Rust Prevention

"Dry cleaning" methods include media blasting, wire-brushing, and scraping. We're limiting ourselves to on-vehicle rust here, otherwise sand- or bead-blasting in a blasting cabinet is the hot rust-removal ticket for any parts that'll fit. Alternately, Eastwood offers a Blast Out of a Bucket kit, which includes a compressor-powered blasting gun, a hood and gloves. This method removes rust to bare metal, but sand will find its way into all adjacent areas, so bearings and other moving parts should be taped off. Also, sand particulates can lodge in the lungs and cause silicosis, so a respirator must be worn.


For the average do-it-yourselfer, good ol' elbow grease is the time-proven way to remove rust flakes. Low-tech methods include a standard wire brush, a scraper or a sanding block with coarse-grit paper. Higher up the evolutionary ladder are drill-mounted wheels, brushes and discs. Eastwood offers a variety of these; its 5-inch Cleaning Wheel is a good all-around rust-chaser. The underlying goal is to knock off as many rust flakes and bubbles as possible so that oxygen pockets won't remain under the topcoat.

Chemicals The underlying goal is to knock off as many rust flakes and bubbles as possible so that oxygen pockets won't remain under the topcoat.
A variety of rust inhibitors are available in auto parts stores and through mail-order catalogs. Not all of these products are compatible with primers and topcoats, so reading directions is critical. Even easier is to pick one line of products for all pre-paint work.


Working backwards, the final finish determines the metal-prep procedure. Popular finishes include powdercoating, electropainting, rubberized undercoating and painting. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, but the focus here is on on-vehicle rust repair, so painting is the best all-around do-it-yourself solution.


First, rust must be chemically inhibited. Eastwood Metal Wash is one method. It cleans and leaves a rust-resistant coating for situations where prep and priming won't happen on the same day.