rust removal

There is a lot of old iron out there that has not had paint on it for many many years. The rusted patina that develops over those years is awesome if you are going for that rat rod look. I however am looking to remove the rust to have some nice clean steel to do the metal work and then a nice paint job. What is the best method of rust removal. Sand blasting to aggressively can warp panels and also work hardens the steel making it hard to work with afterwards. Are there different media blasting agents that work better? Having the body dipped to chemically remove the rust is an option, but I have heard horror stories of the acid not getting neutralized thoroughly and causing problems later after paint. What has worked well for anyone out there? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

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I have de-rusted my t coupe using oxalic acid. I stripped the body down to individual panels and put it in a cut down IBC.

You can leave the panels as long as you like as it doesn't attack steel. I found that there is a lot of corrosion under all the strenghthening frames on the panels so to do a proper job take these out as well.

You can buy the acid in powder form over here and mix it with water.

Be carefull to avoid splashing on the skin as it can be dangerous - read the data/safety sheet and wear appropriate PPE.

The big advantage of acid dipping is you can derust the panel and then weld/mock up without painting then at the end a quick dip and any flash rust is removed. I have found that this acid coats the metal with a rust proof layer but not sure what this is.

Bert

 

I figured out PPE, but what is IBC, please?

 

An Intermediate bulk container (IBC) is a container used for transport and storage of fluids and bulk materials. IBCs range in size but are generally between 700 and 2,000 mm (27.6 and 78.7 in) or 46 to 52 in (1,168 to 1,321 mm) in height. The length and width of an IBC is usually dependent on the pallet dimension standard of a given country.

IBCs may have pallet-like bases so that forklifts can move them.

In the UK we can buy used food grade IBC for around $40.

 

I dont know how thin your steel is but Black Beauty is a great media. OSPHO has worked very well for me in the past, it's been around for decades. Just FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!!! Trust me.

 

Have you ever heard of electrolysis, http://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp Here is a link it takes a while and sometimes more than once but very easy and not that expensive.