removing rust... What alternative is there besides dipping and sandblasting?

[Logan]

I'm about to start on my speedster body, and the couple of cowl sections i have to choose from all have pretty extensive rust damage. My question is, what alternatives are there for stripping the metal other than sand/soda blasting, or getting the metal dipped. I could probably get the metal stripped pretty good with different grits of sand paper, but its the inside panels that i'm more concerned about. I want to get most of the rust out of the inside also, but this is somewhat of a budget build, so i dont have a lot of money to spend on paying other people to strip it for me. Ive heard of people using pool acid to strip the metal, but i havent heard many comments on if it actually works good.

Any and all input is appreciated,
Logan Douglass

[Jim/GA]

http://www.evapo-rust.com/

[Carbroke]

No contest...... dipping and electroplating in epoxy is the best, but most maligned by painters (due to possibility of un-neutralized dipping leftovers coming thru the paint job).

Media blasting is next best, but it doesn't get into the hidden areas and the closed up areas in between panels.

After the neutralization process, a complete coat of 2 part epoxy sprayed on the entire accessible surface is the next step.

Epoxy will accept plastic fillers etc. for the panel flattening process, but more importantly a couple of coats of 2 part epoxy will completely seal the entire body off from oxygen, stopping any future rust issues. Hidden areas (inside rockers for example) still need special attention such as the wax or rust encapsulators such as Eastwood sells.

Even blasted surfaces still need a rust neutralization step in the deeper pitting areas, so a rust converter (Rust mort, Ospho, etc) is needed to stop the rust process.

The environmental folks have removed the dipping option from a lot of the country. In fact. I think it is only available in thew East. The West has almost unilaterally rejected dipping based upon environmental issues.

So your best option is media blasting and treating the enclosed areas with wax treatments or other spray methods which coat the areas and seal them from the oxygen (rust needs oxygen to form).

Self etching primers can be used, but only if compatible with the overall paint system to be used. They should be avoided if you are going to be laying down some sort of hybrid paint system.

Bottom line......decide what paint system you will use before you lay anything down. Talk and consult with your painter before you make any decisions.

[pooch]

My next project is trying citric acid dipping.

[Terry, NJ]

How about electrolisys? Get a plastic vat of sufficient size, fill it with water, add a little Arm and Hammer washing soda, and just add your part. Then you will have to have a old battery charger. Hook the - to the part and the + to the electrode (Old steel rebar, pipewrench, boat anchor, etc, what have you) and turn it on. I can never remember the correct polarity. It takes a while, maybe a week? Youi'll know when you have it right when you see tiny bubbles coming off the part, later you'll get some really ugly, foamy iron oxide. This stuff is gross! But it's harmless. Wash it away with the garden hose. It won't hurt the lawn. The water is harmless too, ugly but harmless. Don't do springs! It tends to make them brittle.
Terry

[socalplanedoc]

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Originally Posted by Terry, NJ

How about electrolisys? Get a plastic vat of sufficient size, fill it with water, add a little Arm and Hammer washing soda, and just add your part. Then you will have to have a old battery charger. Hook the - to the part and the + to the electrode (Old steel rebar, pipewrench, boat anchor, etc, what have you) and turn it on. I can never remember the correct polarity. It takes a while, maybe a week? Youi'll know when you have it right when you see tiny bubbles coming off the part, later you'll get some really ugly, foamy iron oxide. This stuff is gross! But it's harmless. Wash it away with the garden hose. It won't hurt the lawn. The water is harmless too, ugly but harmless. Don't do springs! It tends to make them brittle.
Terry

I discovered this method right here on Fordbar.com
I love it!

[Ross/Kzoo]

Originally Posted by Terry, NJ

How about electrolisys? Get a plastic vat of sufficient size, fill it with water, add a little Arm and Hammer washing soda, and just add your part. Then you will have to have a old battery charger. Hook the - to the part and the + to the electrode (Old steel rebar, pipewrench, boat anchor, etc, what have you) and turn it on. I can never remember the correct polarity. It takes a while, maybe a week? Youi'll know when you have it right when you see tiny bubbles coming off the part, later you'll get some really ugly, foamy iron oxide. This stuff is gross! But it's harmless. Wash it away with the garden hose. It won't hurt the lawn. The water is harmless too, ugly but harmless. Don't do springs! It tends to make them brittle.
Terry

It also removes ALL of the old paint too.

[mot]

i did my cowl ,doors,fenders,trunk lid etc with the electrolysis
it was CHEAP but took time, wire brushing all the black oxide off
i used PH+ which is pure sodium carbonate ,in the pool supplies section of the store
only used maybe two cups for the whole car,about 1/2 cup for a 3X5 foot tank
my container which is built of 2X10s covered with construction plastic would only take part of the cowl at a time so i kept turning it as the rust was disolved
use the bigest anode (positive side) for the sacrificial iron
make sure you clean the anode daily
the positive goes on the anode and the negative goes on the part to be stripped
it will take off some paint ,depending what it is
some paint all comes off ,and some it wont touch
degrease it first
the cowl may take a week or so to get it all
smaller parts take over night
the water will get really rusty looking in one day,it will work great even after 6 months or so
i dump it when the sludge builds up
ive been doing this for 5-7 years now and always have one or two buckets going on
tom