First off what is the best air tool for sanding down and removeing the old paint and rust?I was thinking of a jitter bug or palm sander.What is a da sander?
A DA (dual action) sander is a sander with a round pad. The pad has two motions: rotary and orbital, hence dual action. It is probably the best tool for removing paint. Part of the idea of a DA sander is that it has a completely random motion, so it doesn't leave swirls.
How long can i go between primeing and putting on the topcoat
Not excatly sure on the window between priming and topcoating, but I know lots of people wait a pretty long time.
Is sanding and primeing a good barier for rust?
Sanding and priming is a good barrier to rust assuming that you 1) remove all of the existing rust first, and 2) use an epoxy primer. Regular primers absorb water and will allow your metal to rust. I think there are some other primers that resist water, but I'm not sure which ones. Most people just use epoxy if they are not topcoating right away.
Is primer good for seeing dents and high spots
Generally when you are ready to do this, you spray a very light fog of contrasting primer on top of your existing primer. This is called a guide coat. You then take a long straight sanding block and drag it across your surface to find high spots. You fill the high spots and repeat and repeat and repeat until it is all smoothe.
Ed
