A good rule of thumb is to strip only as much rust as you can prime in a day. Unless you live in a particularly dry environment, iron and steel will begin to rust almost immediately-the sooner you apply a moisture-proof coating, the better. Second, prime the cleaned metal as soon as possible. There are two important rules to remember when priming cleaned iron. For small repairs, though, don’t underestimate the holding power of many modern epoxies. For heavier stock, if you have welding experience, it should be fairly simple to create replacement parts. Several companies manufacture paste-like fillers containing iron filings once cured, their surface can be ground flat to match the surrounding profile. Sheet metal can be repaired with sheets of woven fiberglass coated with an epoxy or polyester resin. However, if you want to use a latex topcoat, you’ll still need to apply an alkyd primer over the converted rust. If you plan to finish the piece with an alkyd paint, this layer also acts as a primer, allowing you to skip a step. A chemical reaction turns the rust black while it alters and bonds it to the surface of the iron. After scraping away loose scale, rust, and dirt (don’t clean too well the converter needs rust to work), clean the surface with mineral spirits, then apply the rust treatment. For particularly heavily rusted areas, the jelly can be applied repeatedly.Ī final cleaning option is a tannic- acid-based “rust converter”-several have been on the market for a number of years with some good success. I like to follow this up with a mineral-spirits wipedown to get rid of remaining moisture. Any remaining residue comes off easily with water, per the instructions. Wait 10 minutes, then remove the slurry with a rag. After scraping away loose scale and dirt, use a disposable brush to apply a thick coating of Naval Jelly. Start by sanding away corrosion-either by hand, or with the help of power tools.Īnother option is to clean the iron with chemicals that contain phosphoric acid, like Naval Jelly. When you’re finished, clean the abraded surface with a rag dampened in mineral spirits. These flexible sanding materials can be folded into the shapes needed to clean tight areas. Finally, remove any remaining rust with either a piece of emery cloth or an abrasive pad like synthetic steel wool. If you’re using power, remember to use a light touch (it’s easy to grind away intact metal beneath rust). Wire brushes come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and many can be attached to a number of common power tools. Sandblasting is the most aggresive form of abrasion, but for most of us, some form of wire brushing and manual sanding is usually all that’s needed. Hard metals like iron and steel respond well to abrasive and chemical cleaning. Step 1: Clean ItĬorrosion can be cleaned from metals using abrasive, chemical, or even thermal techniques. But rusted iron can be restored through a simple four-step procedure: cleaning, repairing, priming, and finishing. The main downside to iron is its tendency to combine readily with oxygen to form rust. Sure, there are stronger, lighter, more rust-resistant and conductive metals, but pound for pound, iron is the least expensive. It is plentiful and very strong it can be cast into molds or rolled into sheets. Iron is arguably the most useful metal on the planet. A rusted iron railing that’s weathered many years outside can be returned to a good-as-new appearance with these simple steps.Īs old-house owners, we may deal with corrosion on a number of different metals, but it’s likely that the battle against the forces of rust will focus on one metal in particular: iron.
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