COE What do you guys use to clean your rusty cab's back to shiny metal

I bet lots of us newbie H.A.M.B.er's could use this tip from you old farts. So let us in on your secret...
I've seen lots of nice clean rust free cab's in these build threads. what do you guys use?
I have been using a sanding disk on my hand grinder to strip my rusty cab. My cab is (50/50). 50% rust & 50% painted rust. My sheet metal is getting thin in spots & if I'm not careful I end up with pin holes here & there.
What do you guys do inside the cab, which is all rusty metal once the interior panels come off. GM was not big on putting a seal coat inside the cab shell back in the 30's.

 

I'm partial to sandblasting just not on large flat surfaces like a door skin. There are some different mediums you can use but for rust sand has worked the best IMO. Maybe us old guys just fart on the rust and it disappears. LOL Best to put the grinder down as you can do a lot of damage. There are chemicals you can use that will neutralize the rust such as navy jelly or just old fashion mol***es.

 

I was planning on soda blasting but till then ive been using a 4" wire wheel on an electric grinder when I need to be alone and make noise. the wheels don't seem to scruff or remove any of the (remaining) metal. Definitely get gl***es and a face shield.

 

I'm shocked hearing the word sand? I expected sand to be to abrasave for vintage sheetmetal? But I have only used sand on frames, wheels & other heavy metals, but I always get that cheep stuff. I here about many differant products used in sand blasters but I have never used them. Such as soda, walnuts,coca cola or something like that? I keep seeing these shinny metal cabs in these photos & thought some soft sanding pad was getting the metal so clean & smooth looking? I know that photos do make most thing look better than realaty, I know I sure look better on paper than in real life. LOL. Well sand will be out for me, at least for about 3 or 4 mo months. The air is two moist here till around April or May? My compresser is outside. No heat in my garage even if I did get air from inside.
Mol***es was mentioned, I have a 55 drum out back with parts in Mol***es & that stuff works real good. I have really thought alot about making a big tub tall enough to submers 1/2 of my cab in, than turn it over to do the other end. That stuff is real cool.

 

I use aircraft stripper to clean it off and then sand blast any rust to clean metal.

 

I got a couple wire wheels. Corse & not so corse, set up for a drill. I will try one of them tomorrow if our weather holds up. It was T shirt weather today, 52 & blue, kinda. Weather man is taking us back to 40 again tomorrow?

 

I love aircraft stripper for small accessory parts I restore, Cool stuff. Best thing about that stuff is, it goes right over chrome & gets any paint off with out any harm to chrome. But a hole cab, doors & frnders? I have a seasional creak here. I'm no tree hugger, but I get my water from a well, & If I was caught at a car wash using that stuff I probably would be put in jail? But it sure is good stuff for paint.

 

I'm gona try to muster up some good Old farts & try that tomorrow to. I just expect to much out of this old tin?
Speaking about my self, as some one that has never tried reseracting any old car/truck body back from the dead before, maybe I just expect the rust to be all off or I diden't do it right? I'm sure this kinda confusion slows a lot of first time wanta-be builders from finishing what we start? So I guess I just got to get over it...
From the way sealer primer is talked about, it seals the metal & any rust that is still there. I baught some last summer but never got to use it because I didn't know how to get the cab ready to seal.

 

Oldschool, you might want to try some of these. I used them to strip my Model A for paint.
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Marine/Home/Products/Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECIE20S4K7000000_nid=GSW4RV5GC0beRJ5GMFSMV0gl
There are generic versions at swapmeets, not sure if you are close to Portland but I have seen a bunch of guys selling them there. Use it with a polisher not an angle grinder. The angle grinder spins too fast.

 

Hi B-bop; Thank you, This is the product that led me to want to start this topic. Yesterday I was checking out some photos in h.a.m.b. & came across a photo of one of these pads. No caption on it but it looked like it might be effective. Thanks for the web page. I bet these can be purchased at a local hardware or paint store.
I think those sanding disk I have used are a good product, but as b-bop had said about the angle grinder being to fast. The speed & power of angle grinders are ok for heavy metals, but to fast for sheet metal with a lot of rust.

 

Orbital sanders are speed adjustable & work good on the metal, but if there is paint, the sand paper disk don't last long. But the rolls of sand paper are cheap enough. I get mine at HarborFraight.

 

If you have an automotive paint supplier, they will have the pro version of these types of abrasives. Most body shops buy the ones that last as the no name brands of sand paper and disc burn out to fast. I.E. 80 grit paper becomes about 220g in 30 seconds if your hittin alot of bare metal. Also clogging ****s too. ( about 7 years automotive experience body n paint and 10 years exclusivley aircraft) Alum and composites.
Hope this helps save time, money and agrevation.

 

A month or so ago I removed the doors, fenders and lower cab corners from my 42 Ford COE. I did a fair amount of research and decided on soda blasting. It is really really gentle on the sheet metal. Does NOT remove rust all that well. It can and will but a lot of time and soda will be consumed.

