# Repainting SnowBlower Tips



## asperber (Oct 29, 2018)

Hi All,

I have a used craftsman, some rust, but I am looking to repaint and make it look newer and prevent more rust. Any tips for me? Do i have to disassemble the entire housing to repaint it? Or can I use tape to cover areas?

Attached is a picture of the unit.









Thank you.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

. 

It doesn't look that bad IMO. It's "patina".

FWIW, in October and April I would spray the entire bucket (inside and out) and the wheels with Fluid Film so the rust doesn't advance any further.


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## asperber (Oct 29, 2018)

tdipaul said:


> .
> 
> It doesn't look that bad IMO. It's "patina".
> 
> FWIW, in October and April I would spray the entire bucket (inside and out) and the wheels with Fluid Film so the rust doesn't advance any further.


I know it's not that bad, but I bought a new Troy Bilt unit last March, and am looking to fix this up so I can hopefully sell it.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Hopefully you can find a matching color. If you really want to, it’s important to remember that painting is 90% prep. 

If I were looking to buy your snowblower I’d care less about the paint and more about the completely worn out skid shoes, and likey worn shave plate.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

.

If selling don't bother painting it.

To do it right would require much more labor than the machine is worth. 

If done half-assed it will reduce value off of current condition


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

to do it right i would take augers and housing off to paint the whole thing. depends how much you value your time. probably more trouble than it's worth to get $50 more.

I did this for a Honda ....pounded back into shape , welded , ..bead blasted and powder coated.

but I'm a nut.


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

I just finished off some painting one of my Ariens. The engine housing and handlebars were badly rusted. I completely stripped off the rust with a grinder wheel, red oxide primered and then Krylon over that. 2 coats primer, 3 coats paint.

It looks beautiful compared to how it used to look. Unfortunately, I had a very slight leak of gas at the carb (just a few drops really), which dripped onto the left handlebar where it mounts to the frame.

Peeled the paint right off.

In one of Scot's restoration narratives on his site, one guy says to "bake/heat treat" any painting you do if possible to toughen up your average rattle can paint job to gasoline. In retrospect, I wish I had a way to do that after I painted.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

.

IMO classic Ariens and Honda's are worth re-doing. Maybe not for reselling but for pride of ownership 

.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Rustolem metallic nickel......


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

tlshawks said:


> I just finished off some painting one of my Ariens. The engine housing and handlebars were badly rusted. I completely stripped off the rust with a grinder wheel, red oxide primered and then Krylon over that. 2 coats primer, 3 coats paint.
> 
> It looks beautiful compared to how it used to look. Unfortunately, I had a very slight leak of gas at the carb (just a few drops really), which dripped onto the left handlebar where it mounts to the frame.
> 
> ...


could you bake them in an oven?


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

To the OP, leave it alone, it will never lok right u less you out way too much time and material to it.


For aerosol can paint I have had good luck with engine enamels, they are more fuel and oil tolerant. They also happen to come in colors that fall inline with many brands.



Your biggest friends are prep and time. Paint needs time to cure, I'm talking months not days.


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

orangputeh said:


> could you bake them in an oven?


I thought about doing so...I just had a bit of "unease" doing so I guess I'll call it. I was trying to save time and I did not know I had a slow leak. I have spilled a bit of gas on the gas tank, wiped it off immediately, didn't harm the paint at all. I'm suspecting the carb leak must have taken a while to play itself out drop by drop, keeping the paint soaked in that single spot.

Crudskies obviously, gotta figure out the leak now also. That ticks me off more than anything cause I rebuilt the carb last winter and it did not leak a drop. Grrrrrr....

It takes only 15 minutes to remove the handlebars and all the linkages - this model has 2 lower bars and an upper bar. Next spring I'm going to give it a shot. I will probably do the gas tank also (heat cycles), obviously after emptying it 100% and letting it air dry for a week.

The post on Scot's site said he used a heat gun I believe and simply was careful not to expose it to one area too long and estimated he was getting it up to roughly 200 degrees - and did this several times.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

tlshawks said:


> I thought about doing so...I just had a bit of "unease" doing so I guess I'll call it. I was trying to save time and I did not know I had a slow leak. I have spilled a bit of gas on the gas tank, wiped it off immediately, didn't harm the paint at all. I'm suspecting the carb leak must have taken a while to play itself out drop by drop, keeping the paint soaked in that single spot.
> 
> Crudskies obviously, gotta figure out the leak now also. That ticks me off more than anything cause I rebuilt the carb last winter and it did not leak a drop. Grrrrrr....
> 
> ...


i powder coat the tanks but wanted to know for the plastic gas caps i paint. What about high heat paint like for wood stoves, mufflers and brake calipers? I may try that on some waste metal and then "spill"gas on it and see what happens


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## bigredmf (Jan 16, 2018)

orangputeh said:


> could you bake them in an oven?



A heat gun works well for force drying rattle can painted surfaces!


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

bigredmf said:


> A heat gun works well for force drying rattle can painted surfaces!


what do you suggest for a fuel cap which is most likely to gas on it? I have been looking around. I painted this cap gold as well as the fuel gauge border and then several coats of craft clear but am sure once i get gas on it , it will be ruined.


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