Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Hey guys, went to the local trailer repair guy today and he reckons that my trailer has surface rust. He was hitting it with a hammer and said that its "all good, no need for rewelding etc....", just beat it with a hammer and get all the rust off. Just some suggestions on the best approach to get it looking good again, not costing too much (on a budget), but lasting more than a couple of years.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Scrape,+ Wirebrush it Clean.......
Then throw some Rustolium or another Enamel paint on it.......

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

What would be the best way to clean it after
wire brush ?

And should I primer it before i paint it with rustolium ?

Thanks.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

get a grinder and wire wheel, or drill and wire wheel, then you can hose it off good. let it dry, rustolem makes a primer, then coat with the pretty color. or just leave it primer.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

About 20 years ago I did my trailer with "rust reformer".
this is a product that neutralizes rust and stops it.
Remove the flakey rust leave the rest.Treat it with brush on or spray "Rust Reformer"or similar, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.paint with a quality paint.Mine has been outside in the north east for 20 years no additional treatment though it does need paint again.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Mack, I like to use "Rustoeum Rusty Metal Primer" on items that need to stay rust free. It has that fish oil formula that works real well. It is soft though, so if you expect abrasion, you will need to top coat it. It comes in spray cans and brush varieties.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Got compressed air? Sand blast it!

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Sand blasting is the way to go. I had a 27' tandem axle done for $130.00 it saved me a ton of work.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

tashasdaddy said:

get a grinder and wire wheel, or drill and wire wheel, then you can hose it off good. let it dry, rustolem makes a primer, then coat with the pretty color. or just leave it primer.

Click to expand...

I just hooked some 80 grit paper on a grinder and it cut everything down to bare metal like butter......

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Flap discs on a grinder work well too on all flat surfaces.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

No drill operated abrasive product can come close to sandblasting to get in corners and other tight spots.

Sandblast it.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

JB said:

No drill operated abrasive product can come close to sandblasting to get in corners and other tight spots.

Sandblast it.

Click to expand...

How much does something like that cost or should cost.. i agree with you on the joint's

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Not to hi jack. But how much sand can one expect to use on he typical boat trailer? Fo you need a special type of sand? Will regular sand box sand work? I've been eyeballing a pressure tank at harbor freight. I too have one in need of a little TLC.

Thanks,
Lowell

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

A cheap source is play box sand. Clean, sifted, dry and fine grain.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Bag of sand blasting sand at any good auto paint store is just as cheap, and won't clog the gun. Much finer and cuts better

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

The trailer in the picture below was refinished 5 or so years ago. If you have compressor, you can buy an inexpensive blasting pot for around $40. I used one like this one.
to blast my trailer. i then shot the trailer with primer and rust stop paint. It needs a little touch up but it has lasted this long. The trailer was a trade item from a friend and was literally covered in rust. i wore the gun tip out by the time I finished but it was worth it.

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Mack...If somebody came into my shop and asked me for my opinion .. based on your start thread..I would not be able to tell him a thing m8..

1. all I know is you have some trailer with rust that somebody else says " hit it with a hammer". ( exactly how bad the rust..no clue..how much overall rust..no clue..how large the trailer..nope..no clue )

2. If this guy is hitting a hammer on your trailer and rust is falling off in flakes then..mebbe you might wanna take his suggestion and bang the bulk off with a welding hammer. I mean..this guy is taking a hammer to your trailer so it means you have more then simple rust staining.

3. yes..get some goggles and a dust mask..long sleeve shirt ..buy a 4" masonry hard wheel to get big chunks left over from banging..then..get a GOOD wire wheel ( like sait or hobart or something like that so your wires dont constantly fly off and poke you to death) and grind deeper pits .

4. when your done and had enough grinding and wheeling..and just cant take no more..go buy this stuff..
http://www.ospho.com/

5. get a can of zink chromate primer/filler in a can from napa or local auto body repair supplier..then ask them what good In a can paint would be good for your application..

Now you might not need to do this all..but You havent given me enough info to be precise on the approach m8.

Do you have a 40 ft trailer..or 14 ft..it might be cheaper finding something on ebay locally or 250.00 for your size in your local paper..I dont know..I would look at all options..l

YD

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

only thing i'd add is that ya probably aint never gonna get all the rust off. maybe sandblastin will, i don't know. i did mine with a wire wheel. then i used extend. thats the name of the product. it turns the rust black and into a different chemical than rust. so the rust stops. then i used rustoleum brand, rusty metal primer with rusty metal paint. used a brush to put it on. 2 years later. not much rust comeing back. and my whole trailer was surface rust along with a couple of beams that needed and had freash metal welded ontoit. it was in bad shape.....it still looks pretty good considesidering what i started with..........the extend seems to be good stuff.........this was done on a budget too and was not too expensive to do........

Re: Trailer Rusty But still Good ???

Awesome. Thanks a heap guys. Very informative. d