Body Guys- Rust Converter

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Nov 4, 2012
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Okay body guys, tell me about rust converters. When I was still working auto body, and we ran into black pitted rust, we used a die grinder to remove as much as possible, then we used rust mort in a few light coats, let it cure 24 hours, came back and removed the excess with a red scotchbrite and plain water, let it dry, then used wax and grease remover and put on our primer (Transtar 2K Kwik Prime). I can't remember ever having any issues doing that, but I talked to a buddy of mine this afternoon and he says Rust Mort is old technology and too aggressive, it can react with the primer too easily.

He uses something called Picklex 20, he said you can put it on the whole panel and you don't have to rinse it off before you put the primer on.

I've not heard of this product before and definitely never used it. He orders his supplies from the same place I do and they do not carry it, he buys it online. The stuff is really expensive, like $90 for a 32 oz bottle, and it's not very convenient because I have to buy it online vs down the street.

Anyone using Picklex? Worth the money and the inconvenience of ordering online? Is anyone still using Rust Mort without issues?

This is the type of rust I'm talking about-

20200622_181224~2.jpg
 

RabbitHoleSS

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Dec 8, 2019
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If you got a compressor you can make spot blaster for like 5 bucks. Then 15 for the media at tsc. Downside that stuff gets everywhere. But it works better then the magic elixirs.
 
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UC645

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If you got a compressor you can make spot blaster for like 5 bucks. Then 15 for the media at tsc. Downside that stuff gets everywhere. But it works better then the magic elixirs.
Ditto on it getting everywhere. I blasted a lot of my car, somewhere around 70% of it, and I’m still shaking the stuff out.

If you go this route, buy a sandblasting hood. No homemade solution I’ve tried has kept that crap out of my eyes.
 
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If you got a compressor you can make spot blaster for like 5 bucks. Then 15 for the media at tsc. Downside that stuff gets everywhere. But it works better then the magic elixirs.

I've got a box of glass bead media, as you mentioned, the stuff makes such a mess and I don't have front suspension on the car so I can't just roll it outside, I'm stuck in the garage. And I'm also working near nice paint that I want to preserve so blasting media going everywhere is even less ideal.
 
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I decided to give the spot blaster a shot. It did work, but as expected it made such a mess. I turned my garage into a beach. It still didn't get all the pits out. After I cleaning up as much of the glass media as I could, I just don't think its the right tool for the job. If I could get the car outside it might be different. I think im gonna have to mechanically remove as much of this rust as possible and then chemically treat what is left. Any other thoughts on rust mort vs picklex vs anything else?

20200623_132843.jpg
20200623_140707.jpg
20200623_145419.jpg
 
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UC645

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Honestly, if the rust mort has worked in the past, I’d stick to that. I’ve tried Ospho and KBS Rust Blast, Ospho does not seem to have the bite of pure phosphoric acid, and the KBS stuff worked exactly once as described on the bottle. I’m attempting to use both the latter on my frame, and the KBS stuff causes flash rust like a Marvin-heckler, while the oxide it creates just wipes off with a shop towel.
Picklex was just too expensive to justify for working like the miracle cure I have read it to be.
 
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Macguyver

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REMOVE ALL RUST!!! It will be back if not. At least in the Midwest.
 

Olds G's

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POR 15 is what I have used in the past and currently with great success. https://www.por15.com I have used it on the inside of bumpers to frame rails to engine saddles. The great thing is that is needs some rust to work so you don't have to get too crazy with cleaning it all off. Very happy with this product. It dries absolutely tough as nails. I'll see if I have some pics to post for you...
 
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UC645

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Apr 20, 2020
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POR 15 is what I have used in the past and currently with great success. https://www.por15.com I have used it on the inside of bumpers to frame rails to engine saddles. The great thing is that is needs some rust to work so you don't have to get too crazy with cleaning it all off. Very happy with this product. It dries absolutely tough as nails. I'll see if I have some pics to post for you...
No offense, if you used anything with moisture cured urethane in the fine print, unless there’s epoxy primer under it, it’s days are numbered.

I’ve learned the hard way with sheet metal(my floorpans), and the rear bumper on my dad’s Avalanche. My floors were rotted worse than they were after I spent a summer making sure I got every nook and cranny. My dad’s bumper was from the south, rust free OEM bumper, he backed into a concrete pole and it folded like tinfoil. It’s not worth your car for snake oil, like Lucas.
 
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Nov 4, 2012
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Honestly, if the rust mort has worked in the past, I’d stick to that. I’ve tried Ospho and KBS Rust Blast, Ospho does not seem to have the bite of pure phosphoric acid, and the KBS stuff worked exactly once as described on the bottle. I’m attempting to use both the latter on my frame, and the KBS stuff causes flash rust like a Marvin-heckler, while the oxide it creates just wipes off with a shop towel.
Picklex was just too expensive to justify for working like the miracle cure I have read it to be.

I am probably gonna wind up sticking to the rust mort. I know it won't react with my primer, at least the way I've prepped it, it hasn't. I don't mind the price of the picklex if it works, but waiting for shipping sucks. I can run 5 minutes down the road and buy as much Rust Mort as I want.

I've personally had very mixed results with POR-15. Its holding up great on my rear gas tank in my Ford truck but that's about the only time I ever had good results with it. Plenty of people swear by it though.

But I'm really looking for a phosphoric acid type product that converts the rust to iron phosphate so that it no longer reacts with oxygen rather than a coating like POR to seal it. Most of the metal I'm working with is clean, except for these small pits. I'm used to the Rust Mort product but I'm second guessing myself because of what my buddy told me.
 
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