O/T: surface rust treatment?

911hillclimber · Post by **911hillclimber** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:23 pm

I am in the first blows of doing the bodywork on my 1964 Lambretta, matching numbers and original paint.

The thin side panels have what some call condensation rust spots, the leg shields have heavy surface rust, some generated by galvanic corrosion of steel and die cat zinc or aluminium, some by water.

Stripping the paint by blasting is a worry as these parts are made very light, at a guess 18swg, maybe 22 swg.
Paint can be removed by nitromores, but it is how to 'kill' the surface rust before priming/colour (cellulose).
The underside of these panels get a lot of grief so they can be treated in a different way to protect the surfaces.

I would appreciate any suggestions how to remove the rust spots.

Thanks,
Graham.

Loz · Post by **Loz** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 7:51 pm

The panels look to be in good condition going by your photos, so a light sandblast would be ideal to remove the surface rust without damaging your metal.

Hth

911hillclimber · Post by **911hillclimber** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 8:03 pm

Do these companies know the meaning of light though?
New ones are £300 the pair but I must keep these originals.
I'll ask around tomorrow at Redditch Blasting.

haasad · Post by **haasad** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 9:08 pm

I'm sure in the "good old days" stripping was by chemical means or sanding . Rust spots were treated with a phosphate wash neutralised with water then dried and etch primed.

Bet you could clean the paint off with non destructive nitromoors, sand then use "kurust" then etch prime then fill prime . Very cheap traditional and all from rattle cans. Its a scooter, the last thing we know you painted was a 911 and by all accounts that was fine...don't believe the hype....

Sorry , 4 glasses of red...

Bewildebeest · Post by **Bewildebeest** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 9:58 pm

911hillclimber wrote: Paint can be removed by nitromors[/img]

Don't know if you've used Nitromors lately but it is now crap i.e. it ain't what it used to be. It's now water based (dunno why, H&S or EU rules or something) and you have to work far harder for much less effect.

Apparently trade outlets are still allowed to sell more effective products 'cos the trade know what they are doing.

but we Joe Publics aren't to be trusted.

redrobin911 · Post by **redrobin911** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:07 pm

Fertan is a highly respected rust treatment - used to stop rust on steel in the marine industry. Available at ships chandlers also.

911hillclimber · Post by **911hillclimber** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:20 pm

Being Old Skool I am very familiar with /Andy's method and still have a very solid jar of Kurust on the Old Skool Shelf. Black after application and neutralised I seem to remember with White Spirit/turps substitute.

I indeed used it on my cellulose re-paint on my 911 in 1989 and many projects before, but these old remedies are not the same today, just try WD40!
However the old chemistry was sound.

I'll have a look through the Frost Catalogue too, must be a Yankie solution on a page there!

These panels are very thin, so some may use crushed walnut shells etc, but it needs something sharp to abrade the rust out, or a chemical 'conversion'.

As an aside, restoring a Lambretta is quite refreshing financially.

Bruce M · Post by **Bruce M** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:38 pm

Wait til you get to the engine...

Kneeslider · Post by **Kneeslider** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:39 am

I would strip the paint by chemical means, and then deal with the rust with some of Bilt Hamber's products, their DeoxC gel, and dip have the same effect as blasting, but just disolve away all the corrosion, leaving shiny metal underneath. I used the gel product on the battery tray area on my TR6, spreading the gel in a thick layer, then covering it with cling film to prevent evaporation, leaving overnight, then agitating the next day with a brush, and leaving it covered again. In a few days, I had bright shiny metal to brush paint with etch primer. It was still sound and blemish free 10 years later when I sold the car.

Sam · Post by **Sam** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 7:01 am

Frosts do so something called Metal Ready, which works fine. I'm forever de rusting various things in my life with it.

911hillclimber · Post by **911hillclimber** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 8:52 am

Excellent!
Thank you all.
As to the engine, just finished it.

Amazing what a broken ring will do to a 2 stroke....

New head, barrel, piston and shards of steel embedded in the lower crank case body. Other than that not too bad!

Bruce M · Post by **Bruce M** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:19 am

My neighbour likes his scooters but had endless engine trouble.

He recently found a new engine bloke & sent him an engine. The boy phoned and said he would send back all the parts that were crap. He sent back most of the engine

including a load of new bits from the previous rebuild.
He said you can use original parts which are very old, Italian & not that well made... Or new Indian parts which are new & even less well made. The engine man uses German made parts instead but they unsurprisingly cost a lot more.

Same story different badge

Nige · Post by **Nige** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 10:24 am

Anything that is rusty, that needs treating and painting I use products available from here.

http://www.rust.co.uk/

camperco · Post by **camperco** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:17 pm

POR15

cluskera · Post by **cluskera** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:03 pm

redrobin911 wrote:Fertan is a highly respected rust treatment - used to stop rust on steel in the marine industry. Available at ships chandlers also.

+1

If you put this in a fertan wash twice and follow the instructions 100% (which are almost counterintuitive because surface has to be dampened), and then epoxy 421 primer, it'll never rust again in your lifetime.

Just make sure you protect your eyes. Or they ll never work again in your lifetime.

DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker