I have a 33 chevy I am working on. The body is fairly solid, but it was in a shed for years and has lots of surface rust. It is humid lately, and it seems to be growing (possibly that's just my imagination). I still have a ton of work, I am shaving the door handles, hinges etc, so lots of fab work to do yet. So my question is this: Can I sand it and spray it with a rattle can for now? Then blast it before paint? That way as I fab up something I can just pull out the can and coat the new. Should I just leave it be? Should I sand blast and properly prime it now and then do it over when I am done with fab? I just want to know a proven way to do my project. It will probably take me at least 5 years to get it to the paint phase and I dont want it to sit and rust in my garage. Thanks everyone, Bob
I'm is basically the same scenario as you and yes, I'm using the "temporary rattlecan primer" route. My Model A was in a barn for many years and had some factory paint and some surface rust. While doing rust repair and chopping it over the past 8 years; wherever I exposed bare metal, I sprayed a couple layers of rustoleum red oxide primer. That's protected it while rebuilding the engine, building a rolling chassis, etc. Then, when I'm ready to do the body, I'll strip the entire car down to bare metal and do it the right way with good epoxy primer. Hope this helps. BTW, welcome to the HAMB.
Bob I wouldn't worry either way, as long as your project is indoors your ok. A little primer on the bare metal never hurts. Keep us posted on your Chevy! And welcome to the H.A.M.B. Ron...
I do it the other way, blast, strip etc, get it in primer, then start replacing panels. If I know I'll be cutting an area out I don't prime it. When I get a panel done and metal worked, prime it. It takes about 20-30 min to mix the paint, prime it and clean the gun. I work slow, once I get the rust off, I want it sealed up with primer.
You didn't say where you live but I would assume it is humid or you would not be worried about rust? Buy some Gibbs and spray the bare metal parts. It is one of the only coatings that does not mess with the paint later. Do a search here and you will be surprised.
Thanks everyone for the help so far, and especially for the welcome. I have done a few forums before, usually get met with the "if you dont know you have no business doing a rod" attitude. I really appreciate your comments.
In the business for 35 yrs. I would Never apply an oil base if I was going to think about a "real" paint job... But we all have a different approach... Personally I would do what need's to be done an then go to the next stage, blast, epoxy, urethane.. Etc. An Welcome..
Did a test panel and sprayed paint over a patch of newly sprayed Gibbs. Paint stuck like glue! I wouldn't worry about using Gibbs. Clean before painting of course.
Don't rattle can that thing - that's ridiculous. I wouldn't hesitate to work with what you have, from the picture it looks in be in very good condition. Sand it down and give it a proper coat of epoxy primer if you do anything. Save the rattle cans for the junk.
Personally, I wouldn't put primer on it. A lot of people do it, but I prefer to leave the car in bare metal while building. Here is how I care for bare metal cars at home and at work. Gibbs, it works great and won't mess up your paint later. Inevitably, you will still get some surface rust. What I do in that case, is I have a product called Metalprep 79. You mix it with water 10:1, spray it on the surface rust, scrub the rust off with scotchbrite, wipe it off, and reapply your Gibbs. Wear gloves though, the metal prep is acid based.
I keep cans of Rustoleum 'Self Etching Primer' that I shoot small areas and the insides of things. My professional painter buddies assure me its' compatable with what they work with. I move slow replacing 1 piece at a time and am able to keep it protected in smaller areas, once I hand it over to the body shop thye can pick up where I left off and go.
I am learning about paint but here on the South Carolina coast bear metal will form surface rust with in a couple of hours. So how long will Gibbs keep rust of a couple of days a week ? Can,t do patch panels and body work in a day or two have to work on it when I get time.
Don't have pics of what your working on. As stated above I blast or derusting everything first, you'll find areas you thought were good actually need cut out after you get the rust pits cleaned out. Derust, etch or epoxy prime the whole car, start metal work. Let's you see where you need work and make a plan. Its keeps my motivation up having cleaned up metal to work. Walking out to work on a mangled rusty shit pile bums me out.
As you can see in my avatar, the 33 chev car and 34 chev truck are in bare metal and have been for a few years now . once I am finished my metal work I will prep the whole bodies again and epoxy prime them all at once. They haven't rusted away in the past 86 years , I'm sure a few more wont hurt .
I'm in Houston, TX. We have two seasons. Hot and humid. I coated my bare frame with a light coat of primer. If I need to do some tacking or welding, I grind it clean and proceed.
I think Gibbs is a bit expensive though, and the cans you get from them spray like a damn fire hose. So I like to get it in the gallon container and either put it in a spray bottle or one of the aerosol type cans that you pressurize yourself. That way you aren't spraying more then you need. You don't really need to soak the stuff.
I don't remember where I got it, but you can get it directly from the Gibbs website. If you don't want to commit to a whole gallon, I have also used the spray cans, and just sprayed them into a spray bottle.
Great white north , land of snow ,rain .and humidity , as you can see in the avatar ,all is good indoors
What I use when going to be cutting, doing fab, and welding, is to just put a light coat of a good weld-thru primer on. No toxic fumes when you need to cut and you can just go ahead and weld when ready. Simple and easy, no worries about an issue when ready for paint.
I've never had much luck with weld through primer. It's ok when you can't get to the backside of something, but for me has always introduced porosity in the weld. So I've always avoided it unless completely necessary, like welding in rocker panels. Have you had porosity in your experience? What type of welding are you using?
I haven't had an issue with porosity. Mostly use SEM brand. And only use a light coat, just enough to cover. Most guys put it on like they put on high build primer, that's when I have seen friends have issues. But with a coat just enough to cover( still see color differences on panel) has worked for me. Unless it going to sit outside or for a long time it will keep it from rusting, if you need it for longer or outside give it a shot of a mixed primer/sealer with a spray gun. I don't think much of rattle can primers, even the name brand stuff. I weld with a mig or a spot welder.
The problem have with the spray primer, or even light primer out of a gun, is that the primer will now look OK, but it is still absorbing moisture, and letting the metal rust underneath. If you are not meticulous in removing and examining/removing rust when you get serious for paint, you'll have problems. I epoxy as I go along, but my builds are mostly in the shop.
Yeah for sure, that's why I use a primer/sealer. It doesn't absorb moisture, a barrier coat can sit outside for a long time with no issues, if applied properly. But the primer /sealer is easier to work with later than an epoxy sealer which can be hard to sand and it will have to be sanded if left for awhile.
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