# Advice on Repainting Plow



## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

I am looking for advice on how to go about repainting my 7 year old western plow (7.5' Pro unimount). The paint is starting to come off in large pieces. I ran a search and found a couple of threads that stated western plows paint tend to flake off fairly easy.

So, how do I go about repainting this? Do I sand/sandblast the whole plow? Do I just sand the rusty spots and touch it up? Or do I just forget about paint and let it rust?

If you suggest sandblasting, can I rent one or do I have to buy one? Also, should an paint gun be used, or just plain old spray paint? I have an air compressor.

Attatched below is a picture of the plow before this season. Since then, more paint has flaked off, especially on the backside.

Thanks
Ryan


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

To do it right,it should be sandblasted,primed and painted.It will be hard to just paint it yourself without blasting it as you will be painting over the rest of the paint that will be ready to peel off.

If you just want to clean it up,then a wire wheel and some red tremclad will help keep it looking decent until you can completly strip it and have it redone.


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## szorno (Jan 3, 2002)

Scrape the loose stuff off, then a quick hit with a wire brush on the rustiest spots. Then just rustoleum primer and rustoelum Regal Red. It doesn't look as good as a proper re-finish but it is faster and cheaper, and serves the purpose of makeing it s little less likely to stick.


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## Chief Plow (Dec 12, 2001)

If it were mine, sandblast it then prime it, and spray it with the paintgun from an air compressor. ( I have a sand blaster ). If you don't have one, wire wheel as much of the rust of as you can, then sand the plow and prime and paint. We have one plow we tested with a paint called pro, or por 15 paint. It is supposed to seal against rust. After 2 seasons the plow looks great. P.S. looks as though your cutting edge could be replaced... Just my 2 cents

Rick


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## Rooster (Dec 13, 1999)

Ryan,

Check out the website for por15 that Chief Plow mentioned.

That paint is out of this world for stopping rust, not cheap for a complete vechile, but for a plow won't break the budget either.

www.por15.com

Rick


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## bds landscaping (Jan 30, 2003)

i just repainted mine last year it came out nice. first i scraped off all the big pieces then i applied heavy duty paint stripper this worked real well then i sanded it for just about a full day(this is where a sandblaster would be grate if i knew how much time it would have saved me i would have rented one.) 
when i finnaly got around to painting it i put 4 coats of rust proofing primer and one thick coat of red.


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## CPSS (Mar 15, 2002)

You can get a small portable sand blaster for around $100. You must have a pretty good compressor. Use children's playground sand from Home Depot. Make sure its dry sand. Northern Tool has several small sand blasters. We use one and it sure beats a wire brush. Get a cheap paint sprayer ($40 at Home Depot or Northern Tools) and spray the primer, then a good quality oil based paint. Stay away from spray cans, it puts the paint on too thin.


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

I sanded my plow down then sprayed an automotive primer 2 coats then 2 coats of red industrial primer then 4 coats of polyurethane paint.


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## MLB (Nov 3, 2002)

*Mine looked like that this fall*

I wire brushed and drill wheeled the rust spots. shot them with primer and then used up 5 partial cans of varius colors I had in the garage, then went over it all with two cans of red to cover. That built up the paint enough to seal the rust spot edges and I've been very happy with how it's held up this winter. Partner paid $300 to have his powercoated and it looks pretty, but for $10 in cans, I think I can keep mine pretty enough.


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## Chuck Smith (Dec 30, 1999)

Chances are, at 7 years old, the plow is painted, and you can follow all the advice given so far. Use a gasket scraper to scrape as much loose paint as you can. IF the plow is powder coated, that changes things a bit. If you paint over it, without prepping it properly, the rust will be back so fast your head will spin. Powder coating does not handle rust well. It allows the rust to spread like wildfire under it. That is one of the drawbacks to powdercoating plows, and any equipment actually. I recall the (some) manufacturers saying they wish they could still paint all their plows, but there is some type of EPA regulation making them use powdercoating. 

You'll know that it is powdercoated if you try using liquid paint stripper, and it does nothing.

~Chuck


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## RJC (Jun 16, 2001)

I repainted my Western a couple of years ago. This worked very well and stopped the rust. 
1) Took the plow to a fabrication shop that builds dump truck beds. They have an industrial sandblaster (cannon) that blasts the metal very hard and removes all rust. It leaves the metal rough like a the strike area on a book of matches. This is called profiling the metal. Cost me $25.00. (Had a couple of cracks fixed at the same time at additional cost)

2) After the metal is profiled be sure not to handle it with your bare hands. You will see you fingerprints where ever you touch it. This is the oils in your hands entering the profiled clean steel. The paint won't adhere well in those areas so wear gloves.
Take the plow home and blow all the blast media off of (black sand is what they use with the cannons)

3) Go to an auto paint store and buy some "self etching primer" it is usually O.D. green. It sprays straight on the steel with no prep needed.

4) Shoot on the red of your choice over the Self etching primer. No sanding necessary. 

