Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:26:33 EDT
Reply-To: RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Seeking advice for fixing many small rust spots
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 10/08/2008 2:22:30 P.M. Central Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
Michael & others intrested. I do this all the time for customers &
if fact just redid the camper side of my personal '87 Westy last week. So
listen carefully.
Clean the area to be repaired with automotive Wash & Wipe Metal Prep to
remove all grease, wax and any other paint contaiminates. Using a wire wheel on
an air tool or drill, remove the flaking rust from the rust spots and remove
all paint surrounding the rust spot so that you see at least 1/2" of nice
shinny metal around the rust spot. Using 80 grit aluminium oxide sandpaper by
hand or with a oscillating round eclectic or air sander, sand the rust area
and feather edge the surrounding paint to that the new primers and paint will
blend in without leaving an edge. Prep the area with POR-15 Marine Clean and
Metal Ready as per the instructions. Apply POR-15 to the rusted area using
an automotive touch up spray gun just overlapping the feather edged paint
slightly. If there are any rust holes or perforation they can be repaired using
automotive Fiberglas cloth with the POR-15, try to keep the surface as level
as possible by working the repair from the back side if possible. Pieces of
metal may be used the same way as the POR-15 will bond two pieces of metal
together if the POR-15 preparation instructions are followed precisely.
Countersunk pop rivets can be used to hold the two pieces of metal together until
the POR-15 cures. NOW here's the real hard part of this repair. If at all
possible you MUST apply the POR-15 to the rear side of the rusted area your
trying to repair to insure a perfect everlasting repair. If you do not
encapsulate the metal then the rust may return as air causing oxidation of the metal
can get in from the unprotected surface. Now, before the POR-15 has cured
apply a few coats of grey Urethane high build primer, you must apply enough
primer so that when you sand it you will not sand through the POR-15 as this will
compromise the POR-15 coating and render it ineffective as a rust deterrent.
Once the primer has cured, sand with 220 grit aluminium oxide sandpaper to
smooth, apply more high build primer or polyester resin to fill any pock
marks or small deviations in the surface that need filling, final sand the area
with 320 grit aluminium oxide sandpaper, then using 3M red buffing pads, rough
up the area of paint around the area to be colour sprayed. This will help
to blend in the new paint to the old paint. Any areas of the surface that may
have been sanded through to bare shinny metal, as opposed to rusted metal,
must be primed with Vinyl Wash primer before painting. Once the area has been
sanded properly and prepped with Wash & Wipe, apply the paint colour of your
choice. The use of Wash & Wipe metal prep to clean the surfaces to be
painted should be done before beginning the repair and before painting. Proper
masking of areas not to be painted is also needed. After the paint has cured
use rubbing compound to blend the edges of the new and old paint. It will
never be perfect but will look good until your ready to paint the entire van.
>>>>Vanagonauts,
My trusty '82 Westy is suffering from cancer in small spots all over
the van. In the desert, where I currently live, it will take many
more years to do any real damage to the van. However, I'm moving to
New Hampshire next spring. I worry for the van. I have already
arranged indoor storage, but I know that the rust will accellerate in
the humid climate.
Photos here <http://picasaweb.google.com/slowmachine82/VanRust>
I greatly admire the restoration work that is being done by some of
our list members, but I think the cost is beyond my budget. I'm
looking for recommended strategy and techniques for dealing with this
myself. Stripping the van and paying a professional body shop is not
an option, at least not in the next 12 months. I'd like to be able to
do small areas on the weekends. I'm more concerned with corrosion
control than cosmetics, but I'd like the van to remain all-white while
I do spot repairs. Precise color-matching of the spot repairs is not
important to me.
In the past, I have attempted rust repair on other vehicles by
sanding, rust converter spray, prime and paint. The rust returned
every time. I have a compressor that is too small for full-on
sand/media blasting, but it may be enough for one of Eastwood's
spot-blasters.
I don't want this to get out of control and destroy this wonderful
van. Please point me in the right direction.<<<<<<<<
Cheers,
Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
_Frank Condelli & Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
- Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/exhaust.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm) a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 12 ~ 15, 2008
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