Just got a D3B and it's due for some new paint. Probably won't be until next spring, but trying to figure out what paint is best and how much i'll need to cover it. Will a gallon be enough? Planning on spraying it, preferably with something that doesn't take forever to dry so I can do multiple coats in a day. What paint does everyone use? I've seen the Rustoleum is like $66 a gallon, the Cat paint was like $100, and automotive single stage seems to start about $150-250 (acrylic vs urethane). I want to do it once and have it be set for a while, i'm going to spend the time to prep it up decent.
What's with the 3DB sticker, somebody messed up making a copy Cat sticker? Best prep. is sandblasting but you need to make sure everything is well protected that you don't want sand to get to. Not sure how much paint/primer you'll need but better paint will look better and last a lot longer. Several years ago I asked Ritchie Bros. about painting and they said do you want to paint it for resale or paint it so it lasts the longest.
Yeah the 3DB is a mystery, it's all one sticker too so it's not like they put the letters on in the wrong order. Must have been some cheap Chinese stickers, they are both 3DB. The one and only! haha I will make all new decals and update it to the newer graphic style when I do it.
Cat sells yellow primer too!! Granted it’s one more step/expense, but likely will help the good stuff lay down nice and help keep the cancer (rust) from coming up thru. My neighbor painted his JD backhoe with a brush and small kitchen cabinet roller…I still can’t believe how well it came out…oh and he bought the cheapest yellow paint that Tractor Supply sells!?! Last comment- paint jobs are great, but until ALL the factory decals/stickers are applied it ain’t done-done!! Keep the updates/pics coming in…fun to see the work in progress
The d4c is cat yellow over cat yellow we used hardener in the yellow. This machine probably used 2 or 3 gallons of primer and 4 of yellow. It was stripped to the frame and all parts painted indavidualy. The little skid loader was done with ppg acrilic urathane over black epoxy primer. (I painted this one 11 years ago when i was 17) The 259 is 2 heavy coats of just cat yellow out of a pressure pot with no hardener. Over cat yellow primer.It had plenty of flow inducators (as does most of my paint jobs) We in the future for all paintimg of cats will use the cat yellow with hardener and yellow primer. John deere yellow primer works just as well.
The cub is irongard(cnh paint) with hardener the yellow is over cat primer and the white is over grey epoxy. Second photo is the thinner and hardener we use. As for any paint job the prep is the biggiest thing all of these where sand blased and hoods and such recived a good sand and or body work with exception of the 259 where only the lower bit of the machine was blasted.
Fantastic paint jobs but the old style Caterpillar decal on the 259 doesn't look standard.
All look great, you must love painting because unless you are selling the equipment the return is a VERY long time coming back, especially if you put any kind of value on your labor. But I hate painting...anything, so take it for what is is..jmho.
I hate it but i hurt rust and ugly worse. The thing that helps is dad does most all the prep work. The 4 is his he did 99 percent of it.
Wow Tyler that d4c looks great! Thanks for all the info I didn't realize it would take so much paint for a little dozer, going to hurt the wallet when paint time comes lol. How much hardener / reducer do you use on the cat paint to get it to spray and setup?
4 Parts paint to 1 hardener. As for the thinner thats a how it drips off the stick eye ball gut feel moment
Just painted this. Took about 6 quarts of rustoleum. I built the cab and limb risers just before painting so I primed it. I should have primed it all. It makes the paint go a lot farther. But then again you need a good bit of primer. Stay away from cheap paint, like tractor supply brand, because it takes 4 times as much, it don't cover. To paint the top of the cab I just got some plain yellow spray bombs(Lowes Brand) instead of paying for the Cat yellow rustoleum. That took 3 cans, but it had been primed. Use white primer because grey or burgundy is harder to cover with yelllow.
When I'm painting, I use speed enamel from Cloverdale Paint. I sandblast everything and go from there. Here are a couple before and after shots.
@alco how does it hold up over time and what does it cost a gallon? Looks really nice and true to color. I just checked and looks to be Canada only, they did have a US division but different names/products it looks like. I'm currently leaning towards the Cat yellow paint as i've heard the rustoleum is more of the older highway yellow and not the orange/yellow modern cat. I'm going to update the graphics and the cat logos to the new versions.
I'm currently paying about $65 Canadian a gallon. It seems to hold up quite well. Bonus is that it's dry to the touch in 15 mins, and hard dry in around 2 to 3 hours.
If painting yellow, I would not use a dark primer, I suppose red is okay, I have used gray in the past. I think I added red to the yellow to make it more orange, been a while since doing that.
I think the old 1970's yellow was more orange, then in the 80's it was a light sorta greenish yellow. You can adjust the tint very easy, using the same brand of paint in colors to be added. Just keep tract of the ratios that work.
The labor should be about the same. If you are looking for longevity I would use a epoxy primer and a catalyzed urethane. Be careful urethanes are nasty and require a higher level of respiratory protection.
I think Cloverdale paint is fairly common in Alberta at least. I was told my 86 931B is new Cat yellow and the old is referred to as old Cat yellow. I think it changed sometime in the 70's. The shop that did my engine sold the Cloverdale in spray bombs. It is a much better match than more common brands you see in box and hardware stores.
@Legdoc any epoxy primer in particular you would recommend?
I’ve painted a lot of machines before and it’s really hard to beat cat yellow. It’s around 60 dollars a gallon here, and it blends when dry to the existing unpainted yellow well. I like to keep machines looking good and that’s my experience.