5) The truck I did 5 years ago had rust much worse than yours.
It has been used every year since and the only areas that have started to rust are the ones where the paint wore off due to plowing. It worked great was fairly quick and wasn't hard to do. 
Note: I used a cheap $25 spray gun I purchased at Lowes.


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## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

$25 to sandblast a whole plow? Not to bad indeed,it costs me over $25 just in sand to do them so I'd say thats a hell of a deal!


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## Big Todd (Dec 8, 2001)

One of the larger contractors in the area that I know well, had all of their plows sandblasted and powdercoated at the begining of the season. I am interested in seeing how they held up this season, because I was thinking of doing that myself. I had my pro-wings blasted and powdercoated five years ago, and they still look great and the snow does not stick to them at all.

Two years ago, I sanded the moldboard on my western. I got it as smooth as possible and ground off all the rust and rough spots down to bare metal. Then I primed it and painted it with the actual western paint. (you can buy it in gallons and shoot it with a spray gun). Two years later, it looks worse than it did before. I'm going to try something this summer, either painting it with a better paint, or powdercoating .


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## columbiaplower (Feb 16, 2000)

when sand blasting do you have the whole blade done or just the front? I just bought a used meyer (mistake? probley but it came on the truck) and the a frame has some rust..... how should i deal with that?
Thanks
-Nick


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## columbiaplower (Feb 16, 2000)

Big Todd- your problem might be this. When you sanded the blade, you made it too smooth so that when you painted it the paint didnt have a good surface to bond to.
-Nick


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## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

Thanks for all of the helpful info guys

I think I will either rent or buy a sandblaster and then coat it with primer and paint. I think I will put a clear coat on top of that.

Rick - the cutting edge isn't as bad as it looks, I have the plow shoes down.

Chuck - As a matter of fact, it is powder coated. Your right about the rust getting underneath it. I'll attatch a pic below that shows a bubble of paint ready to pop...the rest of the plow is doing this too. It cracks off in big pieces.

One other question. When I sandblast this, should I just use play sand from home depot or use some type of abrasive (they had containers of this at tractor supply, also 10gal sand blaster for about $100--is this a decent price?).

Thanks again
Ryan

Here's the pic of the bubble that is ready to crack:


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

The stuff you want to get is called black beauty any place that rents or sells the sandblaster should have it .They do have different grains and the nozzel that is at the end of the gun.
Some things that will help with sand blasting.
1.Have a really good supply of air.
2.A good blaster .
3.The right nozzel and grain size or plastic beed.
4. And a good suit the will cover your whole body and head.


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## speedracer241 (Oct 13, 2001)

I hit mine with a DA sander with 80 grit this year.
I used a self etching primer, sealer and Sikkens brand Autocryl. It has held up well, very few chips and scratches. I used a base clear system last year and it didn't hold up as wall as this year.

Hell get it sandblasted and bring it on over, Ill paint it for ya. 
Mark K


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## Bossplower (Feb 21, 2003)

*Cat 320*

Did the 4 coats of polly over the paint keep the snow from sticking?


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## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

I second the Black Beauty,comes in 100# bags and is MUCH cheaper than abrasives at TSC.I just picked up a dozen bags for a little under $7/ea.You need alot of air and at the very least a hood of some sort to cover your head and face.

One of my blasters is a cheepie from Harbor Freight,10 gallon about $80,seems to work best with "fine" BB sand,be carefull as there are different grades of sand and a nozzle for each.


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

I did my western a few yrs ago, it came out decent.But i spent an entire day blasting( i used a gas powered industrial compressor,since thei air needed is way more than most shop compressors can make. anyway i sprayed 5 hrs almost nonstop,and still could have spent another hr blasting more, iran out of sand/glass beads,and patience. Next time i am going to take the plwo to a place set up for it,and id pay 100-150 to have it blasted before id go thru that again. If you dont have a big industrial compressor,dont even thing about doing the entire plow yourself,you will blast for 2 minutes,stop for 3 qhilw it recharges,it will take forever this way.


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

You really need a big storage tank more than a powerful compressor. I have twin 60 gallon tanks. This means that the air supply is pretty steady. CFM is more important then pressure. I can blast for maybe 20 minutes and then take ten to recharge. Usually better this way as you need to add more blasting agent and take the mask off and rest. This fall we did four blades, blasted, primed and painted in one day. 

If you match the media to the nozzle your blasting will be much more efficient. The only way to get a really good paint job is to have a perfectly clean surface.


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## Roger Dodger (Nov 8, 2002)

I noticed that that POR-15 paint id UV sensitive and requires a top coat to protect it. Prolly not the best think for a blade that sits outside and with the snow reflecting UV rays all around like crazy! Does sound like a good paint for floorpans though! 

With the talk of sandblasting blades, what about using water pressure guns? I used one set to 2300psi and it blasted off the old [email protected] quick, fast, and easy. Sun dried it thoroughly and then followed up with a sander and a small amount of scraping. Applied two coats of metal epoxy primer and then two topcoats of Fisher paint. Didn't use no sprayer, just a 3" camel hair brush! Laughable huh? But, the finish is smoother than a newborn's behind and slick as a freshly waxed piano!


