whats the best way to strip rust off frames and or sheet metal, any tricks or product suggestions? Blasting, Flapwheels, wire cups, etc....
There are companies that will dip what ever you might have and all the rust will be gone. Seen it done, but never had any of my stuff done like that. I use lot's of elbow grease.
take it to get blasted, worth every penny, unless you have a few months to kill, and give up a lung, my 2 cents
Naval Jelly (phosphoric acid) removes rust. I wouldn't use it for a whole frame though. It's good for smaller things. be careful...it's nasty ****.
Id say blast it. Dipping metal can make the metal porus and then u have a never ending issue until that area is cut out and new metal added so I've seen a few articles where this has happened not saying every dipping job has gone this way. Small jobs theres a few different methods that all work good.
A 4 1/2" angle grinder with a knotty wire wheel works good. The black paint stripping disks work better
Find a great sandblaster that has experince in old cars .. The people that really know what they are doing are resonable and dont damage your stuff.
all of the above. there's no one answer. chemical dips gels etc work great, but can thin the metal noticably and can leave residue in cracks and crevices that play hell when it comes time to paint. blasting (in various forms) works well, but you risk warpage and invariabley you won't get it all. flap discs, cups, and any number of other abrasives all work, but you have to weigh what you spend on materials and time to determine if it's worthwhile. I've had good success with the rust encapulators. I used POR 15 on the inside of the body, underside of the body and ch***is on my delivery 10 years ago and it's holding up like they claim. Eastwood and I think summit offer similar products--but I can't attest to how well they work. I media blast most stuff these days--it's just worth the upfront cost to me to save the time and materials cost--plus I don't like stripping. there's my 2 cents. take it for what it's worth
I have all my frames and parts sand blasted.I also sand blast body p****s but only parts like floors,door openings,around windows.I strip all flat p****s by hand with a DA on strip and use 40 stickits then dress with 100.Blasting Large p****s will destory the p****.Sand blasting will warp these p****s.Crown p****s like fenders can be blasted.I have sandblasted a number of Model A fenders as well as some 40`s fenders with no problems.The key to sand blasting is to find a shop that has done cars before and understand how to blast body p****s.You will save a pile of time as well as money in the long run by having it blasted.
Mol***es and water works excellent, and it's cheap. Go to the feed store and get 5 gallons of mol***es, and mix it 8 - 10 to 1. That's8 gallons water to 1 gallon mol***es. If you're doing doors, get a kiddy pool or something that will hold what you need done. It will not remove paint, grease,etc, just rust. You may have to leave it in there for 1 -2 weeks but it is cheap. Doesn't work too well if it's cold, and the smell gets ripe after a bit, but doesn't damage skin, clothes, gr***, blacktop etc.
If you do a couple of searches, you find quite a few threads on rust treatments. I use vinegar and others have mentioned different methods. It all depends on the part is and how bad is the rust.
As previously mentioned use feed grade mol***es. You can get it in liquid or dried form. I buy it a farm store for about 15.00 dollars for a 2 gallon container. This really works, and it's cheap. I will be using it on 2 frames this summer. Still trying to figure that one out but prehaps wood frame with a plastic liner.
i tried the electrolysis method for parts. you can do a frame but you'd have to rig the frame in a huge "diaper" to get it to work. seems to work great. good ol arm and hammer washing soda. you have to de-grease first. all paint and rust comes right off. and its environment-safe, if you care about that.
mol***es is for baking. do the electroysis method. just as cheap, and you see results a lot quicker. http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/other-articles/467718-rust-removal-electrolysis.html
The price for mol***es here in Wilsonville Al. is $1.50 per gal at the feed store, why is your place so high! It does work like a charm....
Frames vary alot in design, if yours has attachments or small inside curves then sandpaper or wire wheels are a PITA. A good dipper will always neutralize the stripping agent and often the rinse will provide some flash rust inhibitor that you can paint over. Sandblasting/soda blasting works great if all surfaces are exposed. Unless your frame is made of 26 g sheet stock then the heat generated is not an issue. .
You can clean it yourself with a grinder and where safety gl***es and shield . Grinders are dangerous and kick out chunks of **** !!! Myself , I would just pay someone to come and media blast it or take it to one . That is the easiest and SAFEST way to get that done . RetroJim
Round here in SE Michigan. the gl*** bead guys will do a frame for $150 money well spent, ready for epoxy primer when it is done, just blow it off good. Be sure you air is oil free. Seems like media blast war around here.... Do it fast, like 1/2 hour after you pick it up. Flash rust will form in a couple hours. Edit: I will have to make one of the electro baths for some old heads & small stuff.
Hm, I might have to go the blasting route with the frame, I'll probably D/A the quarters, deck lid and fenders etc. How much does it cost (ballpark) for a frame and maybe a floor? I'll probably do the electro bath for my control arms and smaller things, I saw a video some time ago, perhaps on Spike one weekend morning that pointed it out real nice.