This is looking like a great project! I hope I never have to go this far but I would if necessary! Our '04 Ex came out of Indiana/Michigan but the primary rust is just surface underneath. I've cleaned the one side, sprayed rust converter and undercoating on it. I will hit the other side once I am home from deployment. The only other rust spot is at the rocker/wheel well on the driver side behind the rear door. I'll be watching this thread with great interest. Once you are finished, I might need a corner!!!!!

 

I have finally finished blasting the frame and took it to the powder coater last Friday. He called today and it is done, so I will pick it up tomorrow. Figured I should catch up this thread. My initial sand usage estimate was way out of wack. I ended up using 31 50 lb bags of play sand, plus 100 lbs of actual silica sand. I wanted to see if there was a difference in how the sand preformed. The play sand actually seemed to do a better job. The play sand cost $4.75 for a 50 lb bag and the silica sand was $11.25 for 100 lbs.
I forgot to get a picture of the dry sandblasting equipment, so I will get that later. I did make up a fitting to get rid of the lance on the power washer so it was not such a long reach.

Here is the standard power washing setup


Here it is with the fitting I made. Much easier to use, although maybe a little more splash back.


I also used a little spot sander that I modified to get into some areas that everything else was just too big to get into. Worked really good on the inside of the frame horns


I cleaned up the flash rust with a DA, electric sander, die grinder, pretty much everything that I had that turned. I ran across something I hadn't been aware of. They are called Roloc discs, and I used the scotch brite style and they worked pretty good. I also used a bristle disc, and that worked great around the rivets.
Roloc discs - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Roloc bristle disc - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Although I haven't posted on this thread hardly at all this summer, I have been squeezing in some time to work on the EX. I have been in Texas helping Mike pull my axles and mocking them up. I ended up getting an 08 front axle and there are quite a few differences from the 07. I have been posting the differences in the thread Mike started - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...on-thread.html.

 

Almost forgot, here is the frame when I dropped it off

 

That looks awesome! Should have done a clear coating to keep it looking bare

 

I was going to do clear powder coat, but decided that it would be hard to match if and when I need to touch up.

 

Subscribed. This is gonna be awesome...

 

You did an excellent job cleaning it.

 

That is sweet! It will be nice and clean going back together. Great job for sure!

 

I have been picking away at some smaller parts and the axles. My wife put me in an EX time out until I got some stuff done around the house and we had been traveling off and on since Thanksgiving. I have not had a lot of hours or days to get much done. I got the frame back from the powder coater and it looks really well. Notice that was when the grass was still green and before any white stuff had fallen.


I got the coil buckets, radius arm brackets and quite a few odds and ends cleaned up and powder coated as well, but had them done in a different color, so you'll have to wait until stuff is mounted to see that. I am able to spend more time working on the EX now that I am free from my time out.

 

wow thats nice.

 

Where did you have your frame done? Also, where abouts are you in Ohio? I'm in Wilmington.

 

Duffee Finishing north of Columbus, Sunbury mailing address. I live west of Columbus in West Jefferson.

 

The rear axle has been cleaned and painted. 2 coats of primer, 3 coats of paint.

Cleaned and in the paint booth


All painted and ready to go back together

 

Calipers and brackets cleaned and ready for paint



I'm going to use this paint. Biggest complaint I saw was that brake fluid attacked the paint. It has a 7 day curing period (which isn't a problem for me), so we'll see if people just weren't waiting for the paint to cure.


Also painting hardware and other assorted rear axle parts.

 

I hope it works with the proper dry time. You've done a great job so far. I just missed out on a TX Excursion. I couldn't find any decent loads to TX so I could pick it up. With all the snow we've been getting, I might put our EX back together and use the money towards a nice V plow. LOL