Back to Black - part 1

For years I have been torn

on how to finish the rusty 40.

Can you tell from this pic the direction changed a little?

No more rusty 40!

This has been my problem from the get go.

A solid surface rust layer.

I've seen media blasters clean up rusty bodies,

but in many cases there is still root rust,

deep in the pores.

Instead of risking any warping of the body,

I decided to chemically combat the rust,

the same procedure I had used on the roof section.

After almost a year it is still holding up.

The surface was massaged with a wire wheel, scouring pad and sand paper,

then topped off with a dose of ospho.

It was like putting aloe on a sunburn.

Meanwhile Jaxon had removed all the rubber

from the runningboards.

Awesome job!

Next up was my secret weapon.

That military/marine grade epoxy,

and a cheapo roller kit.

At this point I was still working on the lower patch panels.

You may cringe at the application method,

but I've got a technique!

This is a primer,

and the goal is to apply the thickest layer possible,

basically suffocating the sheetmetal in plastic.

So far I've gotten two coats on.

I'm happy to have bitten the bullet.

I loved the patina,

and had thought about a waxed or oiled surface.

Living by the coast with the salty fog,

it's a never ending battle.

I want to be able to leave this outside,

and not watch it deteriorate after all this work.

At least now I can also experiment with paint.

Next up the back half...

TP