" From: Wrambler242@xxxxxxxxxxx " " I hope to keep this one for a very long time, though rust is starting to be an issue :[ i've just gotten an xj, and before i put it on the road i'm getting deeply into rust killers/preventers. i'm not done yet, but i've already learned a few things: most of the ones you see, that go on white then turn black, are tannic acid in a latex paint. they can work spectacularly on rust, but i see two limitations - 1. they don't work on clean metal. the tannic acid needs a little rust to start the reaction going that produces that black-oxide barrier finish. 2. i'm not sure how good that latex paint is as a body paint underlayer. on the good side, they're very clean and safe and nontoxic. for paintable areas, i'm leaning more toward phosphoric acid based preps that dissolve the rust off and leave a phosphate surface layer, followed by anticorrosion - eg. zinc phosphate containing - primers, but i need to learn more about paint systems. phosphoric acid products like picklex 20 are also good for major rust repairs, as they not only clean all the rust off but also keep the surface from rusting further unless actively washed off, and can be welded through. they even promote consistently stronger welds. then there's the question of what to do about places you can't easily reach, like the interiors of boxed frame sections. i have a cuople of leads... and finally i'm learning about the ultimate undercoating, bedliner. they're mostly urethanes, a couple of different kinds. some last better in the sun; some can be colored just like urethane car paints. commercial places can have access to chemistries or application methods do-it-yourselfer kits don't have, though some of them are no better. for all of them, prep is 3/4 of the job. ________________________________________________________________________ Andrew Hay the genius nature internet rambler is to see what all have seen adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and think what none thought _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list