[TNshadetree]

I've used Rust Mort before on small spots, but this time I'm using it on entire panels. This is an 85 Chevy lacquer car and I removed all the paint due to crazing. I prepped the panels with 80, then 180 grit. But time got the best of me and after a few weeks of body work and some seriously wet weather outside, my bare panels had small spots of surface rust expanding from where the lacquer had failed before.

I gave the car a good going over with 180 again and then applied some Rust Mort waited a few minutes and rinsed it down with a wet towel and followed quickly with a dry towel. The metal shows the iridescent colors that let's me know it's etched and converted well.

But my concern is that when looking across the panel it appears glossy and it is difficult to see the 180 scratches I made before. So I am concerned if my epoxy will have enough tooth to adhere well.

Do you guys think I'm good to go after a wax & oil remover and a tack cloth? Or should I roll her back outside and hit it with 180 again?

[deadbodyman]

Why wonder and waste your mony and time??? when your ready to epoxy it sand the rust mort OFF its done its job and no longer needed...wire wheel any pitts...You can do one panel at a time...I'd try 180 on the whole car..

[BarryK]

If the car is the one in the picture, it just seems sad to me with all that work, you going to try to put epoxy over that stuff.
If the epoxy will stick is not a concern, I would guess all epoxy s would stick but only God knows if this job will last and all that work for nothing.

I'd be sanding the heck out of that thing with an 80 grit and do 3-4 cleanings and then hope for best.
Only true safe way would be have the car sandblasted at this point, in my opinion.

[OneMoreTime]

My procedure and I am sticking to it is to strip what I can each time I clean parts and at the end of the day I mix a small quanity of epoxy primer and shoot the parts I have clean..that way I have no future rust issues to deal with..

Sam

[TNshadetree]

Originally Posted by BarryK

If the car is the one in the picture, it just seems sad to me with all that work, you going to try to put epoxy over that stuff.

Actually, it's the Monte in the background. I took a look at the surface with a magnifying glass and the 180 is there well enough. I think the pickling of the surface from the acid just made it look different.

And there isn't any Rust Mort still on the surface. It was rinsed off well and dried so there's no product on the metal.

[TNshadetree]

Originally Posted by OneMoreTime

My procedure and I am sticking to it is to strip what I can each time I clean parts and at the end of the day I mix a small quanity of epoxy primer and shoot the parts I have clean..that way I have no future rust issues to deal with..

Sam

I agree that's the best course. But I hadn't built my booth up yet or purchased any materials. In the future I'll be better equipped to do it that way. I've made my "temporary" booth much more permanent this time around.

[JohnnyK81]

Originally Posted by TNshadetree

And there isn't any Rust Mort still on the surface. It was rinsed off well and dried so there's no product on the metal.

This is true. you aren't painting 'over' the rust more.. That's gone and the rust has been converted. There is no more acid there.. perhaps you can sand off the ferric phosphate?

[tech69]

Originally Posted by OneMoreTime

My procedure and I am sticking to it is to strip what I can each time I clean parts and at the end of the day I mix a small quanity of epoxy primer and shoot the parts I have clean..that way I have no future rust issues to deal with..

Sam

agreed. We get stuff blasted and at times the boss wants to skip epoxy to save money but on the cars with a little pitting it's a huge mistake and we end up breaking out the wire wheels and whatever it takes. Most of the time it's just finger prints and stuff like that we have to later sand out but we'd generally like to sand the whole car anyways after blasting. If I were the boss I'd epoxy everything right after too, as you suggest.

[62galaxiguy]

causes adhesion propblems if the acid treatment is nopt scrubbed off well.ask me how i know!

[DanielC]

Read your data sheets on the primers you use.

[deadbodyman]

Cant argue with that....
BUT they might even say to use an etch primer.It can be very confusing to a newbie,reading all this conflicting info...
...
Just sand it off and epoxy prime it (SPI) and in a week pick a spot (any spot) and sand it down to the metal (with 180)...If it feathers back nicely without chipping off or having jagged edges,your in ....Try it on a few other random spots just to make sure...THATS how you know for SURE, if you have good adheasion to the metal....Yeah I use acid all the time to remove rust at my shop ,I just dont care much for Rust mort ,I wont use anything but Ospho...AND SPI epoxy primer. (of course) In my opinion a fantastic combo that cant be beat,but it clearly says "not recomended over acid products....and theres a good reason for it ,people dont use or respect these products correctly and have trouble....when you do it right it's BEST IHMO...