Sanding

[kinelbor]

I am ready to start sanding down the cub. Can I use a wire brush on a drill or do I need to use sand paper? How far down do I have to go?

[WKPoor]

For the cast parts a 4" angle grinder with a wire brush does a dandy job. The sheetmetal is up to you. I blast all mine, don't blast the main body. Only blast parts that are fully dissasembled that can be thorouly cleaned. many post have been dedicated to cleaning sheetmetal parts.

[Scott]

I used a sanding disk on a angle grinder on the sheet metal and just sanded the cast body before priming after degreasing

[kinelbor]

Sounds good. I will start with the wire brush and try to find someone with a sand blaster. What about the paint left on the tractor? That all comes off with the wire brush or what?

[beaconlight]

An angle grinder spins a lot faster than a drill and is quite powerful. A tristed cop brush in one will take the hide off an elephant.

Bill

[EZ]

Any way you look at it is is labor intensive, but hey we got lots of time. I still like what a guy told me awhile back, it's a good tip for anybody who restores/renews etc.... "It does not need to be done by Monday morning"
i.e. no deadline! Unless of course you are looking to take it to a particular show or event, but you place that deadline on yourself and it may or may not affect the quality of your project.

One note about angle grinders and wire wheels. Ever notice how the little wires will "fly out" and they wear down rather quickly depending on how much you paid for it. WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES!!
I always find bits of the wire stuck into my pant legs, shirts, etc....Last year my daughters' motorcycle developed a flat tire. I pulled it apart and guess what penetrated the tire and tube, YUP, a single wire from the wire wheel had worked it's way up through it!

So now, whether I'm grinding inside the shop or out, I drag will always drag around a powerful magnet to retrieve the wires. You would not believe how much wire I come up with, that could end up in a vehicle tire and ultimately slow up your work on the Cub.

The wire wheel is the way to go if you don't have sand to blast.

[countershaft]

Beacon lite, what is a "twisted cop brush ? What's it look like ?

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I think he meant a cup brush rather than cop. Brushes are available with the bristlses twisted into "ropes' rather than jsut being individual. the clean better, and don't break off as easily.

[Brent]

I took all the sheet metal down to bare metal with a twisted wire brush on an angle grinder. Does a good job without alot of elbow greese. Also doesn't leave marks like a sanding disk would. Used the same on the cast pieces to get the rust off. If a little paint stays on the cast pieces so be it. They are rough enough that you won't notice when you repaint them.