Frame Cleaning
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Frame Cleaning
I'm getting ready to sandblast my frame, and have a few questions.
How do I clean and paint the inside of the first cross member that sits just below the engine, which is boxed in? How do I clean in the cracks and crevices where brackets are riveted to the frame? I'm sure there is rust building in the hairline gaps between the two layers of riveted steel.
I'm a complete newbie to all of this, and want to make sure I get off on the right foot.
My plan is to take everything down to bare metal, and then epoxy primer. How should I fully eliminate all the rust from these hard to reach frame areas?
How do I clean and paint the inside of the first cross member that sits just below the engine, which is boxed in? How do I clean in the cracks and crevices where brackets are riveted to the frame? I'm sure there is rust building in the hairline gaps between the two layers of riveted steel.
I'm a complete newbie to all of this, and want to make sure I get off on the right foot.
My plan is to take everything down to bare metal, and then epoxy primer. How should I fully eliminate all the rust from these hard to reach frame areas?
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
If you want to go all in remove all the rivets/brackets, meaning the frame cross members too, split the frame in half and start from there. Really...no just kidding.
Eastwood products/rust converter is a great product to get in those hard to reach areas. http://www.eastwood.com/paints/rust-solutions.html
Eastwood products/rust converter is a great product to get in those hard to reach areas. http://www.eastwood.com/paints/rust-solutions.html
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Joined: Oct 2014
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From: Pilot Mound, Iowa
If you want to go all in remove all the rivets/brackets, meaning the frame cross members too, split the frame in half and start from there. Really...no just kidding.
Eastwood products/rust converter is a great product to get in those hard to reach areas. Rust Paint - Rust Proofing Products - Rust Protection - Corrosion Control - Eastwood
Eastwood products/rust converter is a great product to get in those hard to reach areas. Rust Paint - Rust Proofing Products - Rust Protection - Corrosion Control - Eastwood
x2 on rust converter, it's good stuff.Jeff
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As a practical matter the frame around the engine gets well heated... and oiled. I would not worry too much about unseen corrosion there. I would be more worried about cleaning the oil/grease off those areas so the blast media does not stick. As far as brackets, focused sand blast is as good as it gets short of cutting the rivets and removing.
After sand blast, inspect and use a sharp tool if needed to get the last bit of rust out of the cracks. When priming/painting, a brush may be needed to get primer/paint in to seal the crevices as spray will probably not do it.
With one exception, rust stop primers do not generally adhere well to fresh blasted metal. They need rust to stick. Rustoleum red primer is the exception... it works fine on fresh blasted steel but is not as good as epoxy in that application. Red Rustoleum is pretty good on rust. Pick your poison!
After sand blast, inspect and use a sharp tool if needed to get the last bit of rust out of the cracks. When priming/painting, a brush may be needed to get primer/paint in to seal the crevices as spray will probably not do it.
With one exception, rust stop primers do not generally adhere well to fresh blasted metal. They need rust to stick. Rustoleum red primer is the exception... it works fine on fresh blasted steel but is not as good as epoxy in that application. Red Rustoleum is pretty good on rust. Pick your poison!
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It sounds like chemical rust converters and small sharp scraping tools are the way to go around the brackets.
There is definitely a buildup of oil and grease inside the front cross member, and boxed up frame rail sections. Are chemical cleaners and rust converters enough to remove all the dirt and grime? I can probably squeeze the pressure washer tip into some of those holes as well.
What about prepping the metal surface for best epoxy adhesion? I'm leaning towards using some sort of chemical metal etching to give some bite inside the frame rail?
I've also seen special spray guns with long attachable tubes for spraying inside rocker panels, and boxed in areas. They look perfect for spraying inside the frame. I'll probably pick one up when I'm ready to epoxy primer. I hadn't considered using a brush in the cracks, but sounds like I'll need some of those too.
Thanks for these tips. I'll definitely check out the Eastwood product line. Starting to feel more confident going into this!
There is definitely a buildup of oil and grease inside the front cross member, and boxed up frame rail sections. Are chemical cleaners and rust converters enough to remove all the dirt and grime? I can probably squeeze the pressure washer tip into some of those holes as well.
What about prepping the metal surface for best epoxy adhesion? I'm leaning towards using some sort of chemical metal etching to give some bite inside the frame rail?
I've also seen special spray guns with long attachable tubes for spraying inside rocker panels, and boxed in areas. They look perfect for spraying inside the frame. I'll probably pick one up when I'm ready to epoxy primer. I hadn't considered using a brush in the cracks, but sounds like I'll need some of those too.
Thanks for these tips. I'll definitely check out the Eastwood product line. Starting to feel more confident going into this!
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Joined: Aug 2013
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From: Terre Haute
I know it's not what you are asking, but the cheap hand-sized pneumatic needle scalers from harbor freight do a great job of removing that hard, dense dirt-grease combo that sandblasting media sticks to or bounces off of. Just a tip.
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