In the south, how long can you leave bare steel exposed before 'surface rust' becomes 'cancer'? I moved my cab out side last summer and I just noticed that a couple of the bare metal areas look pretty rough. I'm guessing they were already about rotten and the sand blasting I just did is what exposed the cancer. Other areas that were bare when I moved the cab just have light surface rusting that came right off with light sanding. Whats your policy on bare metal left outdoors?
now that you have let it rust smear some heavy grease all over it . that might help keep it from more rusting OldWolf
primer wont keep it from rusting, primers porous and absorbs water. if you blast it paint it with some cheap spraypaint for storage after. then just sand it off when your ready to finish it
BenW455 is right regarding his comment regarding epoxy primer. I think most all true "epoxy" (two-part) primers are indeed sealers, and non-porous. I know for a fact that DuPont DTM is, says so right on the can. I "painted" my Shovelhead with it three years ago, it's been through hell and high water, nary a rust issue, even on the inside of the fenders where it's exposed to all the crap flying off the tires.
Gibbs brand penetrating oil is a great metal preservative. Do a search here on the HAMB there have been lots of threads that talk about it. I have had two bare metal fenders coated with this stuff for about 3 years now and it's only showing a light haze in some areas. I have left them outside and they have seen many a monsoon storm here in Phoenix. I like this stuff too because you can paint right over it unlike grease or WD40.
Nope. Epoxy primers are probably the best primer for inhibiting rust, but they are still pourous. All primers are, its the nature of them. Most epoxy primers have a high level of solids which gives them the protection they are known for. I'm sure you painted your shovelhead in it and havent seen any rust. I epoxy stuff all the time and leave it for prolonged periods without any surface garbage, but its not sealed. Your can probably says primer/sealer. By definition in this case, a sealer does not seal from outside forces. It seals in your bodywork a provides a protective layer to your topcoat to prevent staining, etc.
yikes, thats scary. it's been outside for a year, with some bare areas exposed that long. i had about an 1/8 a can of gibbs left that I spread over it. i just don't get how some cars will sit out for 30 years and not be totally cancered out, but a year of sitting ate up some spots pretty well on my cab.
Having surface rust actually protects it if that makes sense. When certain spots are constantly bombarded and soaked by water, thats when rot occurs. I'm not talking about a roof that gets wet 3-4 times a week from rain. I'm talking when water can sit in one area for long periods of time. If its already surface rusted, your probably wasting your time taking it all off now.
The Gibbs stuff works for a few months if you can keep it dry. If you get dew and rain on it, the Gibbs stuff will wash off eventually, and then it rusts. I know because I left a partially stripped pickup bed under a tarp one winter after spraying it with Gibbs Brand. I got a little pinhole in the tarp and rain water went and rusted the hell out of the bare steel where it poured on it, but the other areas that didn't get wet were okay still.
For close to five years now, my site's page about Gibbs Brand has provided these instructions for using it as a surface conditioner: Correctly applied on bare metal, a light coat of Gibbs Brand will minimize the possibility of oxidization. When we put Gibbs on metal, it's similar to putting stain on wood, because of the way that it penetrates into the pores of the metal. Over time, the more times Gibbs Brand is applied, the more effective it will be. Follow these directions exactly: If possible, start with a clean surface. Spray a small amount of Gibbs Brand in a few streaks across the area that you're working on, as if you were spraying window cleaner on a window. Then, use a clean paper towel to gently wipe the Gibbs over the entire surface that you want to protect. You can then use another clean paper towel to lightly wipe off any excess. Whenever you're using Gibbs, always wipe gently with a very light pressure, leaving it where it's needed. As soon as any clean, bare metal has been treated as explained above, you can touch it with a dirty, sweaty hand, without leaving a stain. Over the years I have explained to dozens of people that Gibbs Brand occasionally needs to be reapplied to maintain its effectiveness. After reading this thread and checking that page I realized that I hadn't discussed this there, so I've just added this, right below the instructions quoted above: When used to protect metal from oxidization, Gibbs Brand will gradually become less effective. For best results, apply more Gibbs when your treated metal is no longer slightly wet to the touch. I'm sorry for not having made this clear all along on the Web page. Here it is again: http://www.roadsters.com/gibbs/ Thanks. Dave Mann (602) 233-8400 http://www.roadsters.com/
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