Minor Rust Treatment

CrankyHaus

Any advice welcome...

I noticed two small rust spots on the roof of my 2006 Accord, at the rear of the sunroof aperture.

One is about 2 x 3 mm and the other 1 x 2 mm. No sign of rust spread like paint blistering.

I intend to use some hammerite rust remover, sandpaper, primer, paint and lacquer on it. I have everything except the rust remover already so it should be low cost. I'm not terribly worried about the aesthetics of the finished job as the rust spots are obscured by the sunroof unless it's open. I just want to stop the rust before it spreads.

Am I way off, would I be better just using Kurust?

I'll throw up photos when I can.



Apologies mods if this is better placed in one of the sub-forums.

Toyotafanboi

Touching them with absolutely anything will make them worse in the long run IMO. I'd leave them and just keep them clean, maybe try find a wax based product to seal them up.

CrankyHaus

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Touching them with absolutely anything will make them worse in the long run IMO. I'd leave them and just keep them clean, maybe try find a wax based product to seal them up.

Really, would it just spread the rust? Any recommendations for a wax based sealant?

Wibbs

Rare this happens, but I'd disagree with ToyotaFanBoi on this one. The spots look tiny and the lack of bubbling suggests the rust started from the outside(bubbling means it started from the inside and the actual rust is nearly always much larger behind the paint).

Now I take his point, but if it were me I'd carefully scrape the rust back as much as I could with as little disturbance of the surrounding paint(a pointy file would be better than sandpaper). Hit what's left with rust treatment, use a small brush to first hit it with high zinc primer, then base coat then lacquer.

CrankyHaus

Wibbs wrote: »

Rare this happens, but I'd disagree with ToyotaFanBoi on this one. The spots look tiny and the lack of bubbling suggests the rust started from the outside(bubbling means it started from the inside and the actual rust is nearly always much larger behind the paint).

Now I take his point, but if it were me I'd carefully scrape the rust back as much as I could with as little disturbance of the surrounding paint(a pointy file would be better than sandpaper). Hit what's left with rust treatment, use a small brush to first hit it with high zinc primer, then base coat then lacquer.

Cheers, a bit to think about. Would it spread much in <5 years if untreated?

Alanstrainor

I think I would want to nip it in the bud sooner rather than later. I always see rust as a cancer, it will spread. How fast/aggressive is very hard to know.

I don't think OP had included those pictures with the original post so Toyotafanboi may not have seen them...

JohnBoy26

It's only a stone chip so very minor rust.

Don't use sandpaper. It will ruin the surrounding area and make a repair stand out like a sore thumb.

Also kurust won't do anything only turn the rust black. Despite it's claims the rust is still active underneath. You will see this if you scrape the kurust off. Using this will only make a repair last a couple of months.

Hammerite rust remover gel works, it removes the rust but I've found when I used it that agressive rust developed under the paint in the affected area after using it. This was despite using a zinc primer and having the area thoroughly rinsed and cleaned before applying the paint.

Your best bet would be to get the bilt hamber rust remover gel and their zinc based primer called electrox. These are the very best rust treatment products on the market and work better than anything else imo.

Apply the rust remover gel and cover with clingfilm and leave overnight. You should see a shiny rust free area the following day. Only use the gel in mild weather. It doesn't work very well in cold weather.

Clean, Rinse and dry the area thoroughly before primer application.(before applying the gel i'd use the edge of a flat screwdriver to gently scrape the flaky paint edges of chip to ensure the gel gets to every piece of rust)

Once the rust has been removed and the area is prepaired apply the electrox. This can be bought in aerosol form or in a tin for paint on application. If buying the aerosol spray a bit into the cover and use a small brush or toothpick to fill in the chip. Do not spray it onto the chip.

You might need two coats of electrox depending on how heavy you apply it. A few lighter applications is better than one heavy coat I find. Leave a few hours between coats to leave the paint harden.

Give the primer a few days to set and then apply the top coat. If you don't leave the primer to set it could become soft again when applying the top coat which will end up ruining the colour match as it will mix with the top coat.

You might need to apply a 2k based lacquer over the top coat as that area is where the sunroof meets the roof so will need a though finish. You can paint this over the top coat with a small brush. Leave the top coat to set for a few days first though.



I know this sounds like a lot but in practice it's very simple and it will ensure that the rust doesn't come back, even though if im honest I think that rust is so minor that it will see out the car even if you don't do anything. Still it's nice to get it repaired even if only for the visual benefits.

Wibbs

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Your best bet would be to get the bilt hamber rust remover gel and their zinc based primer called electrox. These are the very best rust treatment products on the market and work better than anything else imo.

This +1000. And the rest of what JB said.

martyc5674

I have that bilt gel... have used it on a few things, it’s ****e!... no better than a bit of wire wool.

JohnBoy26

martyc5674 wrote: »

I have that bilt gel... have used it on a few things, it’s ****e!... no better than a bit of wire wool.

It needs to be used in the right environmental conditions for it to work and needs to be covered with clingfilm to stop it from drying out. You will need to re apply the gel every 30 min otherwise or else it will dry out and become ineffective.

It won't work properly at all in cold weather but that's the same with any rust remover gels and all will dry out unless covered with clingfilm.

The bilt hamber gel is very effective when used properly and is ideal for small repaires such as stone chips where sanding the area is very difficultbwithout effecting the surrounding area. Sanding also won't get all of the rust, the gel will though.

CrankyHaus

Thanks for all the great advice everyone.
While it seems I could leave it and be grand I think I'll give the repair a try.