I just cleaned some springs using electrolysis -it's actually a lot of fun! I plan on cleaning a bunch more stuff -hell even stuff I don't need to. Anyway the springs came out nice and clean but there was the usual 'flash rust'. So I slathered on a 3 to 1 mix of metal prep and then rinsed it off per the directions. This is what the spring looks like now. The POR 15 directions say you need to use metal prep before painting it on. I guess I can see that because it likes to be painted on over rust, but what about a body panel? I would like to use this method (or possibly a molasses vat) for fenders and doors and hood, etc. Surely you don't just put etch primer right over this mess Kelvin
Yep. The POR will DEFINITELY stick to anything even mildly porous/rough and will make those springs look like brand new. It just doesn't like to stick to something smooth/glossy. Don't even put etch primer down first, just shoot the POR directly onto those springs (after a quick clean up). You speak of using POR on body panels...do you mean the INSIDE of the panels? I wouldn't use it for the outside. It does not like to be top-coated. Unless you put some primer over it while the POR is still slightly tacky, but still, I wouldn't use it under your paint job unless you are just trying to save a body that is severely rusted.
I don't think I'd paint por 15 on a spring. I don't think it flexes like regular paint??? I may be wrong on this, but it is something to think about.
That residue is from the soda you used in the process. Before you paint, you MUST get that off, by rinsing throughly. Don't ask me how I know. Soap and water with a wire brush will bring it back to bare clean metal.
I'm always amazed at how much trouble people will go to to do things the wrong way Not that it's necessarily "right", but my approach to chassis parts is to sandblast them and spray them with black krylon. I'm not too keen on leaving rust on parts on purpose. And I'm not much help to the marketing guys, either.
Yeah, I kinda lead on that I would use POR for body panels. I will use regular paint for body panels, and really this is my main worry. I will just hit these with the Scotch Brite pads and rinse well this evening and see if the rust comes back.
I have preped my chassis with Marine Clean and painted over surface rust with good results. If their was old paint it would be saned down to metal and their Metal Prep product was used and then rinsed with water. Left a coating that the POR15 would lock onto. Only screwed up once in one area where I didn't throughly clean the area with the Marine Clean and was rewared with the paint no sticking. Did not make that mistake again considering the cost of the product. Have done 2 car chassis with this stuff and stand by it.
It may be the wrong way, but it hasn't been much trouble. I spent about 30 minutes scrubbing with a Scotch brite pad after I pulled them out of the electrolyte. After that they were basically either black iron or shiny steel. Since it hadn't been passivated they started to 'flash rust'. I got the white crap on them after I put on the metal prep. My guess is the white crap is some kind of Phosphorous salt from the Phosphoric acid in the metal prep. Either way I will spend another 15min or so scrubbing them down again.
I'm with you. I blasted my chassis parts, brushed on POR-15, let it get tacky, then I sprayed them in the Rustoleum Black Satin Enamel. It looks factory.
not to get "off topic" but I thought the electrolysis procces would cause hydrogen embrittlment and is not recommended for spring steel?
I did read that prolonged electrolysis could cause something similar to work-hardening, but I ran it by a pHD chemist friend of mine and he didn't think so. I mean, it is a hell of alot of metal and I am running just 2amps, plus I would figure the Hydrogen would float off pretty quickly. I guess if I break a spring, I will find out.
Clevername- Prep- sol, yes the wax and grease remover. Once that POR is cured you should have no air getting to the metal. Oxygen = rust
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