Date:         Sat, 16 Mar 1996 00:46:08 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Vdubdude@aol.com
Subject:      Rust treatment, or repair?   please read (a little too long)

In a message dated 96-03-15 11:03:09 EST, you write:

>You never know until you check. Someone started rambling a few weeks ago 
>about rust treatment...that led me to the local toxic shelf at Wal-Mart 
>where I found this stuff called "One-Step" which claims to turn rust into 
>primer. Yeah, right. What it seems to do ...and I'm no chemist... is stop 
>the oxidation process and seal the rust. I guess you could call that 
>primer, but it seems like a reach to me. (*WARNING: If you check into 
>this, read the label; it's kinda scary...rantings about "blood problems" 
>in laboratory animals. Maybe this will go the way of halon?)
>
>

Joseph,

You mentioned that you found something at Wally World that you spray onto
rust and the rust turns into a lovely little primer.  You sounded skeptical.
 Is the product called "Extend"?  If so, I have used this on some
restorations before, and was slightly disappointed.  It seems that you have
exactly 24 hours in which to paint over this "paintable suface", no more, no
less.  I made the mistake of leaving this stuff exposed to the elements for
about two days once and it started to rust through the treatment area!  I
should have known.  I didn't follow the directions to the letter, and I
expected the treatment to be some type of barrier to moisture.  That was
foolish on my part.  If you are using "Extend", be forewarned.  You must
paint the small treatment areas as you create them or it is possible (even
out of the direct weather) that you could again be painting over little rust
"seeds" waiting to again erupt under your paint and eat away at what little
steel is left in some of the worse rust areas of your beloved Westy.

I've stopped using Extend brand rust converter.  I started using Eastwood
Company's CORROLESS brush-on or spray-on rust converter as it is thicker and
sands nicely as it is reletively thick.  It also contains tiny glass fibers
so as a coating, it seems to be very strong.  I have coated with this and
left it in the weather for months expecting to have to recoat the area due to
my laziness.  However I have never, even in positively sticky weather, seen
this product allow a rust bubble to again pop up under its' coating

I THEN had the opportunity to see firsthand the effects that sandblasting had
on a rusty piece of steel.  I was amazed to say the least.  When sandblasted,
a rusty piece of steel has ALL of the rust removed.  There's nothing left
lurking under the paint to again cause havoc with a poor little VW again.
 Sandblasting also gives a microscopic texture to the surface of the part or
panel that gives the paint "tooth".  This effect is excellent for paint
adhesion.  Imagine how much easier paint can hold onto a sandblasted surface
than that of a pressed smooth panel with little or no (microscopic) surface
texture.  Just as with any sanding, though, sandblasting can create heat
(though it most likely won't remove healthy steel as a grinder would).  There
have been many cases of overworked sandblasters warping someone's part as a
result of staying in one spot too long before moving on to the next area.
 The job must be done with moderate patience and a little strategy.  Results
can be fantastic, or tragic.  

I have given up miracle coatings for sandblasting.  I have a 5 hp air
compressor in my home garage, and a Harbor Freight plastic shoulder carried
blaster that holds 10 lbs of media.  I can usually blast for about five
straight minutes with 10 lbs of media.  A hundred pounds of fine washed sand
cost $3.00 here in SC.  I can afford this.  I can turn out prize-winning
restorations with this and my mig welder, my spray gun, my dual action
sander, etc. (I am no professional bodyman)

I am currently replacing a driver's door on my newly aquired $100 derilict
'83 Westy.  I called my local VW junk guy and ordered a rust-free, dent free,
bondo free Vanagon door.  I got one with only a couple of rust holes, and it
was only dented in two places (one was a ding, the other was droppage damage
while removing from donor Vanagon).  I was forced to accept this, as he had
the only door for 120 miles.  I had to rid the door of the rust, I used my
blaster.  I nailed every speck of rust on that door and used epoxy
primer/surfacer on top of that.  I will have a well restored door that I will
not have to worry about for at least 10 years, even in this soggy coastal
air.

Sorry to have bent your ear for so long.  I want to keep these wonderful
vehicles around at least as long as I am.  Anyone have any experiences /
comments to share or maybe even questions? (I do not purport to be an expert
on bodywork, nor a corrosion engineer)

Ric (not to be confused with that OTHER Ric)
VdubDude@aol.com

primo '82 Vanagon 7-pass
derilict '83 Westfalia
restored '81 5000 diesel
modified GTI '79 Dasher 3 door
soon to be the owner of the only '81 Jetta Convertible Diesel in the world!