The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Pits from rust

Hello everyone -

I have never done any body work before and I have a beginner's question.

I have just finished sanding down the front bed panel. At the bottom where the lip is, there is a lot of deep pits. The pits extend up into the first two inches of the up-right part of the panel.

I have used a lot of 40 grit on my DA sander plus some 40 grit roloc pads on my die grinder and just can not get deep enough to get all of the pits out.

I was wondering if a person could use some rust treatment and then do some plastic filler over the top to fill in the pit holes.

I do not want to take the easy way out, it just feels like if I keep sanding I will make the metal to thin.

I have pictures on the following link:
http://community.webshots.com/album/558328511VNwjzj

Any advice?

Thanks!

Ross

Hi ross, i this were my project and you are going to use it as a daly driver, i'd fill the pits with a skim coat of bondo and paint over that. i am sure there is someone here that knows a little more than me and can help you better. Mike

Hello Ross,well I hate to rain on your parade,but the rust pits in your panel are actually holes.They just ain't quite there yet,quit wasting your time and buy a brand new one from classic truck parts web page They cost about 139.00 and all you have to do is sand and paint ya hoooo!!!

you're right Ross in that there's no point in trying to 'sand them out', cuz as Bent sez, they're really holes - but if it isn't that important, a good dose of phosphoric acid and epoxy primer will stop the corrosion from going further for as long as the topcoat holds up

Bill

My question is...if there is not a replacement panel for purchase somewhere, in other words "What you see, is what you got." What are 1stprojects options?

Beltfed! I would have to say time and money!and lots of it.When parts are no longer avalible we must make new ones or salvage what we have in front of us. In his case he could blast the lower piece to get all of the rust out, then epoxy,followed with some fiberglass type filler this is the less expensive route then plastic filler,putty and so forth.I personally would not recomend this way,but! just my opinion. OR fab a lower section then weld it together,after you cut away the rusted piece of course!

Me too.

Heck Brent, I know you are just being honest. But gee golly, what a tough row to hoe. I live in east Tennessee and there are still old trucks around but they have been worked to death and left to rot in many cases. I hope to find a pre-war Chevy (ain't they pretty) to build up into a parade ride. I already have one rod but a man in these parts has got to have a truck. My next door neighbor has a '36 Ford 1/2 ton and you know how it is "keeping up with the Jones." With limited body working skills and retired I guess I'll have to keep looking until I find one some one legged school teacher drove into a barn in WWII.

Sounds like a great idea.Let me tell ya! ,it will be alot more fun spending your time cruising down old country roads looking for an old barn kept gem, than filling the crack of your arse with sand, from blasting rust.And just as rewarding in the end.Iam not saying your gonna get a rust free rig,but just try to find a solid platform to start with, this is key

Ross,

Take a look here for a possible solution to the rust in the pitting.

http://www.stovebolt.com/bboard/cgi-bin//ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=31
Look under "RUST REMOVER"

Since rust is hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts moisture, it is almost impossible to top coat it w/o having it progress underneath.

When you use a wire wheel, tiny bits of dissimilar steel break off of each wire bristle and tend to embed in the pitting, further aggravating the problem of topcoat adhesion, not to mention that good metal is being sacrificed. The same thing happens w/ sandblasting, only w/ bits of sand.

A rust removal fluid will allow you to remove the rust completely from the pitting and leave nothing. If there is enough metal w/ no pinholes, then the surface can be primed and skim coated. This method should last the longest since there is no rust to draw moisture and no dissimilar metal, or sand pushed into the pits.

Regards, Lee

Good morning Lee -

Thank you for responding to my question (and to everyone else as well!)

So if I read your reply correctly, I can apply this product to the metal surface that contains the rust pits even though I have already sandblasted and ground on it? What should I do to remove the particulates that are already present in the pits? High Pressure air?

Once it is cleaned off, apply this product and then epoxy prime it and then skim coat it?

Thanks again for the advice!

Ross

Ross,

Yes you can apply it even now. There is a good chance that the many of the metal and sand particles are embedded in the remaining rust itself. After treatment w/ the fluid, I would recommend using a stiff plastic bristle brush to get any residue and metal/sand debris out of the pitting while rinsing the part in water. For heavy residue left by the removal process, there is a metal cleaner available. Once it is dry, prime, skimcoat and topcoat. Obviously, all three coatings should match chemically. Instead of adding pics here, you can see the results under examples on the website below. I would also like to direct your attention to the previously mentioned link for further discussion/questions, so the rules of the forum are not violated.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Regards, Lee

Ross-
You can buy that panel for less than $100 from most suppliers (LMC, Jim Carter). If you are 100% set of fixing the one you have, then go forth with it, but in my experience, by the time you buy a "rust convertor" product (that 99 times out of 100 isn't as good as it was advertised to be) and spend all the time to strip, repair, fill, prime, and paint. You probably would be further ahead to just buy the replacement panel. It's your call though.

Ross, I agree with 50 chevy, for the cost of a new panel I woundn't bother, your just going too cover up a headache. if you have pitting on the cab itself then I would consider useing a rust prohibitor.

Ross,

Certainly, if a new panel is available that would be the best way to go. But remember, a 'rust convertor' is not the same as a 'rust remover', if you need to get rid of the rust on a non-removeable part.

Thank you all for the advice. Based on everyone's comments and looking at other issues on the piece such as small dings, I think I might just replace it.

When I looked over the other parts of the bed, I realized that this was one of the most pitted parts on the truck.

Hopefully I can sand out the shallower rust areas that I have found on the bed sides.

Thanks all!

Ross