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I've got the tracks off my OC-4 that I'm restoring and want to prep them for paint. I'm leaning toward sand blasting but wanted to pass this by you guys. What methods have some of you used to prep tracks for painting? Is sand blasting  commonly done on this component? Any problems doing it this way? Any better ways to prep?

Steve, I would avoid sandblasting as you may get sand into the track bushings. I would use a needle scaler at it should easily get into all the nooks and crannies.

Blake

Blake, this is what I initially thought but doesn't sand and grit find it's way into the bushings anyway under normal use?

Quote from: "hotratz"Blake, this is what I initially thought but doesn't sand and grit find it's way into the bushings anyway under normal use?

Probably, but it's not forced directly into them under 100 psi of air pressure.

Blake

I'm looking closer at a POR-15 treatment instead. I think I can just pressure wash them, apply POR-15 directly to the surface rust and top coat it with a two part epoxy paint. Not going to be cheap but it avoids a lot of extra work and possible damage from sand blasting.

How bad are they Steve? Is it just surface rust, or is there lots of scale flaking off?

Blake

Just surface rust and small areas of old paint.

I would think something like POR 15 would soak into that surface rust and bond everything really good, so you can spray new paint on. Sounds like that should make your tracks look good!

what did you end up doing? was thinking of the por 15 route as well, then top coating with something=not sure what. just wondering how it turned out.

After much consideration I've settled for pressure washing the inside track surface and painting with Rustoleum. It would cost way more and take much more labor than I want to spend to do much of anything else. The outsides of the tracks will get destroyed no matter what I do so I elected not to do anything there.

I think that I am still going to sand blast mine, my tracks were sitting in the same spot for 35 years. The top side is fine but the side sitting in the dirt has some serious rust and I would like to know the extent of damage.The tracks need to be re-pinned and bushed so my plan is to sand blast them ,have the pins and bushings done and then paint. Does anyone see any problems with doing it that way?

has anyone tried " the rust bullet" on thier tracks? looks like decent stuff, a bit pricy but they claim its better than por 15.

I think it will take a tremendous amount of sandblasting to get heavy scale off your tracks. I would suggest a needle scaler.

As far as primer, if you can get a zinc chromate or red lead (if you can find it anywhere) and mix it with some Penetrol. The Penetrol will make the primer soak deep into the rust. I've had good success with it.

Blake

Quote from: "hotratz"I'm looking closer at a POR-15 treatment instead. I think I can just pressure wash them, apply POR-15 directly to the surface rust and top coat it with a two part epoxy paint. Not going to be cheap but it avoids a lot of extra work and possible damage from sand blasting.

I love POR-15 for some stuff....BUT you need a tie coat (I forget the name -another POR product) to get other paints to stick to it...I applied POR-15 to my front cast iron weights on the Oliver backhoe...then tried to get NAPA metal paint to stick to it...just peeled off after a few months when say a tree branch rubbed against it. And POR-15 should not be exposed to UV...

Hotratz: have you found a paint that sticks to POR-15 without the tie coat?

No, I haven't worked with any POR 15 but I know a few people at work who have used it. I don't think I'm going to go to the expense.