Rust and a Grinder

[homeroast]

I'm realizing it's going to be a bigger job than I thought grinding all the rust off my steel before I have it welded. I'm doing the areas around the welds first incase I don't get the whole job done before my welder shows up.

I just got a call from my axle guy that my axle is ready for pickup

Here's da pics....

This is the disc that came with the grinder and it says 'for metal' on it. Is it the right tool for the job? And no, I'm not setting up an electrode bath, as fun as it looks

[SteveH]

I find that a wire wheel on a grinder like you have works best for removing light rust.

[madjack]

I find that a wire wheel on a grinder like you have works best for removing light rust.

...yep, a wire wheel is all I have ever used...remember that your steel doesn't have to be shiny bright as long as there is no heavy rust scale on it...for the best paint job on that new steel...after cleaning well, use an acid etch primer before painting to insure a good finish...the etching primer is available in rattle cans from your local auto paint supply house...
madjack

[Larwyn]

I find that a wire wheel on a grinder like you have works best for removing light rust.

...yep, a wire wheel is all I have ever used...remember that your steel doesn't have to be shiny bright as long as there is no heavy rust scale on it...for the best paint job on that new steel...after cleaning well, use an acid etch primer before painting to insure a good finish...the etching primer is available in rattle cans from your local auto paint supply house...
madjack

I use a wire bursh in the 4.5 or 7 inch grinder. Clean with denatured alcohol and paint. The primer you mention would probably be a good idea too. I only clean around the weld area until I am ready to paint, some parts are easier to clean before welding, so I will try to get those areas too. But the wire brush is the way to go for removing the rust.

[Steve_Cox]

Homeroast,

These guys are right about the wire wheel, just clean up around where the welds are gonna be for now. Take off the rust and the oil/ash coating, keeps impurities out of the weld.

[homeroast]

Thanks for the replies!

I've been a draftsman for a steel manufacturing plant for 8 years. It's sad that I'm just now getting my hands dirty with this stuff. Better late than never.

I just came in from the garage and cleaned up all the area around where the weld joints are going to be so I can see my reflection in the steel. Well okay, not quite that much, but i certainly did more than just "heavy rust scale". I didn't go down so much as to affect the structural integrity of the steel.

I checked out wire wheels online before I hit the store. Course or fine? Or does it really matter?

[madjack]

...the coarse wheel will probably last longer and take heavier stuff, off faster...the fine wheel will get into small pitted areas better...either will work............
madjack

[homeroast]

...the coarse wheel will probably last longer and take heavier stuff, off faster...the fine wheel will get into small pitted areas better...either will work............
madjack

SHIP IT

[Dewayne_Mellen]

Has anybody used the following instead of brushing off surface rust? Are their claims regarding painting over rust accurate?

http://www.therustdoctor.com/
http://rustbullet.com/
http://tinyurl.com/kd4fa

[madjack]

...kinda, sorta, maybe...if your lucky and the stars are right, it'll work...but that is just my experience...the Rust Bullet has been used by quite a few folks here......
madjack

[asianflava]

I didn't have that surface rust on my tubes because there was a coating of oil on them. I just wiped the tubes down with laquer thinner and painted the rust bullet on top of everything. I used a small diameter roller and it worked out just fine. Make shure you use gloves. I tried several different solvents, you can't get that stuff off your skin. You have to let it wear off.

[Nitetimes]

In my experience this type of wire wheel works best for rust removal on steel. They can be found most anywhere that sells tools.

[Dean Williams]

The kind Rich-Nitetimes shows here works best for rust and scale. It's called a braided wire cup wheel, if you're ordering from a parts house.

With either kind of wire wheel, use safety glasses and wear blue jeans. The wires on these come out of the wheels as they wear. I've had many experiences with shafts of wire sticking out of my welding leathers with the bigger industrial wheels. It happens with these smaller wheels as well!

For really fast rust removal, you can get what is called a flexwheel, (sometimes called a flexiwheel). It's a rather thin reinforced abrasive wheel that will flex much like a sanding disc, but much tougher. It looks kind of like a regular grinding disc, but thin. Takes rust off like butta'.

[asianflava]

Waddabout those flapper discs. Those wheels that look like they have a bunch of pieces of sandpaper stuck on the face. My buddy uses a lot of those.

[Juneaudave]

Stupid question maybe...I have my steel stacked up, it's pretty clean except for some oily junk on it, and being the worlds slowest builder (except Chris), I wonder if I would be better off cleaning it and putting on some primer. I'm a guessing I won't be at welding till fall and it is a bit damp up here in the hinderlands even in the garage... Thoughts????