The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Encapsulate floor and rework later?

My cab floor has surface rust and also some thin spots with small gaps at the corner seams of the kick panels and toe boards. I want to coat the floor temporarily and drive it until I can do more serious work on it later. The kick panels have rust through and will also need replaced. If I encapsulate the floor now is it possible to clean the area to weld later?

Better to fix it first, then encapsulate, why do the job twice?

A quick powered wire brush treatment, then use zero rust paint.

I do realize it's better to get it fixed first but I would like to drive it this summer and make it a winter time project. I'm still waiting to get a MIG welder and will need to practice up before tackling the repair. Perhaps just some zero rust paint as Truckolet mentioned would tide it over.

anything you put on it without all the preparatory steps will just add to the work you have to do later .... maybe you could just leave it alone until you're ready to do the whole job - it's taken 60 years to get like it is, another 6 months isn't going to kill it

Bill

Agree with squeeze. trapped rust seems to grow better than rust that is left alone.

Great advice...thanks for the input guys.

I made a couple kick panel covers from carpet runner to hide the rot and it looked respectable for the couple summers I drove it that way.

If you wire brush it real good and of course clean it before painiting zero rust it will be fine, and stop the rusting process.
If you want it better later you get a blaster at harbor freight, and walnut shells, and clean off the zero rust. Or if you want a slightly better job of it now, do the good clean and paint removal, and zero rust it. When the time comes just fix what you need to and shouldn't need to clean off the zero rust, just scratch it with sandpaper or scratch pad and clean and paint what ever over it. Its every bit as good as por and less hassel.

What squeeze said.

I agree, what squeeze said!!!!!!!!

Sounds pretty good to me...no use making more work than necessary.

What about using rust converter before encapsulating?

I'm with Squeeze.

Dennis, that's what I was thinking about...something to inhibit the rust until more permanent work can be done. Since the truck will always be garaged then I think it's good advice to just leave it until I can replace the bad spots.

This is what I have done with no problems.

You can try to grind all the rust and thin the metal. You can chemically or blast all the rust - if you left any behind then you have wasted your time.

I convert it the best I can, then encapsulate it.

It will be fine until you are done with the truck.

I use my truck as a truck - hauling things. I also paid $400 for my truck.

Now if you are looking for a show truck then I am wrong. Sorry

It is your decision.