Original Paint - Woods Mower

[XFIRE]

I have a 42" octagonal Woods belly mower for my IH Cub. I'm getting ready to restore the mower and am looking for an original photo when this was brand new. I see several painted one color or another but I would like to find a photo from the factory.

 

[Rick Spivey]

Woods typically used a shade of yellow that was approaching "school bus". Many industrial or farm paints have a "Woods yellow" in their line-up.

 

[Stanton]

Welcome!

Take some time and read through a few threads to acquaint yourself with the Forum:

• Welcome Wagon
• How to Upload Pictures to a Post
• Forum Picture Posting And Other Interesting Things You Can Do
• Using the Forum

After your 2nd post on the Forum (like adding another post to this thread), you'll have access to the all the free PDF Manuals. They are located via "Quick Links" in the upper left corner of your screen. Hit that and a pull-down appears where you'll find "PDF Manuals". Through that link, you'll be able to download an Owner's Manual and any service manuals that interest you, including some Woods mower manuals (listed under "OEM Implement and Attachment Manuals and Brochures").

The problem with "photos" is that they don't accurately represent the shade of color you're trying to match. The lighting, the age of the photo, the conditions around the object all play on what we see as the "color" of an object. You might try contacting Woods directly and seeing what paint they use on their mowers. But it will probably come down to looking at a lot of pictures on the net and then making a decision what's closest.

Your local Ace Hardware store sells a store brand called Rust Stop. Several of us on the Forum use the International Blue as a match for implements. They have a School Bus Yellow as well. I like them for several reasons: 1) big 15oz cans, 2) great spray nozzle, and 3) good quality paint.
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/paint-and-supplies/spray-paint/hobby/17135

VanSickle has a good selection as well:
https://www.vansicklepaint.com/find-your-color

Take some pictures of your tractor and mower and post them. We’d like to see it.

Glad you joined us.

 

[Jamesk]

Here is an original paint job on one.

JK

 

[Urbish]

I think Equipment Yellow (68318) in the Valspar ag line is a very close match.
https://www.valsparpaint.com/en/fin...t-1/tractor-and-implement-enamel.html#/colors

 

[Jim Becker]

Early Woods mowers were a red color, always seemed to me darker than Harvester Red.

 

[CapeCodCubs]

Contact Woods, aren’t they still in business. I had some questions about my Cole fertilizer unit and contacted the company and they were very helpful. Just a thought

 

[Don McCombs]

The currently used and available paint from Woods is called Burnt Orange and is redder and darker than the original yellow. Woods is no help with an original paint code. I have tried a number of the currently available colors (Federal yellow, school bus yellow, Cat yellow, Equipment yellow, etc.), and none match. One of these days, I'll take a part in with an un-faded section of paint and get it scanned. When I do, I'll post the findings here.

 

[CapeCodCubs]

Don

There has to be a paint code available at automotive paint stores. I have had paint made at such places for my Cub and they found the paint code for implements. Just a thought.
Chris

 

[XFIRE]

Your replies are helpful and I have contacted Woods directly prior to posting here. They were somewhat helpful and responded with the pdf for the mower owner's manual, but unfortunately it was in B&W and did not include any paint information. I have several tractor & equipment fan decks that I have collected over the years, but none include any Woods colors. The photo that was posted by Jamesk is the first one I've seen in that color. I was thinking that the Woods factory color was the burnt orange that Don mentioned. I'm hoping he gets a scan done soon and can get it posted.

 

[Dale Finch]

I have a spindle wrench that I believe is the same original yellow-orange as the mowers (it has a Woods part # on it) and I will TRY to remember to take it in and see if they can scan it, if you want. It's in good condition...never been used.

 

[XFIRE]

Sounds good. Anything is helpful.

 

[Don McCombs]

I won't be able to get at mine until mid-March, at the earliest.

 

[Gary S.]

Contact Woods, aren’t they still in business. I had some questions about my Cole fertilizer unit and contacted the company and they were very helpful. Just a thought

Many years ago I remember my Dad who was an Airstream owner saying that the gentleman who started Woods,I assume Mr Woods? was a member of the local group also.The local Airstream chapter always got together in Amboy Il,very close to Oregon Il where the Woods company is. By now I'm sure he's gone because I know the company has new owners. Sadly doubtful anyone left there that would know.

 

[Dale Finch]

I took the spindle wrench to the Sherwin Williams paint store, and his scanner came up with a couple names:
1. Pantone, but that is only a color, not a paint color
2. Glidden's JACK O'LANTERN #89YR36/694
[urlhttps://www.homedepot.com/p/Glidden-Premium-1-gal-HDGO40-Jack-O-Lantern-Satin-Latex-Exterior-Paint-HDGO40PX-01SA/206008780][/url]

I held the image from my phone against the wrench, and it was pretty darn close...closer than the photo shows! Flash changes the color.

Don't know if they make that color in an oil based/enamel paint. Hope this helps.

 

[Don McCombs]

Did they give you the Pantone number?

 

[Don McCombs]

I know that computer monitors don't always show true colors, but the color on the Glidden paint chip is very close to the currently used Woods Burnt Orange paint color, as shown on their web site.

The color of the unfaded parts of my deck are closer to the color that is represented by Dale's wrench. Less red and slightly lighter.

I own both an original color deck and a new Woods implement. The colors are definitely not the same.
The mystery continues.

 

[Scrivet]

So if I'm following along correctly here, there are three colors possible for Woods mowers;
Early mowers were a shade of Dark Red.
Then came something close to School Bus Yellow.
With the most recent ones being the Woods Burnt Orange.

 

[indy61]

I have seen some factory Woods 59" mowers in white but I'm not sure about 42"

 

[Jim Becker]

So if I'm following along correctly here, there are three colors possible for Woods mowers;
Early mowers were a shade of Dark Red.
Then came something close to School Bus Yellow.
With the most recent ones being the Woods Burnt Orange.

That sounds about right. One more detail is the two-tone effect from painting some parts a second color. I'd describe it as a sort of cream color, but maybe darker than Harvester Cream. I think it was done during the School Bus Yellow era, maybe not all of it. This one only has it on the shield. But some had it on the gauge wheel assemblies and the skids.