Monday, September 6, 2010

Rust proofing


As you fit new and repair panels into position, it pays to give them some rust protection at the earliest opportunity. The author has tried many lotions and potions which are supposed to arrest and/or prevent rusting and, of these, just two primer paints and one rust killer are recommended here. Honda Glass Bonda Prima is a product which can be sprayed as well as brush painted onto lightly rusted steel, and the author has achieved good long-term results with this product. The second rust resistant primer recommended is for use on clean steel and is called Tractol, which as the name suggests, is an agricultural product available from most
agricultural engineers' supply companies/ agricultural merchants. Tractol is an excellent product and economical as well! It should never be used as a primer for two-pack paints, but works well with other top coats, including cellulose.
The author has never felt able to recommend any of the commercially available products which are claimed to neutralise rust because, of those he has tried, none has proven as satisfactory as the products named. However, in 1993 Practical Classics magazine ran a test of such products, in which Dinitrol RC800 scooped first place by beating all other products whether used alone, with primer or with both primer and topcoat.
Following his own tests, Di nitro! RC800 Rustkiller is the only product of its ilk which the author has ever found to work to his satisfaction — literally, penetrating and converting the rust into a passive organic compound which bonds to the underlying steel. After waiting fifteen minutes for RC 800 to become touch dry; simply primer as normal. This product is available from Autoline in the UK.It is arguable that the use of any product over rust is not such a good solution as the eradication of the rust through sanding and wire brushing or metal replacement. Any panels which are structurally important must retain their original thickness and hence their full strength. If you wish to extend the life of
a non-structural panel, however, the correct use of some products mentioned here can help.shrink metal, you have to make it 'bunch up' by striking it repeatedly as shown in the diagram. In order to stretch metal, you thin it by beating. Heating the metal makes both stretching and shrinking easier.

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