What are you guys doing to strip & prep the sheetmetal on your rusty cars? What I'm talking about here is surface rusted sheetmetal. Are you sandblasting the hole car? Stripping it with a grinder? What are you doing? What's the best & cheapest way? I've done bodywork for years & know that if you strip one with a grinder it will leave waves if things are done right. I have seen some of your project pictures though that show that you stripped them with a grinder. What are you doing to the insides to strip them? Have any of you used this black rust converter with any success? Tell me what you'll are doing.
Soda blasting gets the rust out of corn bread texture metal and prevents it from bubbling out from under your paint after the car is done.
I have used stripping disks like the one below. As long as you don't stay in one area too long it does not harm the metal.
I have the same question about using rust converter. I have small areas of rust strewn throughout the car in just about every severity, and I dont really have access to a sandblaster. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Well "cheap" and "best" don't always go hand in hand. But I've always used 40 and then 80 grit discs on a D-A to knock the rust down to just some minor pitting. Then after I've D-A'ed the metal, I put a liberal coat of "Rust-Mort" (http://semproducts.com/product-catalog/rust-and-corrosion/rust-mort/) on the sheetmetal. Now this may not be the "best" way but it certainly is a "cheap" way to go about it and in all my years of doing it this way I've never even had the paint blister. Also, unlike sandblasting, you don't risk the distinct possibility of warping the sheetmetal.
I have always used these as well with great success! I was thinking of sandblasting all the removable parts and then still trying to figure out what to do the body inside & out. I've heard HORROR stories about not being able to get sand all the way out & it still coming out years later. I've also hear bad thing about soda blasting! That's why I wanted to see what everybody is doing?
ive never seen soda that would take off rust, but i have seen it run right across side gl*** and didnt hurt it but did remove paint. but never seen it work on rust.im doing it like hrp, blasting with sand, then da.god i hate sand.about the converter,ive only used it were i couldnt get in to strip the rust out rel good.but im waiting for a answer also as i have a few projects that it would be a godsend if it really works...
I'm in the HRP camp... I sandblast everything I work on. I also use phosphate converters on inside areas and nooks/crannies that can't otherwise be treated. I usually just blast the areas I work on though.... Maybe two or three panels at a time for example, then move on to the next section. Cuts down the time spent all suited up in the heat of the day.
I can ***ure you guys that sand gets in all the crevices and is a PITA to get it all,,I spend several hours using everything from a leaf blower to get the bulk of the sand,I used the compressor with a long thin air tube and the a vacuum cleaner and repeated the process more than a few times. I haven't seen one single grain of sand since I installed the interior,,but again I spent a lot of time making sure that wasn't going to happen and the car was completely apart. HRP
Has anyone ever had a car dipped ? We never have, but are thinking about it on my Son's 46 Tudor Ford. Don
Yep same as HRP. Rust must be removed. Other than areas that can't be reached any other way,conversion coatings are a band aid for the lazy. Like most "easy ways out" You'll pay for it eventually.
YEP, done this once at a shop I worked at. NEVER DO IT AGAIN. There are areas where it strips & you'll never be able to get anything on it! The people that I've known that did it said the same thing I did!
I do not recommend dipping. You must consider all the inside areas you cannot reach or spray at. Therefore you need to dip again with the phospahtes, etc... IMHO.... I had 2 cars dipped and will never do that again
On my latest project, the roof was covered in heavy surface rust as well as pitted. I first ran over it with a DA and 80 grit, and then used a 3M stripper wheel on an electric drill and went over every inch of the rusted areas. That left a semi shiny metal surface, but still had rust in the pits and some on the surface. I then purchased NAVAL JELLY,(you can find it at most any hardware store). It is phosphric acid and eats rust. Because it is a semi thick paste like product(and pink), it sticks well to the panel. After applying it to a 2 foot area and letting it sit about 10 or so minutes, you wipe it off with paper towels and neutralize it with water, following the directions on the bottle. (I used a hand spray bottle so not to get water all over the other bare metal and more paper towels). The rust that stays in the pits turns black and is easily seen. Some say you can leave it like this, but I won't. I reapply the jelly to the pits, letting it sit again for the recomended time, and then used a soft wire wheel on a drill, I reclean the pitted areas. Might take more than one application, but when I finished, I had totally rust free metal, which has a nice patina from the acid. In the body shop, phosphoric acid is used in many pretreatments before a filler primer is used for rust removal and metal etching.
There are lots of them out there available from Eastwood or you your automotive paint supplier. You can also find some good products...usually cheaper...at your local hardware store. Bare in mind that these are last resort products.... I use them in areas where I just cannot get the rust/corrosion out. I'll drip the stuff down into lap seams where panels are attached to each other (for example).. The mainstay is the sandblaster. Sometimes it takes several sessions to get everything and, as I said earlier, I blast the project in sections anyway, so I have the opportunity to clean up and inspect, note areas that still need blasting and pick them up the next time. View attachment 1756832 Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I TOTALLY AGREE here! There is no way to get to those area's & in the long run if your going to keep this car, more than likely it will be in worse shape than what it was!
I've used the SEM Rust- stop (I believe it's called that), in fact I have some at home now. But have never seen whether it last?
^^^ If you can't get paint in there then neither did the factory. If you dip then all the rust is gone and you are back at square one, how is that bad? If one were to dip and you are worried about those places, mix up some thinned out primer/sealer and pour it into the areas, I have done it before. I did lots of rust reapir on various cars over the years and I sand blasted everything/areas possible. I have removed braces, brackets, etc. then blasted, primed and re-installed. As mentioned earlier sand gets everywhere, having the body on a rotisserie will really help with sand removal.
Here is a little write up I did a few years ago on phosphoric acid. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263091
I had Metal Rehab in the Metroplex strip and prime my 56 cab. Results are here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=369662&highlight=metal+rehab The cab has been sitting since then and looks the same as it did when I picked it up. Yea, I know I'm slow. The only complaint I have is pin holes where I didn't knowe I had problems.
The Jalopy Journal
