I used it several a few years back. Not impressed at all. Not sure what your wanting to use on, but if I can't paint it, then I powder coat it..
I used it on exhaust manifolds on my 55 Ford....results look great and once the heat cured it, you can take a hammer to it and it won't chip. Its true that once on the skin, its a bitch to get off. Don't get it on threads because your done! It is expensive but worth it, a little goes a long way if you use it right.
to the nay sayers..you can't have tryed it. we are talking rust treatment here, none of there other products. the original por-15 is the stuff. it needs rust to activate. so YES paint over rust! read the directions!! talk to the tech line!! these guys are great. rust holes, don't be dumb you have to cut them out and patch!! now put some tooth to it and seal the back side with POR-15. seals up the little holes and rust proofs it! to me it doesn't make sense to use on the outside where you intend to paint. there is a program with a por-15 primer for this, i've never used it. fact original formula POR-15 breaks down with UV rays! Fact they have a UV resistant formula but it dosen't work as well on rust! I should be on commision I've sold a shit load of this stuff, and if used correctly..IT WORKS!! I've used different products thru the years, READ the directions, use your HEAD and most all of this stuff works. its like....rust isn't much of a problem
As for the gas tank sealer.....they used to use the real POR-15 formula as a gas tank sealer, and it definately DID NOT work! Now they sell "real" sealer, branded as POR-15 gas tank sealer. It works well. As for the paint over rust, I use it to seal up the backsides of my welding, on floor and trunk pans, either new or old, I use their POR as primer on blasted frames, and top it with theri Chassis Cote to prevent UV degredation. I refuse to use it on the outside of a car, or under nice paint. I have seen paint with agressive solvents lift it. You HAVE to follow the instructions to a T to have it work. NO oil grease, or moisture on the part. Surface must be slightly rusty, or clean and blasted, sanded. or metal etched. Dry days slow it's curing, as does cold. Two coats for best protection. When it dries, it's practically bulletproof, if done right. It's the same formula that I bought from a major paint company, as an industrial floor finish, in my garage, "aliphatic urethane", so it's damn tough!
I used it as an udercoating with a swab to get into the subframe rails on a ot car I restored. While getting it ready I dumped it on my pants and it soaked through to the skin. It didn't come off for three weeks and it's still on the pants. So be very careful using it because it does make a mess. Also if you want to save the rest of the can when your done use a coffee can lid or put saran wrap between the original lid and the can because you'll never get it off again if you don't.
I used it several of my cars, works great! Had some left over so I coated our manure spreader that sits out 24 hours a day. Stop it from rusting. Just don't breath it, or get it on your hands or anything else. Good luck, Bob -Hampshire,Illinois
I have come to the conclusion that on the internet you have to take anything said with a grain of salt. There are guys who can't seam to get anything to work properly and then there are those who go on about a product to the point where you have to be suspicious. You have to take the product for what it is designed for. It is a fix for rust where you have no other alternative. Obviously if you can blast or cut that is the correct repair. It is not for exterior work plain and simple if you are looking for a quality repair. It is not a miracle product and yes it's uses get exaggerated. It works great on floorpans and the back side of welded panels. I have done floors with it after giving them a quick wire wheel and good prep and it works great. Yes you still have to clean the panel and make sure it is dust and oil free as you would with any paint. It is great for sealing the back of welds. This is where most guys complain of ghost lines that can be prevented if sealed. I would love to see these 75 year old cars where guys claim to get 100% of the rust out of them even if stripped. Lot of wives tales out there.
