Giving rusty parts a smooth clean paintjob?

[thecantaloupeman]

So I am curious how to go about this because I've seen some people make older parts look brand new with a can of spray paint, but I tried this on my air cleaner and it didn't come out very good. Same with my spare tire mount and battery tray.

I usually use a drill with a wire wheel to get rust off but then I'm left with some pitting. Most of the time when I paint rusty stuff I get the rust off, but the pitting makes it look like I just painted over the rust.

I bought a nice dewalt angle grinder to try and solve this problem (and I know i'll find other uses for it) and was using the sander flap wheel but it is grinding metal off which I don't think is the best way to go about this.

I like how my orbit sander worked on the flat bits, but it doesn't get into grooves. It removed the rust and paint but didn't grind metal down.

Is there a wheel that will do the same thing on the angle grinder or am I using the complete wrong tool?

How do I get a nice smooth brand new looking paint job? I think this could be useful for some other folks out there as well who just want to refresh their older parts and prevent further rust. It's kinda fun to just take parts off and clean them really nice and it just looks like you replaced the whole thing.

 

[eskimomann209]

A cup brush for the angle grinders. Won’t get rid of pitting tho. There isn’t really a solution for that. Besides filling it In one way or another.
Wear Saftey glasses with these, doesn’t matter how cool you are. These things do damage. You’ll find wire in your underwear later if doing it in basketball shorts, so take them seriously.
Your best bet is to prime and use something like hammered black paint. It’ll kinda work with the pitting.

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[chengny]

So I am curious how to go about this because I've seen some people make older parts look brand new with a can of spray paint, but I tried this on my air cleaner and it didn't come out very good. Same with my spare tire mount and battery tray.

I usually use a drill with a wire wheel to get rust off but then I'm left with some pitting. Most of the time when I paint rusty stuff I get the rust off, but the pitting makes it look like I just painted over the rust.

I bought a nice dewalt angle grinder to try and solve this problem (and I know i'll find other uses for it) and was using the sander flap wheel but it is grinding metal off which I don't think is the best way to go about this.

I like how my orbit sander worked on the flat bits, but it doesn't get into grooves. It removed the rust and paint but didn't grind metal down.

Is there a wheel that will do the same thing on the angle grinder or am I using the complete wrong tool?

How do I get a nice smooth brand new looking paint job? I think this could be useful for some other folks out there as well who just want to refresh their older parts and prevent further rust. It's kinda fun to just take parts off and clean them really nice and it just looks like you replaced the whole thing.

I use POR-15. It is nice and thick and lays down smooth. It will fill in a lot of pitting.

 

[Salty Crusty]

Most of the big companies make a rust converter. I've used Rustoleum Rust Converter in the past with good luck. A wire wheel is a good start but make sure you wipe everything down with thinner after you've run it so you get all the tiny pieces off. This stuff is easier to use than POR-15 and not nearly as thick. Whichever you use, you'll still need filler/body work if you want a very smooth paint job.

 

[eskimomann209]

I use POR-15. It is nice and thick and lays down smooth. It will fill in a lot of pitting.

I avoided mentioning por-15 Because I have not used it in a rattle can. Even though I have one on the garage shelf. Lol

 

[BryanC]

When I repainted the tops of the inner fenders on my 68, my friend first used a rust converter followed by a couple coats of flat black. Next he had me wet block sand the surfaces. He did this a couple of times until surfaces were smooth (I was free labor) and then laid down gloss black.

That was over 30 years ago and there is no rust. However, the gloss black has dulled over the years and will get freshened up on the next re-paint.

 

[MisterB]

Make sure you are spraying from the correct distance, and that you do multiple light coats that you allow to dry for a short period in between. Read the label on the can for further instructions, but this is the root of the problem for a lot of folks that hold the can too close and lay on thick coats that don't cure properly

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[Scott91370]

I use POR-15. It is nice and thick and lays down smooth. It will fill in a lot of pitting.

My daughter and i just did the entire chassis (including suspension) on her truck. It does a good job of hiding pitting/scratches if you follow the directions and do nice thick coats.

 

[legopnuematic]

Sandblasting will typically give you the best surface in terms of preparation. However that is not something that everyone has the provisions or means of doing, so a good alternative is to clean the dirt and grease and loose rust and paint by mechanical stripping, then to use a chemical rust remover like evaporust, neutralize it and put some rust converter/ encapsulation. Then to prime and paint it. Brushed/sprayed will almost always provide a higher build than with aerosol spray.