What's the best thing to clean the black greasy stuff off steel? Mineral spirits?
What's the best paint and primer to use?
It will be laminated between two pieces of HDU but some will be exposed. Thanks
Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
Yeah MS then I usually wipe again with a clean rag damp with Lacquer thinner just to be safe. Then I use Rustoleum Clean Metal Primer. If it was rusty I would put rust converter on it, then let it dry overnight, then put on same primer. If you do it without the converter on rust, then use red oxide primer. That's what I do....
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
There is a metal primer and rust converter that I get at the marine supply called Corroseal. It is by far the best product for this purpose that I've ever used!
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Thanks Jeff and Rick That's what I was looking for.
I had originally wanted to use aluminum but found out that it will react with the epoxy I will be using. Steel won't. Thanks again.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Wayne,
We wash our steel with soapy water and a brush. Hose clean, let dry, prime with Krylon Rust Tough primer, and finish coat with Rust Tough enamel.
Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
What Bruce B. said....we use Dawn dishwashing soap, let it dry, then prime. Learned this from a blacksmith friend.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
My son has already washed the steel twice with a scotchbrite pad and Ajax dishwashing liquid and there's still greasy black stuff which will come off on your hands. I think I'll wipe it down with mineral spirits and sandblast it.
Thanks everyone
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
I found an attachment for my angle grinder. Its a sanding disk but instead of one single disk, it is a bunch of little rectangles that over lap one another, sorta like fanning a deck of cards into a circle. It makes fast work of roughing out HDU when carving, and gets steel clean as a whistle real fast.
For a super finish I use the POR 15 system. They have a cleaner, etching compound, primer, and topcoat. Its expensive so I have to charge more and offer it as an option. But man is it tough and long lasting.
Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
Wayne...
The steel we've been getting lately is stamped TURKEY on it, and it is blacker than the ace of spades....you just LOOK at this stuff and your hands get dirty. It looks like crude oil or something like black soot.....or both. Never tried the Dawn, but will test it out on the next batch....it sure would be easier to just wash it....I think......
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Yes, Dawn is probably the most powerful dishwashing detergent. All I had here today is Ajax. Jeff this steel is real smooth and new looking and has very liitle rust: just a speck here and there. But it's just like you said: black and greasy. Whatever this stuff is that they put on it does a mighty good job.
I bought some of the Rustoleum Clean Metal Primer this morning and I have a can of Klean Strip rust convertor. Dave I'm checking into that Por15 too.
I WAS gonna blast the steel today but it started rainin' cats'n'dogs. I had another HDU sign which was ready to take outside and wash the dust off so I did that. Good day for it.
Thanks all.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
Citris de-greaser works great on bike chains, and is non-toxic, waterbased. I'd use a plastic bristle brush for encouragement. Then hose, and prime. For best results, I bet sandblasting (just before priming) would be golden.
Posted by Marvin Miller (Member # 2499) on :
Dupont Triple Etch. Will clean that steel so it looks blated. It is a acid-phosphate based liquid designed to remove everything you've mentioned. Air dry the panels and they will be ready to paint