Its been over 12 years since I painted a heavily rusted trailer frame with POR-15. The rust was all over and of a granular texture, almost like sand. I did absolutely NO preparation at all, not even brushing the loose stuff off, just brushed the POR-15 on, and a couple of hours latter applied a second coat. The finished texture (because of the rusty surface) looks about like bed-liner coating. Other than a little loss of gloss, it still looks like the day it was applied. There has been NO chipping, lifting or peeling at all, and, scraping off an area (very hard to do) shows the rust was effectively stopped, not showing any further degradation in all these years. At the present rate, I wouldn't be surprised for it to survive for another 50+ years. This is not my only experience with POR-15 as I have been using it for decades. I have always obtained my best results on metal that was left at least somewhat rusty, I have a Heavy Duty sandblasting setup, but find that I get the best adhesion by blasting just enough to knock off heavily flaking areas and 'loose' rust. In areas where I blasted back to a clean 'metal in white' condition, sometimes the dried POR could be peeled or scrapped off, So I had to learn to quit being so anal. And as others have mentioned it does not stick at all well to any surface that is smooth, or over old paint. If you do apply it on these types of surfaces, you can expect it to peel off like cellophane. A couple of things I have learned working with it. Do not apply it when there is an abrupt temperature or humidity change to be expected. If the metal 'sweats' from condensation before the film has had time to completely cure, it will either result in surface imperfections or a loss of adhesion. On one occasion, a freezing night followed my application, and the following morning found the entire surface was covered with millions of tiny pits and bubbles. After allowing a couple of days of cure, I was able to 'flash' it with a torch and the POR would liquefied to a water like consistency and I was able to simply wipe it off with old rags, and recoat under better conditions. Still have never gotten around to trying this on POR that has cured for years_ but it sure worked swift to 'correct' any immediately visible problems, no need screwing around with messy paint strippers or scraping. All this said, there are several factors to be taken into consideration as to whether it is advisable to use POR-15 as an easy shortcut in restoring an old vehicle, and most of this has to do with the value of, and the condition of the metal or vehicle under consideration, and with the market value of the finished product. Personally, I would definately avoid use of POR on the restoration something like a '32 Ford or even a '57 Chevy. Conversely I would not even hesitate about using it on something like a '48 Ford or a '57 Studebaker. Different vehicles, different market, with different expectations. There is nothing inherently 'wrong' with either 'method' of restoration, and depending upon usage and circumstances of ownership, the 'cheap' restoration might well end up outlasting the $$$$$ job. I respect the guys that are able to perform the 100k 'chassis off, down to the last nut bolt and washer' restoration on valuable historic vehicles. But I also admire the efforts of not so well heeled or well connected restorers, usually young family guys with kids and a mortgage, or old retired guys on fixed incomes, that take on an average old vehicle, and with a total budget of less than 20g or so (often much less) bring it back to life and decades of enjoyment with family and friends. Along with that, I cannot help but pity those 'would be restorers' who get so hung up on doing things the 'right way' or perfectly, that end up with a garage full of parts, and cars that never do get restored because they either cannot perform or cannot afford that level of perfection of workmanship that they think one must employ. I'd much rather be out cruising in a POR-15'ed vehicle, than dreaming about how I am going to impress show judges, maybe five, ten, or more years from now when my lifelong 'project' finally makes it out of the garage. Some guys will complete 50 or more vehicles, getting a little better with each one, other guys will work on the same vehicle for 40 or more years without ever even managing to get it beyond their own driveway.
It doesn't work in anny of the applications I've tried it on. I have an old black truck and tried it on a rusty spot on the bed after using their phosphorous etch. The rust popped right back thru. Same on my snowplow frame. The crap fell off in chunks.
I have used it and have had no problems, one thing I discovered was if you put the leftover in a mason jar and turn it upside down it keeps for years.
I have used gallons of POR-15 over the last 20 years, usually with very satisfactory results. I always have a few quarts of Rustoleum on hand. When using POR in any area that will see a lot of sun exposure like bumper brackets, while the POR is still tacky, I dust it with a light coat of Rustoleum and then the next day with a full wet coat. This is simply to keep the POR from turning milky from UV exposure. After a decade or so, a quick respray or brush with Rustoleum and all set for the next decade. No further rust, no stripping, and no mess.
I have to agree!For what you pay for the POR-15 get rustoleum!! Get the money you save & go to atlantic city! You might win enough to get another project car!! Rustoleum when brushed on is hard to beat, available everywhere & good stuff. JimV
Just use Rustoleum. Clean gross stuff off Clean & Prep Prime if needed Paint & Let it Dry. If you prep and let dry, takes a chisel or grinder to remove. PROVEN at Bonneville by those too cheap & smart to use ANYTHING ELSE! Just so you know. NitroRich
I dont post here much, mostly a lurker, but anyways. I painted the underside of my daily driver 93 rivi this fall with it. I preure washed the shit out of it, used their marine clean and metal ready before coating it. I drive it into Chicago everyday. So far, so good. I will be the test mule for this shit. If anybody remembers, remind me in the summer as to how it held up underneath. Couldnt get more abuse in the NE US. Kevin.
I got a new floor for the 40 Ford pickup and as usual, I will allow the NEW BARE metal to lightly rust so that the POR will have something to stick to. That guy a few posts back that said he tried it ONCE didnt give it a fair trial. I have been using it for 20 years, maybe more and there have been a couple of failures....out of dozens of successes! Obviously the failures were my fault since it worked so well all those other times. In 1990, I smeared some on a 1935 Ford pickup fender without doing any prep at all. That fender has been exposed to weather and sun for 20 years now and I watch it. The POR got flat and slightly chalky. Thats it. no rust has come back
Have ya ever wondered why its called the 'midwest' when its in the center of America (and way up north) and nowhere near the West?
