The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop after dipping, then what, advice wanted

The cab went off to the dipping shop today. Should be back in 2 to 3 weeks. ( 1960 C20 ) So, after hearing and reading tons of opinions I would like some advice on what I should do with the cab when it comes back. Do I shoot it with primer or sand it or?????

I have heard of horror stories about rust resurfacing years after dipping, etc.... I was considering priming all the areas that will not be replaced with new metal. Do I need to sand it first or ????? advice needed

I guess it depends on what they dip it in. I'm assuming it wasn't sheep dip, but paint remover and/or maybe rust converter.

I have not heard of dipping, but if it's just to remove the paint, I would assume you need to primer it. Don't know about sanding. If they use ospho (phosphoric acid) in the dip, you need to be aware of that, as it's not compatible with epoxy primer.

I'm sure someone will weigh in with more info, but you should quiz the guys who're doing the dipping to find out what they recommend.

Not knowing what was used, I'd guess you need to find some acrylic lacquer primer. You can almost prime a rusty bucket successfully with that stuff, and once it has been applied, you can over coat it with epoxy primer if needed. Advantage is a good brand. Mix it 1:1 with a decent grade lacquer thinner and coat everything you can. I've heard those same horror stories, and most of them come from people living in humid areas or areas where it tends to rain a lot. But you hear a lot of things. Good luck.

thanks, I will do as advised in this and previous post... epoxy primer ASAP.... thanks

Jon recommended acrylic lacquer primer, and I cautioned against epoxy primer if ospho is used.

You need to find out what they're dipping it into.

Ready-Strip dipping facilities used to be all over the U.S. but the EPA has nearly killed them. Used to have blocks dipped and they came back as virgin grey cast iron, not a speck of rust or scale in the water jacket. I believe they use methylene chloride solution in the dip tanks.

I will look into the acrylic Lacquer primer.... thanks

The cab came back and it is really rust and paint free. They would only say they use a 4 step process and one step is a mild acid (top secret) formula. If it was not solid metal it is gone now. I could not believe all the pitting and rust through. Bottom line is I am happy with having the cab dipped so I did the rear fenders and hood as well. I will now have major patch panels to weld in as time allows. I will send more pieces over for acid dipping as time and budget allow.

The down side is there is no paint left in the crevices and hard to reach areas. Since every area really had rust I will just have to do my best when I shoot primer. There was no point in painting over rust so I am happy with the results so far.

Sand blasting: I had the frame and all the underside metal parts sand blasted. I stripped off every bolt and dismantled the rear end and front suspension / chassis parts. The sand blasting was great and now I can paint every piece front and back before putting it back together. There was so much unseen rust between the metal pieces I am really glad I tore this Apache completely down. I do understand why most people would not do this but 20 plus years of sitting in a swampy area led to this truck having severe rust problems. I just could not leave all the unseen rust under new paint. Going to be a very long process putting this C20 back together.
The frame is off to get powder coated. Not sure I would do this again but powder coating looks good and will really seal the frame up.

Let see some pics of your dipped parts if you can post up.
Thanks,
Steve

Will do, just short on time today... soon

What does the dipping shop use to neutralize the top secret acid once it comes out of that bath? The biggest detractor I have heard on this process is that you never get all the "solution" out from between areas like pinch welds or folded flanges like the door skin. The issue shows up adjacent to these areas as the paint takes on a sheen look just like gasoline on a water puddle. This was caused by the residue mixing with paint & solvents..

The biggest benefit is just as you stated, all the rust is gone...

Pictures added... I attached pictures showing pieces that were acid dipped and also a couple of pieces that were sand blasted. I am happy with both. Sand blasting was used on parts that could take the abuse without any worries. All body panels, doors and big body pieces are to be acid dipped.
WARNING: Acid dipping shows the ugly truth. If you have crappy metal it all shows. The pitting that was under the paint and hid what looked like good metal, well it was not good metal. The good part is now I can fix the bad stuff. The good metal was still good and now shows 60 years worth of dings and neglect. But I want to keep as much original metal as possible.
The guy that did my sand blasting was really reasonable, probably a third of what acid dip would cost for same parts. Cam out great.
Both blasting and dipping will require a good work over with maroon scotch brite pads, hammer out some major dents and then a coat of primer to keep it safe over the winter.
Photos; Cross member and frame, sand blasted
fender acid dipped. Close-up to show extreme pitting
More photos of acid dipped parts on next reply

A few more acid dip photos. These pieces have so many areas that are too hard to properly sand clean and questionable whether they would survive sand blasting. Completely happy even though the battery box is severely pitted. New ones are cheap but I think I will repair this one. Not even sure it is original equipment???? You can see the hood cowl is just perfect as it was not rusted.

Good pics, actually your sheet metal looks really nice. Did you get the cab back yet? How does that look?
Great start to a nice truck. Enjoy the process, it will be really fun.
Steve

The cab has been back for awhile, first piece I did. Unfortunately I got the cart before the horse and it is sitting wrapped in plastic. I will post some pictures soon to show what a lot of bad metal looks like....
DUH.... I changed plans from doing body parts first to getting the chassis rebuilt from the ground up. Any part that had a bushing or moving parts is to be rebuilt and painted before I do metal body parts. The rear end (HO52) has been completely disassembled. Gears were fine but replaced all the bearings in the pumkin at great expense. All wheel bearings, control arms, ball joints and such are being replaced as well. This truck probably had 200,000 miles on it and then sat for 20 plus years in a wet environment. The point of my restoration is to have a great driving stock truck. Do not buy a 1960 3/4 ton Apache if you are looking for a quick and cheap rebuild. Parts are scarce, expensive as all get up and takes weeks to find a lot of this stuff.
So, the chassis should be back from powder coating next week. I hope to have all the pieces for the suspension and steering rebuilt and painted in the next two weeks and then a week to reassemble. The rear end and brake parts should be done in a week or two as well. The engine, well it is out for rebuild with date to be determined. Have not started on the tranny yet.

Cab pictures, lots a rust.... Pictures tell the story. I could put 30 pictures up to show all the rust through and rotted floor. Everybody needs a hobby, right???? There is rust in all the usual places. It caught me by surprise because most of it was hidden by paint or in those places you cannot see. Standard rookie optimism. Still, I am going to repair as much as possible instead of buying new while panels and fenders, etc.

You are learning some good lessons. That rust is always there if you care enough to look for it. Also good message on 60-62 suspension parts.