HARRY - About the only masking we did at FARMALL was sliding heavy cardboard tubes over the exposed axle bars so they didn't get painted red. And the little serial number plates on the starter, generator or alternator, and the IH serial number plate... they all had specific die cut masks with PSA, just crack & peal and place - DONE! Takes twice as long to read as it takes to do.
Things like hoses, belts, and wire harnesses typically weren't masked, or they were installed after painting. All depends on how many people had to get around and over or under the tractor in the alloted time in that station too. When running only one shift of assembly, the guys only had about THREE minutes to do whatever they needed to do.
I do well remember the first thing that happened after the paint booth on the start line at FARMALL was, the cardboard tubes were removed and stuffed into a 55 ga barrel, then the two 12V batteries were slid into the battery boxes and hooked up, and the inspector set his wooden stool on the operator's platform, jumped up on the platform and sat down, started the engine and did the first HOT TEST of the engine, trans, brakes, hydraulics, steering, etc. First time the tractor was ever started.He spent about two minutes testing stuff, and a good minute writing notes on the inspection report that went with the tractor down the line with the build ticket on the tractor.
OHHH And DAVE S. - I have about two SEMI trailer loads of brush you can chip up with your 59M. It's not all cut down yet, but I can fix that in an hour or so.
