Sucker rod project

[SKYBOW]

I got all my welding outfit for Christmas and started on a project. I welded up a frame out of some 3/4 sucker rod. It is rusty and I was wondering if there is a simple way to remove the rust and to paint the frame I made. I saw that HF had a small sandblasting gun that worked with the air compressor for small projects. Is this worth the $29.00 or should I use that paint prep that converts the rust to primer. Will I be able to paint the sucker rod and keep the paint on and the rust off? Never used sucker rod before so I don't have a clue. Suggestions????
THANKS

 

[Anonymous-0]

Years past i made something like 200 12 foot coral gates out of 3/4 inch sucker rods.
I welded mine with an old AC Lincoln (6013 rod) because thats all i had and was all i could afford at the time but a DC would be a lot better i would think.
There was an old welder in town that built a lot of corals that was retired and he gave me a tip that he used, He said to rap the ground cable around the S rod like 4or5 times with the rubber left on it before you clamp to it.
You might have noticed that the SRs have a tendency to become magnetised from stroking the casing and this was supposed to help neutralize the rod. Now rather it does or not is a little hard to tell but i think it did help.
When i welded mine i turned the heat up as high as i could and still weld and due to the amount of rods i welded i never did clean them up but i do try to lay as much weld on them as i can.
They make an OK panel but a 12 footer weighs 150 pounds moving them is a task also made some out of 5/8 SRs that weagh a 100# and i like them a lot better for moveing.None of them are for a lightweight but they are CHEEEEP )

 

[Slowpoke]

I doubt if a $29 sandblasting gun will do the job. You didn't say if it's a suction type or a pressure type gun. With a suction gun, sand is pulled out of a bucket. It will take forever and sand will be all over everything including you.
A pressure gun requires a pressure tank. Both require lots of air. Instead use a good paddle switch angle grider with an auxillary handle and a knot wire brush. Safety glasses are a must. Angle grinders can do much more than grind metal by using several different accessories. They can even be used on wood.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Seems to me that it would be much easier to take some emery cloth and just sand them some to clean them up before you weld them together and would make the welding lots easier too. Or at least they could be laid out beside each other and the blasting would be much more efficent, then if there was some one to turn them. Then boy look out going to town.

 

[Bill in IL]

I have had good luck using rustoleum rusty metal primer right over rust. The rust must be tight so take a hand wire brush and knock off any loose stuff and paint it. Don't be afraid to lay the paint/primer on heavy.

I would stay away from the 30.00 HF sandblaster. I have a 70.00 pressurized one from them and it works ok if you can shake the tank and keep adjusting the mixing valve. Not always fast and easy and can be frustrating. You have to have dry air to keep the sand in the tank dry or it will not run out.

 

[paulatclf]

What's a sucker rod?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Sucker Rod is the sectioned rods hanging from the mulehead of a pump jack going down an oil well and attached to the pump at the bottom to lift the oil to ground level.

Windmills for water wells also have sucker rods, but they are usually made of wood for lighter weight.

 

[railhead]

I have in the past used some sand paper that is real rough that is used for sanding flooring. It comes on continuous rolls and is very very tough paper. I tore it into 10 inch or so squares and would wrap it around sucker rod and just hand sand to knock the rough rust off. You don't have to spend all day, with a few swipes of this stuff it leaves a fine rust powder on the rod that can be wiped off then painted. Sand blasting would take a loong time I would think.

As for welding it, I have used AC and 6011 rod and had good luck. I have also used DC and 6011 and 6010 rod and had better luck. THe stuff is hard and easy to weld. Don't be afraid to turn the heat up some and pull plenty of your base metal into the weld puddle.

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Skybow,

A word of caution. I read a article about 6mths ago about a man in Texas that used some well casing and sucker rod to make corrals. He died from breathing the dust from the mineral build up on the sucker rod. The sucker rod came from a gas well on his own ranch. The family sued the well driller and won as the company should have removed the toxic sucker rod according to the judge. It I remeber correct the sucker rod contained a heavy sulfur coating ?

T_Bone

 

[Ozlander]

Why would a gas well have sucker rods?

 

[Joe(TX)]

To me the family should not have won since he was obviously stupid for using any rod with a coating and probably was taking the sucker rod without permission.

 

[railhead]

Gas wells have pump jacks too, mainly to remove the briny water from underground. As many pump jacks even on oil wells pump water only.

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Joe,

No, The well driller left the sucker rod on his property to use a corrals. The gas well was on the farmers property and the farmer asked the well driller to leave it. The judge said it didn't matter.

This was on the AP wire financial news about 6mths ago. The well driller company was a NY traded stock and why it hit the AP news.

T_Bone

 

[SKYBOW]

That makes sense to me now. I couldn't figureout how the metal shaveins were sticking to the SR kinda like that old man-magnet-iron shavings toy we had as kids. Now I know. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous-0]

If sucker rod is that rusted best thing for it is sell it for scrap when price is high and find something better to use. It doesn't matter sometimes how good a welder you are I've seen lots of bad bad corrals and other things welded with sucker rod just break again and again. If you're going through all the work and effort why not use materials that will last?

 

[Anonymous-0]

You're going to need an angle grinder anyway so just get some flap discs or sanding discs for it. If it's really bad, wear a respirator. At the very least wear a good dust mask. Not a cheap one. Sucker rod is a special type of steel. 7018 would be a good choice of rod to use. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

My last post, posted itself before I could add something. The sandblaster will work but will take a long time and use a lot of sand. Once it's clean, the paint should stay on no problem. Dave

 

[Daniel Bear Kelley]

POR-15 is the stuff the auto restorers use when they can't get into all the corners and crevices. This stuff "converts" the rust and then coats it. Great stuff.