This machine needs a good coat coat of paint. I have used many kinds over the years but have never really been satisfied with the durability of most paints! There are some very good 1-part appliance epoxy spray paints but those only come in three boring colors. I don’t care for the rustoleum paints either.
After sandblasting every removable part, I sanded and scuffed the main casting until it was smooth with no loose paint. Most of it was pretty well adhered, there’s just the issue of rough cast areas and previous spot touch ups.
The ways and Gearbox mating surfaces dont need paint, so I taped them off.
The epoxy primer I used has a 3-day recoat window to shoot more primer or a base coat. After three days you’re supposed to scuff the entire part up before more coats, because the epoxy gets incredibly hard and smooth. I shot a couple medium wet coats of epoxy, let it cure for a day, then a couple medium coats of a urethane high build primer as a tie coat. I’ll be able to sand the high build and re-spray as needed without any adhesion issues, until I’m ready to spray the final base coat (red).
Spraying this machine has been sort of an adventure. It seems like most of these type machines are all rolled or brushed at some point so spraying with an automotive paint isn‘t 100% keeping with the look of the tool! As I sandblasted and scuffed these parts I found there was a fair amount of filler in some areas due to casting imperfections. I thought it was interesting that Barrett did that much work just for looks. I’ll need to address those casting issues as well but I’ll get to them after the first round of high build sanding.