VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Body - Sheet Metal, Paint & Wood Chemical dip vs. sand blasting

I'm going to have to begin the parts preservation process on my '28 as soon as I get it home. I'm wondering if any of you have had experience with "the dip" and if so how did it turn out? Any bleeding of the excess acid through the finish coat of paint down the road, etc.? Should I stick to good ol' sandblasting? The old truck has a good coating of rust, no rot (to speak of), but no paint either. Thanks in advance for your insight.

Tyler
Lillington, NC

Are you going to take it all apart? If so I can tell you what procedure I have used with tremendous success. It is called electrolysis. The only chemical you use is baking soda. Of course you have to have something made of plastic to put your parts in. You can even make something that will work from an old kiddie swiming pool. Next you need a battery charger. If you want to know how let me know.

Yep. I'm going to strip the whole truck down to the bare frame. It's not got a speck of paint left on it. Just a nice, solid coat of barn rust (no rot to speak of, just surface rust). I need to get that rust off all the sheetmetal and small parts, prime them good and store them away in the barn while I rebuild the chassis. In short, I'd love to know about your electrolysis procedure!

Send me a note:
skattengell@charter.net

Say Chevman ,let us all know about the process, sounds interesting and might be helpful to others.me included.

Say Chevman ,let us all know about the process, sounds interesting and might be helpful to others.me included.

Chevman, I'd like to know too!

Try these 3 sites and if you have any questions you can surely send me a note. I will be glad to help out. I have done it before and it works great!!!!!!!!

http://www.oldengine.org/members/billd/trailer-electrolysis.htm

http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/rust.htm

http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tools/Electrolysis.htm

Thanks Steve! Can't wait to try it!

Yep, looks like it'll work! Thanks Steve. Work smarter, not harder...right??

Well it is a very inexpensive way do do the job that would normaly cost a bunch. It is very safe also. You can use the solution over and over again. You can even pour it out on the lawn when you are done. By the way you can put your hands in the solution while it is working. I have never been shocked.
Have fun with it!!

I'm not far away, Hillsborough. Do you participate in the local chapter?
Sandblasting is VERY hard to do on body metal. I had a Willys RUINED by a stupid blaster! But I also had my '34 DB blasted and it was great, even on very thin spots. It's all in the care taken by the operator. I'm no expert, but I hear that primer is not a solid seal and may not be a long term preservative.
Wilson

Some blasters don't know how to do cars, there main thing is much heavier metal and they do cars every now and then to make some extra money.

Car blasters use a lot of different materials not just sand (and not all sand is the same); sand for a heavy frame is ok, but sand is too rough on a lot of the sheet metal body parts or fiberglass.

So one way to judge how much a blaster knows is to ask what materials he will use on different parts of the car.

Do a web search and you will learn a lot about the different blasting methods/materials used today by the people who know what they are doing.

web article on blasting

and

materials or media used


Good Luck on your project.

PS. if you use a commercial dipper make sure they get all of the liquid out (or neutralized) of all of the many hiding places for liquid in a car body that has been submerged.

Hi all,
Another method of rust removal that works real well,is a mixture of molasses and water.It requires no electricity,and works really well,albeit slowly.
The mixing ratio of molasses to water is usually 1 part molasses to 2 parts water.this is for very rusty parts.If your parts aren't so rusty,you can try 1 part molasses to 3 parts water.
You must use a container that's either plastic lined,or a small kids pool or an old enamel lined bath tub,depending on the size of the part/s to be de-rusted.
Just make sure any parts/panels are thoroughly de-greased before you put them in the solution.Don't put any aluminium alloys,die cast,cast iron or magnesium based metals or case hardened items in the solution,as it will eat them away pretty quickly.Just check your parts frequently,and when they're clean,rinse down in fresh water,and prime straight away.
The molasses contains a small amount of phosphoric acid,which is in most commercial rust removers,but it is in such a small proportion,it's not harmful to your skin.
The only down side is that it will smell after a while,and attract bugs,but if you cover it up,and get rid of it when it goes off(it safe enough to go down the sewer),you'll have very clean parts.


:)

Kevin, is it ok if the goats, pigs and chickens help take the molasses off the parts, just add a few pounds of cracked corn to the mix!? Ha!
I am going to try it anyway (without the corn), had never thought of mole-asses!

Hi MrMack,
I think if the chickens etc. get to clean the molasses off your parts,you might wind up having to clean a lot you know what off your parts!The cracked corn idea sounds good,but the revenuer's/customs people might have something to say about the end product though!
A mate of mine dismantled the bonnet(engine hood to you over there)of his 1929 Plymouth,and did the 2 side panels as well as the 2 top panels,and they came out as clean as the day they were pressed out.But,as I said,you must prime any parts as soon as possible after you've rinsed them in water and thoroughly dried them,or they'll start rusting straight away.
Let me know how it works out for you.

I never would have thought of that in a million years! Now I'm going to have to conduct two experiments...one with electricity and one without. Thanks for the advice! I've got a dog that will eat almost anything...Maybe that'll save me some $ on parts washing solution :)

Wilson - I sent you an email...My wife and I lived in Hillsborough before we moved to Lillington, and my brother and his wife live there still...We visit the area regularly! It's nice to know there's somebody local that loves old Chevrolets...

Tyler

I will try the molasses, in another way besides mixed with a big glob of cow salve butter and smeared upon a big old hot Cat-head bisquit, but it will be in more pleasant weather. I prefer the temp to be around 85 F or better to keep my blood circulateing, today it is one of our 5 days a year for some freezing drizzle and the temp in the 20 degree range. I bet the molasses works better in sunshine and 90 degrees.

Hi Mr Mack,
I'd hate to try and pour the molasses in your cold temperatures,you'd probably have to put a blow torch under it to get it fluid enough!
It should be O.K when your weather warms up,just like ours at the moment.We're averaging 30 degrees Centigrade per day,and about 85-90% humidity.Real good weather for working in the shed.

The soda bath with battery power sounds interesting. I just got some parts back frome the blaster and he blasted them with water and soda mixture, this took high air pressure. No noticable damage to metal infact I have looked quite hard and see no damage metal looks prettty like new, one pro of this process is it leaves body fillers that is in good shape and good adherance intact, if it is bad the blaster will take it out with glass bead. The draw back is it is rather expensive but I live in CA an expensive part of the country anyways. Gerry Moe