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

Bossplow the snow still sticks to it you would think it wouldn't with that paint but it does.And every year i try to repaint or top coat the blade.


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## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

LOL It seems we either go all out or just slap some paint on there. I did a plow 3 seasons ago that looks fine now. Scraped the loose stuff, then used a grinder & then a wire wheel on the bad rust. Hit those spots with the Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, then covered with a couple of coats of canned spray paint (Rustoleum Proffesional High Performance Enamel). Glossy stuff that snow sticks to less than before, and less than other plows I've had. The only rust showing is from a couple of damaged locations (dings & scrapes). I spent around $70.00 for paint & about 8 hours over a few days. I'm happy with those results. Its a plow & I don't really care if it looks perfect, as long as it pushes snow efficiently, and is not rusting to the point that it's really ugly, or rusting away.


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## BRL (Dec 21, 1999)

"$25 to sandblast a whole plow? Not to bad indeed,it costs me over $25 just in sand to do them so I'd say thats a hell of a deal!"

I agree. I was quoted $150.00\plow for blasting when I checked on it. And it's worth it IMO. I used to do a lot of blasting for an electrical contractor and it's a PIA, especially to do a plow correctly with all of the nooks & crannies. 

John,
You learned the hard way that something was wrong with your set up LOL. Wrong nozzle or wrong sand, or wrong blaster? With a real compressor like you had it should have been around an hour or so, maybe 2 IMO. Oh well, live & learn for next time.

Like Rodger mentioned, I have painted plows with a hand brush combined with a roller for the bigger areas. Worked fine even though it didn't look as nice as sprayed on would have.


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

BRL, your right,I did learn the hard way.At least it came out good though. I dont know what was wrong with my setup,but it wasnt air supply.I would happily pay 150 for someone to blast an entire plow here.


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## OffRoadPlow (Dec 30, 2002)

Great threads, just depends on the result you want. Either way, go past the area that you can see rust on. More than likely, as it's been with most areas, the rust is up and under paint that looks OK right now. For $25, no question, have it done for that, as for the method of choice most will work but go past the area that "looks bad" as the rust is more than likely in areas you can not see.... JMO Good luck, I will be doing the same to 2 plows this spring..... Blasting them both.....


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## Pickering snow removal (Jan 8, 2003)

*what i do*

Just my two pennys on this one like everyone has said sandblasting the moldboard is a must for a good job what i do on my unimounts is disasemble the unit remove the moldboard its also a good time to check and replace the quad bolt piovt bolt, i sandblast the moldboard you have to get rid of the powder coat i then use etch primer i spray 2 to 3 coats of primer then a couple coats of primer sealer then i use a paint called emron which alot of marine shops use for boats i apply at least three coats this is what has worked the best for me i have one i did three years ago that still looks great. 
Like Chuck Smith said western used the powder coat process and it is horrible once the moisture gets in behind the paint it flakes off in sheets one thing i forgot to mention before i do the above paint work i weld up the western short comings on the rib supports . Good luck Fred


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## paul soccodato (Nov 9, 2002)

the problem is the rust usually starts in between two pieces of steel, and works it's way around, under the paint.

this is whats starting to happen on my two year old western.


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## Pickering snow removal (Jan 8, 2003)

*sandblasting*

John D i went back threw and reread ya know i bet your sandblaster setup and compressor are fine i had the similar issue with mine at first i have a IR 80gal 6.5 hp compressor and a snapon blaster what was happening to me even though i thought i had a good water sep/ filter it wasnt i have a paint room in the shop which has divilbiss duel filter system and i would never get water however the hose that i use for sandblasting only had a single unit anyway what happens is just even a little moisture in the airsupply and the sand will clogg the end of the gun causing what you discribed hours of painful and i mean painful blasting , i switched to a duel setup on my other air hose from the compressor and wa la that sandblaster works like a charm.

Fred


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## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

Finally got the plow repainted. I rented a sandblaster and a 100cfm air compressor. I went through 35 50lbs bags of black magic sand @ $5/bag.

I have pics up here: http://plowsite.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=94598#post94598

Here's an after shot


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Looks really good,nice job !


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## wxmn6 (May 23, 2001)

Wow, you did a great job! It looks brand new!


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

Seems like a lot of Black Magic. That stuffs really cuts through paint and powdercoat. Usually I need 5-6 bags for a plow.


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## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

> *Seems like a lot of Black Magic. That stuffs really cuts through paint and powdercoat. Usually I need 5-6 bags for a plow.*


I think if I were to do it again I could use a lot less. This is the first time I used a sandblaster. I think I was also letting out more sand then needed too.


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## Arc Burn (Oct 21, 2002)

I'm not sure if Black Beauty is the same as you guys are using but i buy that in 80# bags for $7 and usually use about 6 bags.
If you wanted to be really resourcefull,you can sift the used sand and use it again,you can actually do that a couple times before the sand loses it's grit.It's time consuming and if you don't sift it good you can get crap in the blast pot and plug the nozzle:realmad: ,For what the bags cost i just buy new bags but that might get you out of a pinch some night when your "almost" done


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