Storage of cleaned parts prior to painting

[TJ in KY]

I was looking for some tips on how to store parts until weather cooperates and I can paint them. I use electrolysis (see previous post with pictures), wire brush, whatever it takes, but some parts I cleaned have flash rust on them the next morning.
I plan on using epoxy primer but if I do that I will likely have to store them till spring.

If you epoxy prime and don’t get it painted with finished color in the window, do you scuff it and then paint finish color or put another coat of primer and then paint finish color within the window.

Also I am really having a hard time trying to figure out how to get the whole tractor cleaned, washed down with wax & grease remover, and then primed. I will be taking off most small parts, but need a way to store them and prime and paint them separately.

I am very new to painting and I have read and searched the forum but I don’t see where this has been discussed.

Has anyone tried to store small parts after cleaning in a plastic tub or drum with some type of desiccant?? Where can I get some desiccant packs or pouches? I also thought about using the “space bags” and suck the air out, maybe even add desiccant packs??

Any ideas would be appreciated. I hope to have all mechanical work done and get it painted in the spring.
 

[showcrop]

I just finished a two year project in August, so I was facing the same concerns. Let me tell you first though, that this tractor ended up inadvertently taking precedence over one that was started earlier, and I kept looking at the sheet metal of the first one and never saw any flash rust on it.. I believe that the reason for that was that I had wiped it down with final prep before setting it aside, because I had seen flash rust on other things before. I prepped and primed in three lots; bare chassis, small removed parts and larger parts including sheet metal. All were then scuffed before top coating or surfacing.
 

[MO8N4ME]

Permatex makes a product called 'Rust Treatment', might even be called 'Rust Extend'. You can get in a 'rattle can' or brush on. Might get you a couple of months protection if you keep the parts inside. You can buy it at Sears, Ace Hardware, etc. I think I bought mine at Walmart a couple of years ago.

Eastwood has a product you can brush on also. Google is your friend.

Also if you have small parts you can put them in a closed cardboard box and throw in about 20 mothballs every couple months. Insects and spiders dont like the smell and the moth balls absorb the moisture preventing oxidation.

If it's too cold to paint, it's too cold to prime.

If primer sits more then about 24 hours it should be sanded. The pores start closing up and the paint won't adhere as well.
 

[CNKS]

Picklex 20 (Google Search) or Must for Rust (Home Depot) will prevent rust for months if applied to clean bare steel and kept inside and dry. Must For Rust costs a fraction of Picklex and does about the same thing. Both are a version of phosphoric acid. I live in a dry climate and have no problems with rust. You can use epoxy primer which is waterproof, but after 3 days to a week, depending on the brand it has to be scuffed and reapplied before painting. In that case the Picklex, etc is easier to apply and can be scuffed and treated with wax and grease remover as the last step before painting, which will remove most of it. The instructions say it does not need to be removed, but I don't like painting over any kind of residue. To my cleaned and sanded parts, I do nothing at present, I used to use Picklex. If you do nothing just keep an eye on them.
 

[jrh009]

I am in the same situation, working on restoring a 641 Ford with no time window. I use electrolysis to clean the parts but need to store them before getting enough parts to prime and paint.

I use Picklex 20, have at the moment 10 to 15 parts cleaned with Picklex on them for 8 months. The parts all have a white deposit on them which comes off with little effort with scotch brite before prime and finish.
 

[TJ in KY]

What is "final prep" is it a specific brand you use or something generic?
 

[TJ in KY]

CNKS, I know from reading previous post you are in a low humidity area, but I did not think you liked to use Picklex 20, especially on cast. I am tempted to clean them, warm them up with propane torch, to kind of drive off any residual moisture and put in tub with some "Damp Rid" to absorb any moisture. Larger parts treated with Picklex20 and see what happens
 

[MO8N4ME]

The Eastwood product is called 'After Blast' Another product that can be used is called 'Ospho' Most of these products are based on a Phosphoric solution.

The Permatex 'Rust Treatment' has a polymer additive. FWIW
 

[showcrop]

[CNKS]

I hope Showcrop didn't hurt himself too bad falling out of his chair. There is another person in NH that likes Picklex, he can speak for himself if he wishes, but may wish to stay out of it. I believe that I am the first person on this forum to mention Picklex, several people use it. I was told by email about it, along with all the products I use--he lives in Pennsylvania, not exactly a dry climate, but not like NH. This all happened before this forum existed. Everything he told me works. I did use Picklex on the cast on one tractor with no ill effects, except for the clutch housing which I repainted last year, not sure that the Picklex caused it. I no longer use Picklex on cast. It does two things, it gets in the pores and may or may not come out with extensive cleaning. It also "cleans" the cast meaning that it brings all the crud to the surface, meaning that you have to scrub like crazy to get rid of all the "new" crud. So, I don't have much of a recommendation for the protection of cast parts, except to keep them dry. I simply do not have a rust problem as I can store them inside for months without rust. I realize that not everyone can do that. One of the advantages of living in the Great Plains. I use Picklex mainly to covert rust in pits, I will use it on cast that is out of site where I cannot get to the rust to remove it, and where it doesn't matter if the paint lifts. I cannot say for sure whether it lifts the paint or not. But on cast it really messes up my cleaning process. I use a PPG product for final cleaning of the parts before painting, likely similar to prepsol--there are many such products, I am not familiar with what Showcrop uses, if they work, fine.
 

[MO8N4ME]

If I'm not mistaken 'Final Klean' is a Dupont product and is similar to prepsol. It is a wipe down. It is not a rust inhibitor/encapsulator. Maybe?
 

[GordoSD]

Two products I use have remained pretty much unchanged for at least as long as I have used them (Since 1954) Dpont Prep Sol, and PPG Metal Prep DX 579.

That should say something about their use over yhe years. Metal prep on bare metal, and the PrepSol as the las t thing (beside tacking) before finish coat.