How To De-Rust Metal For Priming
Progress on The Traveling Pheasant mobile coffee bar continues with our next stage of renovation: rust removal and treatment.
In the way that pressure washing was therapeutic, chipping away rust flakes to reveal a smooth surface is equally as satisfying. Thankfully, “Betsy” does not have as much rust as some of the other horse trailers I looked at purchasing, but there is still a lot of work to be done, as I have now become painfully aware.
As this is my first DIY horse trailer renovation project, I searched YouTube for how-to videos, advice and products that I should use. Although I did walk away with some tips, I noticed there were very real gaps in the knowledge that I needed, and it seemed not to exist. It’s my goal to help fill this gap and share with you what I did, the order I did it, product reviews on what I used and most of all, what worked and what did not – so let’s dive in!
Step 1: Remove the Wheels
I started on the exterior area that had the most rust and for me, that was the wheels and the wheel well. If you are working on a project that has rust on the sides or in areas that are higher up, I would recommend working on those areas first to avoid constantly having to clean the lower areas of falling rust.
I thankfully had help and the tools needed in order to complete this step. You will need a floor pump tire jack, electric impact wrench and wedges to place under tires to prevent movement.
When the wheels were removed, the brake drum and well had very heavy rust deposits and flaking. Additionally, the bolts and the wheels themselves were in need of attention.
Slide right to see the "after" shot!
Side note: “Betsy” does have some areas where rust was so advanced that she will need to be welded near the fenders and back barn doors (that will be shared in a future post!)
Step 2: Put On Protective Equipment – You Need It!
I am the farthest thing from "Safety Sam" but this is one time where I can respect the need for precaution. Even if you are doing this in a well-ventilated area, the rust dust, chips and paint go everywhere and that is the last thing you want in your eyes or lungs. You will want to use goggles and a mask.
LIVE & LEARN TIP: I picked a bad day to wear glasses instead of contacts. If you have the option, go for contacts to not battle two pairs of eyewear!
I would also recommend heavy duty gloves, especially when using the wire brush, as you are highly likely to graze against sharp metal - I learned the hard way!
Note that you will also be covered in debris from your arms, legs, feet and even hair as you start to work on areas above your head. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and a hat is not a bad idea, again – I learned the hard way!
PRO TIP: Go one step further and wear protective earmuffs or plugs. I already have pretty sensitive hearing so the muffs I had from clay pigeon shooting are a God send when grinding, sawing, sanding and drilling.
Step 3: Use a Wire Drill Attachment to Chip Away Heavy Rust
I ordered a ¼” wire cup brush from Amazon and for only $4 it did a great job! For that price, I was actually expecting it not to work. It attaches like a bit to an electric drill saving you some serious elbow grease.
LIVE & LEARN TIP: Bring the brush in contact with the metal on an angle, using the edge of the brush.
If like me, you have not used one before, my tip to you is to bring the brush in contact with the metal on an angle (using the edge of the brush) and not trying to brush head on. It is extremely hard to control if you go for the latter.
Step 4: Use a Handheld Wire Brush For Hard to Reach Areas
This is where you get your arm workout in! Although the drill attachment removes the majority of the surface rust, there will be areas, like the small nooks and crannies that you will not able to get into unless you purchase a set of wire cup brushes with various sizes (which I did not). A handheld Dremel tool and attachment would likely be of use here as well.
Not only did I use the brush on areas the drill could not reach, but I went over the areas again for good measure and to really get the underside of the well.
Step 5: With a Sander, Work Area Until Smooth
After the heavy duty flaking surface rust was removed, I went over the wheel well walls with an electric palm sander using 80 grit pads. Despite the pressure washing and the brushing, there was still stubborn dirt and cobwebs!?
Yes, I am also a perfectionist and likely care more than the Average Joe on an area that is going to be covered. However, I am of the mindset that if you are going to do something, do it right. I can’t half-effort anything.
When you are working on areas that are not covered, sanding is still a good idea to allow for the smoothest possible painting surface.
Step 6: Treat With a Degreaser
This step was one that I found in my YouTube search but after trial and error, I found that you only need to do this step on an area you need to fill in with Bondo.
