bare metal surface rust

[cobcorsa]

Hey guys done something pretty stupid . I was sanding one of my projects down to bare metal for a respray and got half way through and put the project on the back burner for a while and focused on other projects . Came back 2 months later and the bare metal is covered in surface rust . What should I do now . Should I just do one pannel at a time in epoxy . And when I sand off the surface rust there is still a kind of rust stain . Any advice ?

 

[Daz1968]

I have always found the 3m red pads ok for this type if work, I find the pads much better on pitted steel,then a wipe over with a rust converter, wash it down with panel wipe and a good primer. Not had any show back through yet.

 

[cobcorsa]

I sanded most of it off but there is still a kind of shadow of where it was . In thinking vinegar will solve that problem without further sanding the panels and making them uneven? Its good to hear urs didnt pop back up

 

[droopsnoot]

I've been using a product called "ph Down", which is a liquid designed for the hydroponics market to alter the acidity of water for growing plants. But it's basically phosphoric acid, and it's quite nice at cleaning off bare metal and getting into pits. I have a jug of it diluted 10% phd and 90% water and that's good for soaking parts, or I paint it onto the surface neat for things I can't soak. I won't say it magically cleans all rust off, but with some agitation (wire wool) it does a very good job. If you paint on the diluted stuff, the action is exactly the same as the Jenolite liquid product - rust goes black, clean metal goes a milky white colour. It's relatively cheap, so might be worth a try. Also "Milkstone remover" is a similar product, but I haven't tried that. It's cheaper again, I'm hearing reports of less than a tenner for a 5l container.

 

[cobcorsa]

I put on some malt vinegar and got a result very similar to the one you described the good stuff went milky and the rust lifted see the pic . Im going to try and source some of that ph down stuff but if I cant find it the vinegar might do the trick ?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Go in ridgeons/tp/bolt and ask for brick acid. Look at the strength and knock it down to your requirement. That too is phosphoric acid.

 

[Dr. Izegutah Rashnmiwenki]

A car-wheel cleaning solution should work as well. Check label for content but most 'commercial' types have an acid-based active ingredient. Just be ready in any case with some sort of rinse plan before the application of the 'acid' of choice! (I hate learning ...from my own mistakes)

 

[richie00boy]

Most acids are fine. The main thing is that you neutralise it after with a weak baking soda rinse then rinse very well with plenty of water and dry immediately. Use towels then get a fan heater on it.

 

[rich r]

Try to use a pure acid rather than vinegar, which has a lot of other things in it (eg caramel for colouring), as you get less residue to clean off afterwards.

 

[eil]

I have been using the Ph down like droopsnoot, got it from here http://www.growell.co.uk/hydroponic-ph-up-down.html On heavy rust I have put it on neat and then use a kitchen steam cleaner thingamabob similar to one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/3607...f11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=102&ff19=0 to clean it off as well as using a wire brush and scourer.

 

[Mr shiney]

Use Citric acid. It removes rust in a few minutes and is safe and legal to be washed away.