Rocking Tractor

[greasemonkeyredneck]

I got around to finishing the Rocking Tractor today. This one differs in one I done before with the addition of paint. I don't use paint very much but so many people, when they seen my last one, said they'd like to see yellow with the green. So, I painted certain details yellow. The green is tinted stain. The rocker assembly I decided to do with shellac this time. I just wanted to do it different than the norm.

[amazingkevin]

You have know idea how much i wanted to see this tractor.Since the first time my uncle gave me a ride on his WD-40 tractor,allis charmers,with a cracked head that pa put ,paputed ,when it ran i fell in love with tractors to this day.It would take a cold day in somewhere to get one stuck . These are power houses on wheels. The things i seen thse machines do are something.On time they pulled a car out of a ditch that was deep ,almost straight up .WITH the engine idleing.what an impression that made in a 6 year old kid ,me then!Then they were pulling a hay bail wagon up a hill and they moved the trottle up a couple of notchs and dumped the clutch while we were moving and the tractor did a wheel stand up the hill pulling the wagon with me hanging on scared stiff hanging on the wheel fender for dear life and they were laughing at my miss fortune. If i slipped i would have gone right into the power take off spinning so fast drive shaft.my knuckels were white i'm sure from squeezeing hold of that fender.beautyful orange color tractor with wheels tall as a house to me then.I think it was a four cylinder too.And had a small gas tank. when they would fill the tank they had to crank the gas pump by hand ,and the pump it's self had little balls in a glass incloser to let you know gas was being pumped.Oh the memories your tractor brought back William that i forgot about long ago . Sorry for rambleing on but it stired up my mind of fond memories,THANKS again

[Huntter2022]

That looks great

As it rocks does it play "you think my tractors sexy"

sure someone will buy that for there child and have it for along time

[Travis]

I really like the tinted stain option. I know you don't like painting, but the tinted stain still gives it color but still lets the grain show through. Plus it makes it look very John Deere-ish, which is always a good seller. Nicely done!

[greasemonkeyredneck]

I really like the tinted stain option. I know you don't like painting, but the tinted stain still gives it color but still lets the grain show through. Plus it makes it look very John Deere-ish, which is always a good seller. Nicely done!

 

I was kind of flattered at your memory of that little bit of info about me. I do hate paint. I have never found a paint that doesn't eventually peel, crack, or some other undesireable outcome. True, some last for many years, but most of my projects, if used as intended, will outlast most paints. The stain however, gets down into the wood and actually changes the color of the wood fibers. Some, like this water based tinted stain, will over time fade a certain extent. Fading though causes no harm to children and still looks good. Also, like you said, the wood grain shows through.

I have a deep love for wood, and it's interesting grain patterns. Some people may think I'm nutty as a fruitcake. Sometimes I find an especially interesting wood grain pattern. I can stare at it and rub may one hand that I still have feeling in over it, and get lost in my thoughts forever. I can run my fingers through sawdust and it brings back so many memories of a small child in my grandfather's woodshop. The thing I will never understand that I've seen countless times, is for someone to create a beautiful piece of furniture or some other type of woodwork by spending countless hours working the wood, only to cover that beautiful grain detail with multiple coats of paint.

All that being said though, there are certain colors, yellow on this project, that I haven't been able to reproduce useing stain. If anyone knows anything about creating a stain for such hard to find colors such as yellow, I'm all ears.

[amazingkevin]

Try really thinned down yellow oil base paint?

[greasemonkeyredneck]

Try really thinned down yellow oil base paint?

 

Actually, I did try something similar to that. I thinned down water based yellow paint using the clear water bases stain they use for tinted stains, like the green on the tractor. It went on and looked real nice. It had a somewhat soft color of yellow. With about three coats, it was actually looking quite good. Then after letting it dry real good, I realized that the color could be easily rubbed off. The clear tint soaked into the wood and sealed it while the thinned paint sort of seperated I guess and set on top of that and with it being thinned down didn't adhere to anything. It just set there until being wiped off.

I have done a lot of research on this subject of mixing different colors. I found out that the chemicals they use for tinting stain is actually a combination of different solids such as metals that are in the form of tiny flakes that mix wit5h the stain and get soaked into the pores of the wood, creating different colors. I may be a little off on that, but it's my general understanding of the process.

[Travis]

You can buy dyes that will stain the wood any crazy color you want. I know woodcraft sells a kit that I'd love to have. I'd really like to do some segmentation and dye the pieces the colors I need (vibrant colors). You can also use leather dye. I'm also wondering if RIT dye would work well (fabric/craft store). It might rub off, though. Hrmmmm.....

[Huntter2022]

Rit dye has been used and awhile ago there was a article in SSWC on it

[greasemonkeyredneck]

Thanks. I'm going to give the dye idea a go next time I get the chance.

[Clayton717]

Your tractor looks great. I'm with you on the painting part. I love the natural look of the wood and hate painting it. I like to see the grains and figures in it.

[Vector01]

Those pieces always look great.