Getting ready to start boxing my A frame and started wondering about the inside of the frame rails. Do most of you guys sandblast the inside? Maybe just scrub it with a wire brush to clean any rust off. Do nothing ,just weld it up. Paint some rustoleum inside so stop any future rust? I'd like to here eveyones ideas on how they did their frame rails before boxing.
I would clean any dirt and rust, shoot it with some paint, and box it up...The frame has lasted this long with probably little to no paint, so anything to cover it will help...My .02 JP
i'd sand blast it first before any frame work...that way you can see any hidden defects , and makes it easier to work on
I only have a wire cup. Pitting was real bad and was impossable to get it all off. I stick welded most of it and was confident with the welds. With mig I don't have good luck unless it is shiny, maybe if I get gas for it someday I can use it with more confidence. Ideally it should be blasted especially if coating it inside. I taped my holes when done and poured paint in the rails, flopped it around and set it on end to drain in hope of coating most of it. heluvamess
Imp , not on a "A" frame but I made a long rustproofing gun outta some air blower parts and some copper tube. This allowed me to box the frame then reach in with the nozzle of the gun and coat it in rust proofing gunk from the inside.
i dont know if you belive this....but i didnt do anything.you will burn alot of paint off when your welding.i wire brushed mine and did some little bit of back yard sand blasting when i got the frame set up for the 6 ...then painted it with rustoleum.but when i boxed it for the 8.i did nothing but weld it up.you are in Texas...and it has been around for 70 years.im betting if its in good shape it will be around for a great many more.that welding it up then spraying inside makes the most sense.but i think it would be ok with out also.
Hey Phil, ....I think it would be fine to just degrease the inside of the frame rails and hit it with a wire brush then some rustolium. Then on the ground areas that may remain exposed inside the rails after you box them you could pretreat it with some weld-thru primer(I have some if want it) or use whats called "the wand" Its a long plastic rod thats used to spray that rubberized coating inside hard to reach areas
From my experience, sandblast the whole frame, inside and out. Prime it with Weld through primer, then weld away. After all modifications are made, paint what you can, then chase any threads, assemble. Jim
Yeah that weld through primer may be the way to go. I had planned on sandblasting the frame but was having trouble the other day with the blaster sucking the sand up. It may just get a wire brush. Its really not that bad inside but thought it would be better to coat it with something.
The craziest thing I have seen is a frame coated with the pick up bed liner spray on coating. I would think it would cause trouble with the welding process. Jim
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