When finished with the soda blasting you need to take extra precautions to get the soda neutralized. From what I've read, the paint manufactures aren't standing by thier products if soda blasting was done prior to paint. The soda in the pores and recesses of the metal prevent a good anchor with the paint. Hot soapy water is the key to neutalization. Use a red scotch pad and really scrub the metal. Get the soapy water on all the seams and really saturate it. Afterwards a really good rinse is manditory. To complete the neutalization of the soda, use compressed air to dry the metal completely. Time consuming but a necessity.

My doors and fenders turned out fantastic. The red scotch pad really gives it a good anchor for the paint adhesion. I'll be painting everything in black epoxy paint later this week when I find some time. And then on to a little metal patching.

Chris

 

cwh; From what you are explaining, Soda blast may not be the bast method? It sounds like it may be more work than it's worth & the chance of not getting it all off is high. That would be a bummer if a year after you paint it, you find that the paint starts coming off in areas.
I have a 39 Chevy sedan I purchased 9 years ago. The body had already been restored & painted. After a couple years the paint started bubbling in some of the molded areas below the windows. So I had those few spots repaired & repainted. But as the years have gone by, more areas are starting to lift. I don't know what the guy did wrong but the hole car needs to be stripped & re sealed & painted again.

 

Oldschool, Sounds like your 39 may have been blasted with soda. Those are the symptoms that I've read and heard about with soda blasting. I think soda blasting has it's place. It's a much safer way to remove paint on sheet metal. In the end I think neutalizing and diluting the soda with m*** quan***ies of water will prevent any lifting and bubbleing of paint. With any of this paint and body work, prep is everything

 

These are all good tips we are getting, the good & the bad. AS I said earlier, there are a lot of us that have never worked with rusty metal & can get a lot from these post. So please keep them coming.

 

i have used a product called blue lightning to remove rust it is acid based so use caution when applying follow there instructions. i whould apply it out doors only.. it removes rust and you apply nuetralizer to stabilize it

 

Ha rustynuts, I checked out Blue lightning web site. That company has some real cool stuff. The fact that there products are sprayed on sounds real good to me. Especially for the inside of the cab, behind the door pillars & all those places that blasting won't touch. I have there web site saved & I will read more about all there products. They have a big list of products. I used there Blue magic aluminum polish & sealer years ago on my Semi truck wheels & fuel tanks. It was an easy polish to use, no elbow grease needed to get a hi polished shine with that stuff. I used to get it at truck stops at a high markup, but it was the best. Every one needs to check out BLUE LIGHTNING RESTORATION PRODUCTS web site http://www.bluelightningproducts.com/category//. There prices looked real good. You can use there products in the winter to, were blasting don't work so good in the damp moist winter air.

 

I've been chewing on this for awhile now and if you feel if my advise was bad i apologize. i've been restoring and building cars and trucks for 40yrs and in our climate it works. As far as the paint lifting on your 39 its most likely the body filler under the paint absorbing moisture IMO. the floor and door jams were sandblasted on the following, the rest elbow grease and good quality sandpaper. how about some pictures of your project.

 

Sandblasting is the only thing that is going to get ALL of the rust. I have blasted dozens of old car/truck bodies with no warpage or problems. Just takes a light touch. The wire wheels and grinding/stripping discs can also generate enough heat to warp metal if you bear down on them....plus you can't get into tight corners with them.

 

Ha shopdawg, wazzzup;
When I started taking the old truck apart last summer, my plan was to sand blast. But by time I start looking at the rusty metal it was to late for blasting. Fall & Winter months have to much moisture in the air for my sand blaster.
The reason I started this thread was because I eventually did start sanding the body with a sanding disk on an angel grinder. It didn't take long to determine that this was not the best way to go. As you had said, the disc sanding did not take it to a clean metal, it was to fast & there were places the disk couldn't go. I also founf thin spots showing pin holes in the sheet metal. When I saw pin holes I started questioning my self if I should ever use sand blasting on the old thin metal. So I started this thread to see what alternatives were there to sand blasting & disc sanding. I was still using the sanding disc, lightly, wanting to get some of the heavy rust & paint off with out leaning heavy on the grinder. As I remember it was your suggestion not to use a sanding disc that got me to stop & put the sanding disk away. You said you sandblast the inside door pillars & floor arias & you don't use it on the body skin. That all makes since to me, I saw how thing my sheet metal was.
I hope none of my reply's sounds negative to any ones suggestions. Suggestions is why I started this thread. Any apologies would be mine if I sounded like your suggestions were wrong. I have never done any of this stuff it takes to build an old car or truck from ground up. That's why I am here, hoping to hear lots of ideas from "you old farts" saying that with respect, to guys like your self that have done this for many years using many methods before they found the best way for them. Also knowing what works for some may not work for others. But I knew I would get good suggestions from your past experiences.
For now I have turned my attention back to my ch***is. But I am still lessening to every bodies input & methods of stripping & sealing the body. I hope to turn my attention back to the cab this summer. I'm all jazzed up right now, last week I put an overhead hoist on a slide track in my garage. The last couple months there was not much I could do besides spend money. I did get a motor, a trans & rear end. Now with my hoist the sky is the limit.
The photos in my album were taken last fall, 2012. I have never done any of this before so I am slow & having a hard time keeping my priorities straight. But I am doing something on the project every day. My frame came as a mess. No motor, trans or rear end. The step van body was mostly cut off, leaving the dash & everything forward for me. We had to drag it off the trailer & lay it on the ground, no front wheels. Now it's all cleaned up "not painted". I found a 305 motor, a 700R trans & a Ford 1 ton rear end with 354 gears. The rear end is in place & the frame is a roller now. Front air bags are in. rear bags are not in. But now with the over head hoist I can go forward again. But I am slow & always asking lots of questions from these old farts at H,A,M,B, with all there wisdom, I will have a driver some day

