Ok, so we sold one of our farms, and we will have to sell all the machinery and equipment on it.

Some of it has some surface rust, and flaking paint. I want to paint it all before we sell it.

What is the best (and cheapest) tool to remove surface rust before I prep it for spraying.
I can get a wire wheel on my 9" grinder, but it seems far too time consuming (there is a tractor and about half a dozen implements that need to be done).

I have seen a $200 sand blaster to be used through my high pressure washer - has anyone used one? Thoughts? Don't mind buying one, but don't want to spend 200 dollars - and for it to be useless.

Any other ideas?

 

A sandblaster is the way to go, and it would be worth $200 if that's what it cost. My brother rebuilt my Grandpa's (RIP) 1958 Farmall tractor, and he took that sucker apart piece by piece......Sandblasted, primed, and painted. There's a LOT of cast iron on those old machines too, and thick layers of flaking and rust were on the tractor.

 

Fred,

For just surface rust you could use a phosphoric acid metal prep like "Ospho" or "Rust mort" and forget about the labor intensive mechanical removal. These leave a phosphate coating similar to Parkerizing.
Much quicker to cover a large area and it does the work, not you. Just hose it off.

I have gone as far as to use a needle scaler on some serious rust projects. They're like an air chisel or riveter with numerous spikes sticking out the front.

I have no experience with a powerwasher attachment, but I have used dedicated 'wet blasters' before, but only on stone and wood. They worked well for keeping the dust down. I imagine the water would be a rust issue with all that freshly exposed metal.

If you're going to use a pressure pot sandblaster (which I would recommend) get a large piece of heavy (6mil or thicker) plastic so you can reuse the media and keep it out of the soil since there will probably be lots of lead paint on old equipment.
Wear a respirator and the hood. I've had to have sand dug out of my eyes before, it's no fun at all.

 

I'm thinking that you will need to use different tools for different areas on the equipment. Some areas getting sandblasted others getting hit w/ the grinder etc. I agree with the needle scaler too. I have a small sandblaster and it works well--wear ear plugs too--sand in your ears sucks. And as far as a wire wheel for a grinder goes get a knotted wire wheel--works better and lasts longer than a regular wire wheel--look with the welding supplies at Lowes/Home Depot.

 

How you plan on selling the equipment will be a big factor on what you use. If you are going to auction it, use a wire brush on a grinder and just paint it, it will not be worth the time you spend the money it will bring.
If you are going to sell one at a time through the paper or Ebay It may be worth doing a finer job depending on what prices are running in your area.
The biggest factor that I have seen is to make it clean! Greg

 

I'll second that!

 

I forgot about a needle scaler- Strange, since I own one. They are a very handy tool, and when you're done you can use it with thin aluminum and steel to make some interesting art pieces.

 

I have used Rust-Mort with great results.

 

Ok.

Went into the shop yesterday. I have on order a 10gal (12US gal) pressure pot sand blaster.
I couldn't get a hold of any Rust-Mort or Ospho here, but I got something similar (Staun 329 Corrosion Inhibitor). I have used it before when I re-sprayed my 10x6 cattle trailer, and worked well.

I don't think I will need a Needle Scaler (although cool unit - never seen them before, had to google it!).


Greg, as for your question, all the machinery will be auctioned, but I would rather sell it all in good condition - even if it isn't so cost effective.

 

Spray it with a product called "Rust N M E". It will convert the iron oxide (rust) to iron sulfide which is a good primer. Will not act on rust scale but does convert rust coating. You will have to chip off the scale first. Then you can paint right over the black iron sulfide.