The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Rust Converters

What is everyones opinion on rust converters? Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with them?

I have tried a lot of different brands. Sprays and brush on. They all seem to be the same.

If you are simply interested in 'converting rust' - that is

I've heard good and bad. We used it on what surface rust (not rusted enough to need replacement) there was on my '38. So far so good. You might say I'm in a long term scientific experiment.

I just wondered, i have seen alot of talk about sandblasting, vinigar, etc. I wire brushed and cleaned my frame and used the rustolium rust converter on it. So far so good.

Me too. None of 'em seemed to work, not even the expensive "high quality" stuff, no matter how careful I was.
And yup, I followed directions to the letter.

My parts cleaning arsenal and process. Started with small stuff and they keep getting bigger and it keeps working. Steps and duration depend on part. If it is not greasy, just skip the kerosene, if there is no paint skip strip. I just noticed most is Klean Strip, always just went by label color and name... never noticed brand... might say something.
1) remove grease, oil, gradoo: I have a rubbermaaid tub with kerosene in it. It can sit overnight, days, weeks, whatever.
2) remove paint: spray on furniture stripper. Nasty stuff but spray it on and once it is COMPLETLY dried, brush and blow it off - brush and wire brush as necessary. Again NASTY stuff but works fast and well.
http://www.wmbarr.com/product.aspx?catid=72&prodid=112

3) rust removal: Phosphoric acid in another tub. Klean Strip's Phosphoric Prep & Etch from Home Depot in paint section.This is my best friend!
http://www.wmbarr.com/product.aspx?catid=32&prodid=81

4) neutralizer(?), acid drier, cleaner: Laquer thinner brushed on part and blown dry. Kleen Strip product as well.
http://www.wmbarr.com/product.aspx?catid=21&prodid=102
The latest pictures of items from this process are in my Flickr site under booster
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodsonbrett/sets/72157627511975404/

my experiment down rusty lane has seen the following views

Chassi Saver/Por 15 - works fine on rusty parts, fair adhesion as long as the part is rusty. Flakes right off any non rusty metal after a year or less so I see it as a stop gap at best.

Phosphoric Primer (any brand will do I think) works good especially on not so bad parts and hard to reach places (spray bottle) but since I'm using SPI epoxy primer it has to be neutralized or it will come back and bite you. So I now only use it on unseen places, i.e. inside doors or the like and then I prime with rustoleum instead of epoxy

Just started using electrolysis and find its better than the phosphorus not as threatening to my eventual paint job and is easier to use... once the soaking tub was fabbed up which took all of about 20 min to make using scrap sheet metal left over from some panel replacement. I welded up a U shaped piece with the top nearly closed off and that's about it... Down side is nooks and cranny's are hard to get so.... back to a little phospor as touch up may be the final step for me in those instances.
In the end I guess we do what we gotta do to get that doo to be done.