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How to strip a car body via vinegar? Or any kind of liquid.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Zombiefink, Nov 11, 2010.

  1. Hey all.


    So before i noticed that in a thread it's possible to remove rust via soaking in vinegar.
    Of course i thought it'd be ALOT cheaper than blasting my car, which is covered in surface rust.
    So what i've come to think of doing; Get a pan, Put the hood, doors, front quarters, boot lid in the pan of vinegar, one at a time, After all, the pan can't be THAT big to put them all in at once, haha.
    So that'd make them soak in vinegar, thus removing the rust.

    But how am i supposed to soak the rest of the body in vinegar?


    I was thinking; Soak a rag in vinegar and leave it on the body for a test?
    If it worked, do that for the roof, etc.
    But still, No idea how im going to soak the roof and the rest of the body in vinegar.
    Any ideas?



    Jackson
     
  2. american opel
    Joined: Dec 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,222

    american opel
    Member
    from ohio

    i have never herd of it.why not just sand as good as possable then spray it with asfo{sp?}.it changes rust and seals the metal.i sandblasted 14 cars over the 4th of july 12 years ago and sprayed every one with it.to this day there are two cars left and still not an ounce of rust!!!!
     
  3. skyrodder
    Joined: May 7, 2005
    Posts: 1,925

    skyrodder
    Member

    Thats ALOT of Vinegar!
     
  4. Whats asfo? Spray Paint?
    Excuse my ignorance, I'm not very updated on the lingo when it comes to rust converting haha.
     
  5. american opel
    Joined: Dec 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,222

    american opel
    Member
    from ohio

    its an eching acid.i think you can still buy it from tractor supply.it changes the rust and keeps it from ever rusting again.i really cant tell you exactly what it is though but all i can say it REALLY works.
     
  6. What if i get a car blasted for example, And then spray that on it. Does that mean it will never rust again?
    And if i just sand the body, to as bare metal as i can, and spray that on it, It will remove the rust to a bare metal state?
     
  7. Immortal_Badass
    Joined: Oct 28, 2010
    Posts: 7

    Immortal_Badass
    Member
    from Alabama

    The chemical they are talking about is phospheric acid. I just got a gallon from home depot for like $15. There are two ways of using this acid. The first is two just take a wire brush and knock off as much loose surface rust as you can then apply a coat of acid with a paint brush. This will convert the top layer of rust and seal any rust under it. You now just wash it with a damp rag and you are ready to paint, fill, or anything else, just don't sand the treated areas. The second way is to get the car as close to bare metal as you can by sanding or blasting, then paint the car with the acid and let it dry over night this will convert all the remaining rust. Throw a couple coats of primer and a primer sealer on it and no more rust.
     
  8. chrisntx
    Joined: Jan 20, 2006
    Posts: 1,799

    chrisntx
    Member
    from Texas .

  9. stude_trucks
    Joined: Sep 13, 2007
    Posts: 4,752

    stude_trucks
    Member

    That sounds su****iously too easy. Is it really that easy? Can you just spray it into hidden areas too and let it do it's magic over night? I've got some surface rust I need to sand down too, but didn't want to sand off any more good metal that I had too. This sounds like a better idea.
     
  10. chrisntx
    Joined: Jan 20, 2006
    Posts: 1,799

    chrisntx
    Member
    from Texas .

    thats not right
    try phosphoric acid
     
  11. oj
    Joined: Jul 27, 2008
    Posts: 6,589

    oj
    Member

    To get rid of paint get some nitromethane. It'll remove paint in the blink of an eye. It was developed as an industrial cleansor, damned hot rodders figured out is was good for making power and the rest is history. Get a gallon and have at it and , no it isn't explosive. Just if you compress it. Not even readily flammible.
     
  12. stude_trucks
    Joined: Sep 13, 2007
    Posts: 4,752

    stude_trucks
    Member

    He's asking about rust, not paint. Never heard of nitromethane as a cleaner, but always good to learn something new everyday.

    It apparently dissolves super glue too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane Handy to know if I ever find myself with my eyes glued shut or stuck to a toilet seat.
     
  13. Yes, It sounds MUCH too easy! haha

    So let me get this straight.
    I've got some heeeaaaavy surface rust on my car.
    Bare metal surface rust.
    I bought it in that state though, because it looks ghastly, hence lowering the price by a few grand.. and i also can rest ***ured there's no hidden suprises.
    So yeah, Lots of surface rust. And you're telling me if i paint this chemical on it, once it's thinned out, it'll make it bare metal?
    If so, I'll definetley look into it. If not, I'll just dip what i can in vinegar and get my friend to Blast the body.



    Jackson
     
  14. draginsteel
    Joined: Oct 21, 2007
    Posts: 463

    draginsteel
    Member

    Good stuff to know thanks
     
  15. JOECOOL
    Joined: Jan 13, 2004
    Posts: 2,769

    JOECOOL
    Member

    One of the problems with any kind of liquid stripper is it tends to run into everything ,then come back out after you get paint and primer on it. We liquid stripped a Gutl*** several years ago and pressure wash the hell out of it when we were done. We ended up redoing several small areas in the next couple of years where it would creep out and destoy the new paint.
     
  16. Triggerman
    Joined: Nov 18, 2006
    Posts: 578

    Triggerman
    Member
    from NorCal

    I think he meant that the phosphoric acid will convert your rust into something that looks black. It will not dissolve the rust and give you bare metal like vinegar or mol***es will although apparently the active ingredient in those two is a mild acid. I think that is what he meant.

