PAINTING HEAVY TRUCKS AND FARM WAGONS.
At present this class of vehicles is painted in a way differing considerably from that practiced formerly. Then durability was the chiefly considered virtue. Now that fickle and flighty feature of painting is an attainment no more earnestly worked for than is a high degree of excellence in color effects.
For trucks, while a wide range of colors are popular, radiant reds and yellows are apparently in the greatest favor. The wheels of such vehicles are best given a coat of raw linseed oil before the tires are set. The remaining running parts and the body parts are likewise coated with oil before the irons are fitted, whenever it is possible so to do. It is then easier to clean off grease daubs and finger marks left by the athletic blacksmith and his coy young assistant. Moreover, there is a saving of time gained by this method. The next coat should be a half-oil, half-turpentine lead coat tinted or shaded stoutly with the color to be used in painting the vehicle, unless the color is to be a yellow, in which case a pure white will be an entirely correct ground. If a better job is desired apply an extra coat of lead and an additional coat of rubbing varnish. Beautiful canary yellows are now seen on a great number of city truck running parts. These yellows can be purchased of the manufacturers ready for use, barring a simple thinning down with turps and the addition of a little varnish for a binder. Upon the first coat of lead, puttying should occur. If red or some equally positive color is to be used, color putty accordingly. If yellow, let the putty go white. Sandpaper and smooth surface down finely upon the first, and, if used, the second coat of lead. In using light colors, the mechanic will find it needful to keep clean hands, as the slightest smear makes a disfigurement not easily remedied. For first-class, solid jobs of canary or other delicate yellow, two coats of the flat color, and one coat of color-and-varnish will quite surely be required. The varnish coats when used clear should be very pale, in fact, colorless. Happily, it is now a comparatively easy matter to obtain varnishes specially adapted to light, sensitive yellow and white surfaces.
Many of my readers located in the provincial jobbing paint shop will have more or less of farm wagon painting to do. As a possible means of aiding them somewhat in getting the job ready for the color stage of the process, it may be said that when the job arrives at the paint shop, the first and most important thing is to prepare the surface for the first coat of oil and pigment. When possible it is advisable, as in case of heavy trucks, to coat the job, prior to fitting the irons with raw linseed oil. If anything, the average country blacksmith is given to a more lavish surface adornment of soot smears, valve oil chromos, and scorched quarter-sections than his city brother of hammer and tongs. Such surface defacements are all violent enemies of durability. Their sleek and clean removal is therefore imperative. To banish the oil and grease and soot smears, saturate a cloth in benzine and lightly wash the surface. This fluid will loosen and quickly remove, with the aid of a clean cloth for a final drying up, all the greasy substances. The scorched patches require a very thorough cleaning out, a piece of glass nicely answering, usually, for slicking off the carved wood. When the parts are freed from the burnt particles, touch them lightly with raw linseed oil, wipe dry with a bit of cloth, subsequently touching the places with shellac. The priming coat, or first pigment coat, rather, should be controlled by whatever color the job is to be painted. Putty on this coat. Then a lead coat still more heavily fortified with the final color is in order. A coat of color-and-varnish should suffice for a suitable base to stripe and finish upon, save in case an extra color coat and an extra varnish coat will be needed.
Farm wagon bodies may get priming, a coat of knifing lead, a very smooth sandpapering on this coat, then a coat of color, one of color-and-varnish, then finishing varnish. If a little better surface is wished, a coat of clear rubbing varnish, surfaced closely, will give the desired result. Dark rich browns for the bodies harmonize effectively with almost any of the popular yellows for running parts. Indian red, five parts; Prussian blue, one part; with a dash of yellow to tone the mixture, give a beautiful brown. Chocolate, maroon, and wine color, also furnish strikingly handsome results for farm wagon bodies, when shown over running parts attired in gay coats of yellow.