Love this thread... Post pics of your results! Maybe we should start the definitive electrolysis thread with pictures of results.....
I did my '31 Model A Coupe body that had been sitting in a field in Chino Hills for about 50 years or so with Soda Blasting and it didn't remove the rust. Had to go back over it with a fine sand in some places. I do not recommend Soda Blasting for rust removal.
Guys say that metal prep and POR 15 cannot be purchased in their locality. Can they be purchased locally anywhere? I thought they were essentially mail order only. I know that's how I had to get mine. Bill
I used sandblasting on my 48 ford it wasn't quite as bad rusted as yours. it is messy but it works very well. if you use a small blaster it will take longer but no warping. i made a wood box for the large parts (fenders, rims and trunk) and put a tarp under the car to try and recycle most of the sand.
I would have it media blasted ! That's the easy way . Dipping it works but I can guarantee you one day someplace it will ooze out . That stuff is hard to get out on all those little places that stuff can hide out in until you go to paint it . Retro Jim
Media blasting has issues that way as well. If you don't get rid of the sand or other organic media used for blasting it can hold moisture too. Treat these methods like tools. They each have their place where they work best. It's like hammers. How many do you have? Most have more than one because each one has a specific use. I will be pouring a rust converter in the cracks and crevices to help with that issue. Good prep is important no matter which methods are used.
Here is the deal on Evaporust: Step 1: get 20% off coupon for Harbor Freight. (They put them in magazines, catalogs, and even newspaper supliments these days. I have a stockpile of about 10 of those coupons and use one whenever I need something.) Step 2: Go buy a gallon of Evaporust. Step 3: Repeat until you have enough to soak your body one side at a time. You shouldn't need more than a few gallons and at $16 per gallon it's not all that expensive.
Man... if I could get that at 16 bucks a gallon it would be a no-brainer! It's over twice that here. Lucky you.
I was hoping to avoid the POR15 haters. If you don't want to do it like a science project and just want a decent surface POR15 will feel like a gift from the angels. Give it ample time to cure like 3-5 days and in fact, once it's surface dried mist a little water on the parts you'll see and let it get just a bit of heat in the sun. Too much UV exposure will deteriorate the surface so the ol "some's good, more's better" doesn't apply. Once you've brushed and rolled a nice even coating on the body wet sand it with some 320. Anywhere you go through just touch it up and let it dry, then scuff with a red Scotchbrite. Apply the primer of your choice and do the rest of what's been discussed at great length here on the board. Pay attention to the details and take your time, it will look like a show car, most likely for decades. Not totally cheap, not exactly easy labor but clearly not rocket science.
I just completed using reverse electrolysis on a '59 Fury convertible, using a fiberglass truck tomato bin [20' X 4 1/2'] Using old store gondola shelves for the sacrificial grid, and running a charge through it for a full week with just Arm and Hammer baking soda and water. The results were excellent, although there was additional cleaning needed to remove the rust stains and residuals. Not sure how to post photos here, but I have the process completely photographed on www.forwardlook.com under member's rides in the forums section. ---John
That sounds great! But could you fix the link, please. I don't see the section you mention... just stuff about investment management.
Let's see if this works- http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=31027&posts=116&start=1 ---John
Yep. Car was put out to pasture sometime in the '40's on the previous owner's, uncle's ranch. A tree sprouted underneath it and grew, carrying the T with it. In 2008 the PO came along and rescued the T. Apparently, the body was 10' off the ground, perched in a large branch with various parts scattered about, underneath it! I luv vintage tin!
It's MAGIC!!!! Just get our simple 10 step process and you'll never repair rust again!!! And if it doesn't work it's Your Fault. Bah Humbug. And I've worked on oil rigs as a roughneck. Plenty of ongoing cleaning. Don't believe the hype. Rust never sleeps.
You are a madman! I am in awe of your ambition and Fantastic work! ....and you are painting it black? You da King!
Here is a rear end fresh out of the water barrol. Half de-rusted using electrolysis (using Baking soda and 6 amps)the other half with a wire wheel. Electrolysis wins hands down. If your water container is big enough it will clean most of the surfice not just line of site. Squirt it off and wipe it down and you can paint right over the black oxide.
I want to thank Jimmy B for starting me on this process He suggested the 7 to 1 mix and uses the process regularly. I have the results of my first efforts with Molassas. The pictures of the quarter panel and door show the results after 7 days in the tank. The tank was a 150 gal. plastic stock tank from a farm feed store. I poured 5 pails (3.5 gal. each) into it and filled it with water. I pulled the parts out after 7 days and rinsed with a water hose then hit it with air. They started to flash rust within one min. I brushed on a mix of 1 part Prep & Etch and 3 parts water and it stopped the flash cold and even reversed it. The parts have been sitting in my shop for the past week with no rust. The panels originally had some paint on them but were mostly rust. The rusty panel is one that I used a black stripper pad on and is the mate to the clean panel. The clean panel has a strip of rust along the bottom because the 150 gal. tank wouldn't take the whole thing. I have now bought a 300 gal. tank ($160) and five more pails of molasses (see picture). I'm now soaking a '29 Chev roadster cowl, a '25 Chev roadster cowl, a Model A cabriolet door, 2 partial quarter panels and 3 or 4 other small parts. Life is great. The stripper Guys wanted $300 to do just one cowl. Prices: The Molassas was $12.25 for a three gal. pail. If I wanted to drive 40 miles it was $9.99 a pail or $99.00 for a 50 gal. barrel. Prep & Etch $23.00 at Home depot. Evapo-o-rust $23.50 at Harbor frieght. The tank sizes: 150 gal. 56"x40" @ the top. 48'x30" @ the bottom. 21" deep 300 gal. 65" at the top. 60" at the bottom. 24" deep. I have four bodies that a junkman would walk away from so stripper prices don't make sence. I once made a lame attempt with electolisis and am sure I could do better, but I don't think I'll even try after this. My bodies can be broken down enough to fit in this 300 gal. tank so this works for me. A week+ wait is no problem. The stripper always seems to have a two to four week wait.
Two things I forgot. The smell. You have to be within ten feet of the tank and then it's no worse than the ethnic cooking in the nieghborhood. Does anyone know how long this mix retains its strength and will any materials contaminate it.