    If you have rough surface rust then I ***ume you have some texture to it that will show in your paint. You need to get the surface smooth to receive primer. Soo, that would mean either sanding it smooth or blasting it clean. Be veeeeery careful about blasting because even experienced blasters can warp the hell outta sheetmetal. If you sand then you will likely have rust pits that will need treating of some kind before priming over them. Sanding and then that ospho(sp) might work or sanding and vinegar or one of a myriad of products on the market to dissolve rust and then EPOXY primer. Please remember, epoxy primer over your bare metal will help seal out all the nasties under it plus it's tough and moisture resistant. I'm getting OT here so I'll stop.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2010
  17. budd
    Joined: Oct 31, 2006
    Posts: 3,478

    budd
    Member

    heres a little info i googled


    Another technique for removing rust is etching with Phosphoric Acid. Phosphoric Acid has a unique property of dissolving iron oxide quickly while etching iron very slowly. This means that you can leave metal in Phosphoric Acid for much longer than necessary with very little damage. The acid will attack bare metal slowly and will start the process of hydrogen embrittlement, so use the minimum etch time that removes all rust.
    Another unique advantage of Phosphoric Acid is that it leaves a fine coating of iron phosphate behind. Iron phosphate prevents rust. However, the iron phosphate coating is not very thick and not durable. Some additional protection is still required.
    Phosphoric Acid etch will leave a hard, bright metal finish. This is because it will etch the surface slightly, exposing new, bare metal. Often this is desirable. It leaves an attractive surface and a surface ready to paint. A common product which contains Phosphoric Acid is Naval Jelly. The soft drink Coca-Cola contains Phosphoric Acid, so Coke will etch rust. But Coke also contains carbonic acid and other nasty things. You're going to drink that stuff? Auto body shops treat metal with acid metal wash, a solution of Phosphoric Acid and alcohol before painting. This removes waxes and oils, removes slight amounts of rust that form between sand blasting and painting, and leaves a thin protective coat of iron phosphate. One commercial solution for this is DuPont Quick-Prep. Sherwin Williams has a similar product called Metal Prep.
     
  18. darkk
    Joined: Sep 2, 2010
    Posts: 456

    darkk
    Member

    actually I've used metal prep a lot in the*old days* last car I used it on was a solid surface rusted 1939 olds coupe in 1982. poured it in the cracks and everything. I did paint it after. I no longer own it but, It is still rust free today.
     
  19. thatredcaroutside
    Joined: Mar 20, 2004
    Posts: 303

    thatredcaroutside
    Member
    from Decatur,AL

    Won't Diet Mountain Dew do the same thing?
     
  20. aaggie
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 2,530

    aaggie
    Member

    I use a product called "Rust Killer". It is a green liquid I buy in gallon jugs from the local welding supply. Sand off the loose rust and fill a spray bottle with the rust killer. Spray a wet coat over the sanded area and about 15 minutes later wipe off the excess with a rag. I have a few fenders and hood sides leaning against the wall in my shop that I did over a year ago and they have a light grey coating but no more rust.

    When I get ready to paint I scuff it down with Scotchbrite pads and spray a coat of epoxy primer then finish as required.
     
  21. Leevon
    Joined: Oct 5, 2009
    Posts: 400

    Leevon
    Member
    from Nixa, MO

    I've been messing with oxalic acid lately. 1-2 tables****s / gallon will take light rust of in a couple hours and heavy stuff in a few days. I bought 5lbs for $20 on Egay. I guess you could build a big box for doors, hood, etc and the oxalic acid is cost effective. For the body, why not just sandblast?
     
  22. Immortal_Badass
    Joined: Oct 28, 2010
    Posts: 7

    Immortal_Badass
    Member
    from Alabama

    My bad on the spelling.
     
  23. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,575

    evintho
    Member

  24. RobsHemiA
    Joined: Jan 25, 2007
    Posts: 110

    RobsHemiA
    Member

    Hey Sunday,just go to Repco or Supercheap and get some rust converter . Wipe it all over the rusty areas and let it do it's thing . Using witchcraft and alchemy , turns the rust into usable solid material .
     
  25. GlenC
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 757

    GlenC
    Member

    Yep, good ol' rust converter.. 'Phosphoric acid' is the content label you'll find on the bottle... I've used it for years, it leaves a black surface where the rusty one used to be, better to lightly sand off any loose rust scale or rough rust surfaces first though. Once it's dried for a while, you can spray it with primer.

    Cheers, Glen.
     
  26. X38
    Joined: Feb 27, 2005
    Posts: 17,498

    X38
    Member

    I like Ranex Rust Buster (phosphoric acid ) for surface prep and it leaves a good phosphate surface on bare metal that will hold for a good while. But for serious rust, get it blasted by someone who does car bodies on a regular basis and knows what they're doing.
     
  27. I'm buying 'Kill Rust' tomorrow in hopes of being able to bare metal it all without blasting it.
    I'll let you know how i go..
     
  28. skyrodder
    Joined: May 7, 2005
    Posts: 1,925

    skyrodder
    Member

    get one of those big family size pools in your backyard and fill it up with vinegar and dip the body in it.... hey it should work..
     
  29. RobsHemiA
    Joined: Jan 25, 2007
    Posts: 110

    RobsHemiA
    Member

    Just warn the kids before they jump in !
     
  30. 1BadAction
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 7

    1BadAction
    Member

    So, say I hit the inner areas of the body with this, am I going to have any rust problems with it in the future, or do I need to also coat it with something like POR15?
     

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