keeping ahead of rust

[dnail]

I'm just starting to work on my first time restore and have a very basic question. I will be working slowly on cleaning off the rust only an hour at a time many nights. After I scape, wire brush, sand blast, sandpaper or strip one small area at a time on a larger piece and get that area down to bare metal, what do I do to protect that area from re-rusting (flash over?) when it might take a couple of weeks to do the whole piece before I can schedule enough time to prime and another block to top coat the piece?

 

[GordoSD]

If it is sheet metal then you can get good quality etch primer in rattle cans from your local auto body supply store. If it is cast iron then i would get one of those pint size devilbiss touch up guns and shoot the iron with two part epoxy primer.

Gordo

 

[PaulW_NJ]

What you described is the age-old dilemma for us hobby restorers.

After I strip a part, I wipe it down with cleaner/degreaser solvent to remove any residual oil and dirt, until a new rag or paper towel comes clean. Then I give it a coat of phosphoric acid based rust treatment, such as Picklex20 (available on-line). Home Depot has a similar (and more economical) product called "Must For Rust". As long as you don't get it wet, the phosphoric acid will leave a layer that will keep flash rust from occurring indefinitely. When it's time to prime, give it a quick once over with a Scotchbrite pad, maybe another degreaser wipe,and prime away. I've read you can't use etch primer once you've gone the phosphoric acid treatment route. I suppose that is because etch primer has phosphoric acid in it and if you've already treated the surface with acid, more won't bond. Epoxy primer is superior anyway.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I would make sure that you do the whole section or piece at one time. If you do a section at a time, stop at a joint or something to hide any coatings height differences.

If you only have time to do a little at a time there are spray cans of etching primers that are automotive grade that blend and spray very well.

I handle a line of single part coatings that are as tough as powder coating. My tractor customers here in Iowa really love the rust preventive coating and also our gas tank sealer repair kits. If anyone has questions about rust repair, I will be glad to help with suggestions. Jeff Cleere