 

Old school, I to, am close to the blasting stage. I will have my frame sand blasted as you cant hurt it. The body even though thicker than todays cars im looking into soda, walnut shell and other media. While sandblasting very well may be fine I have seen a total warped hood by someone that got the surface way to hot with sand. So it clearly needs to be an experienced person at the nozzle!
Maybe some others can offer there experience with this and types of media used.
I wont do chemical strip as there is to many crevices that are not accessible for final clean up or neutralizing.

 

Way back when moby **** was a minnow i sandblasted for a living, mostly signs and gl*** as well as granite grave stones. The whole trick was to find the right medium. I preferred a medium that was available at that time called clean blast that broke down by 85% on the first p*** with no pitting or dust. I've been away from knowing the products so i'd suggest talking to someone in the bizz. The plus side of silica sand is it comes as fine grit as you want, i did letters on crystal gl***es for a wedding once and only broke one out of two dozen. Like anything,experience is golden. Lots of professional shops doing sandblasting, sometimes worth it. I'm too tight but will go to a " do it yourself " place we have available. Good luck and don't let fear or common sense slow you down.

 

I went sandblasting yesterday, good times!
They should heat the air in the helmet

 

It may be worth it for me to check in to a professional blaster. I am on a tight budget, but the cost may out weigh the mess & the mistakes I know I will make.
I have a 55 gal container out back with a Mol***es solution. I'm starting to use that for small parts, & it works real good. I wish I had a big enough container to set the hole cab in that stuff.
I don't know how much cubic feet it would take to totally submerge the cab? But it would pay for it self if I had two or three other builders wanting there rusty metal stripped clean.
I'll make some phone calls today & get some prices on blasting.

 

Oldschool, What exactly is in the barrel? Mol***es and what else?
Do you buy it ready to go or mix it your self? Thx

 

I got a 3 gal. bucket at Grange Co-op @ $12.
I mixed one part Mol***es to nine parts water, or 30 gallon solution with one 3 gal. bucket. It won't cut grease & it won't cut paint. But if there is rust under the paint, the paint will fall off. It will take 10 to 20 days soaking heavy rust. Around 10 days for light to medium rust. "Steering it every few days". When you take your part out, it will still have some rust sitting on top. Pressure wash it & you will have clean metal, ready to seal/primer. It works good for about six months. My solution is about ten months old now & I put some parts in it three days ago & took one out today, "I needed it for measurements". I rinsed it off with a hose & saw a few spots was clean metal. So it probably will still do some good. Mol***es in not toxic but I don't know what the rust will do? I just put some on a clump of gr*** a few days ago & don't see any change it the gr*** yet. Check out this YouTube video. Actually he has a series of videos you will want to watch...

If I can find an old water storage tank big enough for my cab, one I can afford, I will be trying it on my cab.

check out this YouTube video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZCFcxf5IBw

 

I called around for prices on blasting just my cab & doors. The cheapest was $200. Highest was $350. I know the high priced guy & he is high $ on everything he does.
A 3 gal. bucket of Mol***es is right at $12. "$4. a gal." or $204 will make 510 gallons. I can clean lots of rusty parts in six months in a 500 gallon tub @ $204. Just something to think about?

Here is another dip tank, this one is doing a 1939 Chevy COE truck cab. magon that...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYYr-UXzZjA

 

Hey man,
Mol***es works real good,I got some feed store type mol***es and It would cut grease but no paint,and the chrome would not be bothered.
I used 1/6 solution and it worked well...
For you cab,have you considered making a frame of 2x4 lumber and lining up with THICK plastic sheeting like the painters use?
Dip half of the cab in then pull it up and dip the other half??
Or a kitty pool?

 

Yea I have tossed the idea around of making a plywood frame & lining it with plastic. That would be ok for a one time dip, but I wouldn't want to mess around with it unless I could have a real tub that will last. Then I could clean metal for other builders. I live out of the city on one acre, but still don't want an I-sore for the nabors to frown on. I already hear comments on all the loud hammering & grinding noises morning till nite. But that nabor is a ***** anyways...

You say you found Mol***es cutting grease? I'd like to see that. I get the same from a feed store, but haven't used it at 6 to 1. Actually I screwed up & added more water than recommended in that video. about. I did 15 to 1 & it still worked real good, but not with grease.
I go to a lot of Estate auctions & have seen big plastic & fibergl*** storage tanks, but never payed attention on the prices they go for. I plan on watching closer in the future.