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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
Comments: cc: slowmachine82@GMAIL.COM
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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