This is the first in a series of how-to articles focused on assembling the Struck MINI-DOZER® MD196K. Once you receive your pallet containing two boxes in which the parts of the MD196K are packed, open the boxes and lay the parts out on the floor as shown below, contact the factory for any shortages.
(Note: The information is provided by a Struck customer. Please follow all official Struck manuals when installing your equipment. Please call the factory if you have questions about painting or contact a local paint store for best practices.)
If you decided to prime your parts, go ahead and spray it on both sides of the parts. The image below shows only one side primed.
Do the same for the smaller parts so that they look like those in the image below.
Get more primer and finish spraying it on the other side, in case you hadn’t applied it to both sides in the beginning. Leave the primer to cure as recommended on the package and then apply the final coat on the parts so that they look like the parts in the image below.
Note that it isn’t advisable for you to paint the MINI-DOZER® parts while those components are lying on the ground. Otherwise, you will have a mess like this!
Additionally, dust will also collect on the parts sitting on the floor and they will look like this!
It is therefore far better to hang up the parts like the image below shows so that your work will be neat and attractive. See for yourself!
As you paint, make sure that you mask the components, such as bearings, so that paint doesn’t get where it shouldn’t get. The image below shows how a masked bearing looks like.
Here is another image of how the neatly painted MINI-DOZER® body parts look like;
This customer decided to prime and paint the grouser track shoes. This image below shows these parts after they have received a final coat of paint.
One important thing; don’t start painting (whether primer or final coat) before using mineral spirit to remove any oil and grease on the surface of the metal parts. This image below shows this step being performed;
Painting can be the most time consuming part of your MD196K build process. If you have limited experience, we advise to have the parts professionally painted by a local painter. See for yourself the time lapse video below and follow the instructions as described.
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