Bondo is an autobody putty that is used to fill in gaps and is applied much like a drywall patch. Once it dries, you sand it down so that it smooth and creates a seamless texture with the surrounding area.
PSA: Bondo has harsh chemical fumes & just as harmful dust particles when sanding. Take extra precautions with heavy duty filtration masks when using!
I picked up Zep Degreaser from Home Depot and again, at a very low price point compared to other similar products, it worked great. I used it on the wheels and, my goodness, the before and after photos are awesome!
Treating the area with a degreaser helps to clean the surface area of any dust and debris to have a clean slate, in this case, for the rust inhibitor needed before applying any Bondo. (If rust is not treated before Bondo is applied it will continue to spread through the material).
Step 7: Treat With a Rust Inhibitor
This step is not entirely necessary on areas you plan to use Rustoleum’s Heavy Rusted Metal Primer for painting, but it IS needed for areas that will have Bondo applied.
I purchased products seen on Youtube videos by other DIY’ers and product demos from brands themselves and I was very disappointed, but learned the following:
LIVE & LEARN TIP: Rust Inhibitor Vs. Rust Remover – they are NOT the same.
An inhibitor/converter seals the area and prevents rust from spreading. A remover is to oxidize (dissolve) the rust, returning the metal to a clean, shining state.
The rust inhibitor I purchased was Rust Kutter and at first, I didn't realize I only needed this on areas that would need Bondo since I am planning to use a specific rusted metal primer that is ok to paint over rusted metal. I mistakenly thought I could spray this on all rusted areas and it would be dissolved. Don't do what I did and waste a significant portion of the bottle!
Product Pro: When left to sit on the rusted area, it will begin to oxidize some of the rust when left up to 4 days to dry. You can then sand off this additional rust (Step 9 below)
Product Con: It will not make your heavy rusted metal return to shiny metal. It also can take up to 4 days to try unlike other products I have subsequently found that can dry in up to 30 minutes.
The rust remover I purchased was Must For Rust and I do not recommend it at all. I watched the product demo on how they dipped extremely rusted metal into the solution and it came out shining new. Fake news, don’t waste your money. From my experience, it did not remove any rust.
Alternate Step 8: Treat With a Rust Remover
I tag this as an alternate step for any lightly rusted metal you may have on your project and you want to restore the original shine. Likely on anything that you do not plan to prime and paint, leaving the metal finish in tack.
Personally, I did not have luck with any such product. I had hoped to restore the lug nuts of the tires and the rims, however, nothing seemed to touch the rust damage. In the end, I opted to use metallic spray pain to achieve the same aesthetic.
Step 9: Re-sand The Rust Inhibitor Treated Areas
For areas that you chose to treat with a rust inhibitor like Rust Kutter, you will find that after it has dried, rusted areas have formed a layer of chalk like residue or other flaky properties. When this happened for me, I used the electric sander with a 120 grit pad to remove the residue and provide a smooth surface for priming.
LIVE & LEARN TIP: Don't pre-sand areas where rust inhbitor is needed. You will create twice the work.
When there is so much sanding to be done in the first place, I learned that when there is a huge area of rust, don’t bother sanding the whole area before treating with a rust inhibitor.
The Rust Kutter production of additional flacking as it dries requires a second sanding. As a result, I was sanding down areas twice, taking up twice as much time. Instead, I lived and learned. When the time came to do the floor frame, I only used the wire cup brush to take away the large flakes and chips of rust, then sprayed Rust Kutter and to let it do its thing! That way, I only had to sand the frame once.
Again, this is a personal preference depending on how much rust you really want to remove before priming.
I SO look forward to the day where the primer goes on and there is a uniform paint color! I know that all of this work is helping, but it is hard to see when the sanding is making things look worse by chipping away paint and creating patches!
In addition to the rust treatment today, we also cleaned up front window by removing the interior framing, using ample amounts of windex and my mom coming to the rescue to remove the enormous dead bugs from the sill that I just could not handle!
I hope my trial and error findings are able to help you in your own DIY projects! Pour your favorite brew to help you power through, remember to follow along with our progress and read about how our sanding turns out!
Your faithful rust warrior,
Heather
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