I used it on a repair on the cowl vent of my daily driver. I decided to test the claims for myself so I followed the instuctions to the T. I allowed the repairs to get a slight yellow rust film on the metal and then Por15'd the metal and then 2pack primed while the or 15 was still tacky and then coloured it in 2pack as per normal. After a couple of years the paint bubbled with rust under the surface!!!! I wouldnt use it on anything important or of value....its not magic!!!! rust is still rust!! AND, their gas tank sealer cost me a torched block and melted piston when it came off and blocked up the fuel lines causing a massive lean out on a supercharged sbc!!!!!! Make a new tank.......it may be cheaper!!!!!!
What was the other stuff similar to POR-15 that one of our old-school HAMBer's sold...?? "Zero-Rust" or something like that.... Was it '286Merc" that had the stuff...??? I remember some people saying that it was better than POR-15...
I have heard about POR 15, but I also found this one on the internet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVmqkVnfi64 No idea whether either one will work, I just started looking a few weeks ago. I'm glad I found this thread; maybe it IS best to grind off iron oxide. Plain as. Wasn't phosphoric acid supposed to turn Ferric oxide into ferric phosphate (inert)?? I'm still trying to find an answer myself.
I've used (Both POR 15 and the same product under other names such as Worth's Rust Guard) it in a fleet body shop for several years now and all I can say is that for me, this stuff really works. I have seen a few failures but as with any refinishing process, the failures where pinpointed to be an error in preparation. Cleanliness is very important. Also, failures come about due to the coating being exposed to UV light which will break down the product. It is clearly stated on the cans to paint over it if exposure is imminent. And I too will attest that Rustoleum's use here in the "Midwest" is a short lived answer. I have only found it to last only a couple of years at best. Our salt use in the winter and high humidity the rest of the time, coupled with the fact that our buses are comprised of disimular metals which opens up another factor of corrosion issues.
There are several products that deal with rust. Most of them use some type of pre-treatment with an acid solution. This acid solution contains xylic acid. The oxylic acid converts the rust to a different type of oxide which arrests the rust. It is then coated with a finish to prevent moisture from getting on the surface. Save some money. Go to your local hardware store and buy a gallon of oxylic acid (real cheap). The oxylic acid is a rust converter. When dry coat with epoxy primer. Mosture does not penetrate epoxy. You can then paint with any desired paint. If it doesn't show the epoxy finish is fine as it is. I have used this method on boats and cars with great sucess.
This 1904 Alco locomotive was nothing but rust when I acquired it. After cleaning and degreasing we painted it with POR-15. That was twelve years ago and it's been outside ever since. Only where the POR-15 has literally worn away from the weather does the rust show through. I believe in the stuff. I don't have enough life left to dismantle, bead blast and epoxy every part so POR-15 is great for that get-it-runnin-and-out-on-the-road restoration. I've also used KBS and I went back to POR. Check out my build at http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=468936&showall=1 Jerry <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
I have been using the product for years. If you do as the instructions say, it will work. I coated the frame on my 40 after sandblasting and that was about 15 years ago, it still looks great. I did the POR and then their chassis paint on top of that. About 12 years ago, I installed an I beam in my garage for a trolley to hold my chain hoist. The beam was rusty so my prep was to wire wheel the whole thing, I don't honestly recall if I used the metal ready etch after that but the I beam is flawless to this day, just a shiny and smooth as the day it was painted and absolutely no re rusting. I used it extensively on the passenger door. The door was perforated on the bottom so I had to cover the bottom of the door with duct tape to keep the POR 15 from running out when I painted it, The I painted the outer skin of the door with it too, followed by their ty-coat primer. That door is showing rust but it's from the hem on the bottom, an area that wasn't showing any problems 14 years ago when I first coated it. I also used their gas tank sealer. That turned out to be more of an experiment than anything else. I originally wanted to seal the tank, just because it was being removed for the build and I thought it would be a good idea. Well that tank turned out to be perforated as well where the hanger straps held dirt against the tank. (This truck is built on a Ranger frame) The tank was totally shot but since I had already bought the chemicals, I did it on a lark. That tank is still holding gasoline over 10 years later. Most of us have been at this game long enough to know that the best insurance against rust is fresh steel, epoxy primed and properly painted, but this stuff does have it's place and for the most part I'm more than amazed at the service life I have gotten out of metal treated with this stuff!
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