this (and your imagination) is enough to help you with your project!

And the Brush hog:

That's all I have of the Kubota project. I hope you enjoyed the little "Show & Tell" and picked up some useful hints, tips and process of the preparation involved.

Thanks for reading,

Mark

 

[Mark777]

I just wanted to add a few notes that may help you overcome your reluctance or any fears about painting something by yourself.

Once upon a time, and not too long ago, I received an email from a man who wanted to paint his tractor, a Yanmar YM187. He never picked up a paint gun before and had poor results with rattle cans. He told me everything he did turned to a dismal failure.

After three months of exchanging emails, private messages on a forum and phone calls, I talked him through it. He had a paint tutorial I did on this other forum and used it as a general reference...but he needed more concerning mixing ratios, surface preparation and, even which gun to buy for his project.

This is the result from a man who never picked up a spray gun before:

 

[eaglenick130]

Practice + patience = perfect! Inspired! Can't wait to get going on this in time. First comes the B&S engine restoration first. Mark that was a great tutorial and I hope you won't mind me asking questions in the future!

 

[waffler]

Looks as good ass a new one

 

[Mark777]

Practice + patience = perfect! Inspired! ..... Mark that was a great tutorial and I hope you won't mind me asking questions in the future!

I'd be happy to help.