I was doing some browsing in the manuals section and saw where you gave the brochure for the plant tours.I was just wondering during your tenure with the company of the Ford tractor division in the late '50s how did they paint the FORD on the rear fenders (the embossed part). all the way up to the last row crops the 63 4000 witch yes were blue. And even on the earlier ones on the hooded part (the later 8-Ns up to '55 900's) along with fenders. Was it rolled on? A mask & sprayed? One man job or a team of employees? I now paint ours and my friends that we restore buy hand. Thankfully I'm artistic so that helps but I've always wondered how It was done originaly maybe you can solve the mystery?

I worked in the Ford Tractor HQ on E. Maple Road in Birmingham. I visited the plant from time to time and I have seen the application of the red on the embossed "FORD", it changed to blue in mid-year 1962 and I was gone by then. Once the embossing was gone transfers were used. The paint on the earlier embossed letters was applied with an applicator that looked like a 4'X10"+- rocking chair rocker. It had a thin soft surface, paint was applied and the painter just rocked it over the letters. It was very quick and simple, only seconds each "FORD". If he saw a flaw, he wiped it all off with a rag with solvent and did it over. I have tried all sorts of tools and don't get results. There is a talent involved in Ford's method. I have a local sign painter that does it perfectly with a brush and he is very reasonable so I go that way.

Thanks for the bit of history, John. If I knew the right questions to ask I'd try to write a book on your memories!

Jeff

To Anyone that is interested in this easy way to paint embossed logos.

First step in painting your Ford logo.

Spray paint the logo the color you want it to be, don't worry about the surrounding area it will be repainted later.

Second Step in spray painting your Ford logo:

Apply the paint mask with a artist brush, I used the following brush description:

1/8 LOEW-CORNELL #2013 ROSE PETAL

If case your wondering the paint mask that I use is, (your not going to believe this)
Desitin Diaper Rash Baby Ointment, and no I haven't been sniffing the paint fumes to much.
This stuff works great as a paint mask, it stays were you brush it on and it's white so you can
tell where you are when your applying it, and it wipes off with a mild dish washing liquid and water.
Please Note: The Desitin Ointment that I use is the orginal kind NOT the creamy new kind, the orginal kind
is more of a paste and not a liquid like the creamy.

I stumbled onto this idea when I was thinking what I had on hand that I could use as a brush-on paint
mask that was white and would stay in place when brushed on, and would not dry out, and would keep
the paint from sticking to the areas where I didn't want it to stick. And last but not least it had to be able
to be wiped off with a dampened cloth in soap and water and not harm the painted surface.

And presto, It Works! (It took me about one hour and fifteen minutes to mask this logo.)

Third step in spray painting your Ford logo:

Spray the hood the color you want it to be, the paint will not stick to any area that the
Desitin is applied to. The color I sprayed on was Medium Gray made by TISCO in a spray can.
I purchased my paint from ( www.just8ns.com )

You need to wait until the paint is Completely Dry! Not Tacky! before you proceed to the last step. It took about
a day and a half for my paint to dry completely.

Third step in spray painting your Ford logo:

The final step is to wipe off the paint where you applied the Desitin with
a water dampened cloth in mild dishwashing liquid, I used "Sun Light"
dishwashing liquid with Lemon in it.

And as you can see you get amazing results without taking and sign painting lessons,
the only fussy part is when applying the Desitin paint mask, if you make a mistake when
applying it you can just wipe it off and start over again. The better you apply the paint mask
the better the final result will be.

I stood back and took a look at it and it looks just like a factory job. It's sure better than what was on
it when I purchased the tractor, someone brushed it on and you could see all kinds of brush marks in the logo.

Kevin(FL) & Emily 52' 8N459231
If the Admins want to make a How To in the How To Section you have my permission.

Thanks for sharing. I love the pics

Your welcome, the painting steps are also in the How To Section on this website.

Kevin(FL) & 8N-Emily 52' 8N459231

1952 Ford 8N459231

Hi John-
You and I have talked in the past about the Dearborn Motors, later named the Ford Tractor Operations HQ, on E. Maple (15 Mile Rd.) in Birmingham, MI. It sat on the southwest corner of Coolidge Highway and Maple Rd. and now is home to a shopping mall and condos. I grew up only two miles east of there in Clawson and every Saturday afternoon dad would take us to the train station a little west of the HQ but we'd always stop at the DMC building and proving grounds to look at the latest display in the showroom window out front. Mr. Harold Brock told me that Charles "Iron Man" Sorenson, Henry Ford's right-hand man, had a farm in Clawson, but I was too young to know that then, heck I probably wasn't even born yet. I know where it was located, and he ended up retiring and moving to Florida when he resigned from Ford.

My question to you is originally, Dearborn was located in Detroit, so when did they move the operations out to Birmingham? I'm guessing between 1950 and 1952, maybe sooner. Thanks for all your stories and insights.

Tim Daley(MI)

Before the 1960's that site was pretty much out in the country. I think you are correct as to the time frame. It's hard to determine what happened when and records are very scarce. When I was there it was the Ford Tractor Division of Ford Motor Co. L.E. Dearborn was the boss and he too was given the title of VP of Ford Motor as most division managers were. Thew Edsel had failed, economy was bad and the folks in World HQ looked at the Tractor Div as unnecsesary and needing too much money for their expansion program. They especially seemed to love cutting the Tractor Div budget. Since most were auto people they felt better to cut tractor money then that of autos. I liked L.E., fine man and was as I recall a Wyoming Cowboy. He lasted just a few years as the Tractor Div was again shaken up in the 60's. Like Mr Brock, his name was pretty much taboo when he left. Brock was not there when I was and I'm not certain he worked out of Maple Rd, never heard his name mentioned there. I think he had an office in the World HQ building and didn't show up in Birmingham very often. Seems Ford liked the past to be forgotten, it was never a discussion topic among employees. Since the Ford Family is still in control of FMC, I doubt anyone will write a sound history of Ford Tractors years, they could not do it without stepping on someones toes.

Gaspump, Do you remember a fellow named Lamar King from tractor division? I believe he worked up there around the same time as you. I work with his son, and have heard stories of the old days up in Birmingham.

-John

Thanks Gaspump I alaways wondered how they done so many in a day. I'm pretty good with a art brush (art class was one of my best in school) I'm thankful to have that talent, just takes me longer than Ford's assembly line I always wondered so now I know. I figured it was something quick & simple. Thanks very

Hey Zack-
It's a gift to have artistic talent. Both my daughters have it and I hope to God they can get college scholarships with it. Me, I draw a horse and it looks like a racoon. With wings and gills. I know some guys have claimed to paint the red FORD script logo on fenders and hoods by using a similar method to the original. It requires using a paint roller but also requires much patience and a steady hand. I tried when I painted my 8N back in 2003 but gave up and just used the vinyl decals. The decals don't quite match up though.

Tim