Ok I stripped a front fender today of its paint down to the metal because I concluded that there was some rust under the layers of paint. I then proceeded to scrub the rusty areas with a red scotch brite pad and a vineger/h2o solution. Let it sit for 20 minutes and with clean water remove the rust residue(repeat rinsing about 3 times) with a new pad. Towel and heat dry. I then immediatley topped with a rust converter that turns any rust to a black paintable surface. QUESTION???? Can I apply body filler over this? Do I scuff down the converter only leaving the black portions in the pits and crevises? Not sure what to do here......
If it was mine I would scuff it and leave the black. Once the rust is converted to black and you seal it properly it shouldn't start to activate again as long as it isn't subjected to oxygen.
It really depends on how good a job you want to do. I tried the vinegar trick, even bought some higher strength "glacier acetic acid", or vinegar on steroids. It still took a long time to get good results. If you want to do it fast, get a spot blaster and clean it up. You really do not want to see any dark spots on the metal at all. Second choice, is to do the scrub routine, but use a product that is made to do this, and provide an iron phosphate coating when you are finished. Dupont 5717 Metal Prep is the one I used to use. Takes a while to get to "white metal", but it does it a lot faster than vinegar. Nasty smelling, though. You can also use a product like Picklex, does the same as Metal proep, but a bit faster. It's hard to find, and costs more. I don't trust rust converters under nice paint, some even wrinkle/lift with the strong solvents in modern urethanes. Though I will use them on floors, undersides of cars, trunks, etc.
[QUOTE=Leadsled612;7385115 QUESTION???? Can I apply body filler over this? NOT ONLY NO, BUT HELL NO! Your best bet, as advised, is to sand blast all of the iron oxide out of the deep pits of that panel. If water and oxygen get through the clear, colour and undercoats, this rust will become active once again. Your second best bet would be to scrape, drill into the pit or othetwise break the crust of the rust deep in the pit, and go with your better grades of metal conditioner. Rust/piss poor paint prep is a big cause of paint job failure! " Life ain't no Disney movie "
When you guys remove the rust by blasting, do you seal the body panels with an epoxy type primer..........or just go with a regular etching primer???
Hey, After any spot blasting, I'd sand the area with 80 grit production paper to break any loose sand trapped in the metal. I'd next step up to a preminum grade urethane primer. Epoxy had its' day, but without the heavy metals once used in it, it's jus a so, so product. Urethane resins are alittle more durable, and resist attack by solvent, that's something ya wont get from epoxy sold today. " Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork "
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