Let’s face it, we all have rust issues to deal with. Some projects are better than others, but it’s hard to find a project car or truck that has no rust at all, even if it comes out of the Arizona desert. Eastwood makes many products for dealing with different rust issues. Two of the best and most used products we offer are the Rust Converter and the Rust Encapsulator line of products.
These products are both very different in their uses and application, but they both have the same purpose: to stop rust from ruining your project. Sure, in a perfect world we would all start with having the individual components of our project car acid dipped and media blasted down to the bare metal again. But, none of us live in a perfect world. The best we can do in most cases is get the car clean and dry, though still rusty, and proceed with chemical solutions.
Eastwood Rust Converter is typically applied to the rust you just can’t remove. It works best with rust that is worse than just a surface discoloration. Rust Converter needs the rust to work; it’s like a 2 part system with the rust acting as the activator. If you were to apply the converter to bare metal it would have barely any affect, and would not cure properly. When applied over actual rust it reacts with it, converting it into a hard black polymeric paintable material. The converter however is not UV stable, and is not meant to be a top coat, it’s more like a paintable primer. You can use nearly any primer or paint over the top of rust after applying the Rust Converter. The best thing to apply though, to really guard against rust coming back, is the Eastwood Rust Encapsulator.
Rust Encapsulator can be applied over lightly rusted metal, or even clean bare metal, and seals it from moisture and corrosion. Plus, any rust still under it is encapsulated and stopped from spreading. For use around the shop, house or farm you can spray it directly and not even bother with a top coat of paint. Because of this Eastwood offers it in a variety of popular colors like red, white, grey, silver, black and safety yellow, as well as a clear coat.
For restoring the underside, chassis and underhood areas or your project, we offer it in a regular black, and an even tougher rubberized Encapsulator version. The encapsulator flows into hard to reach spots, penetrates deep into the rust, and even fills in minor pinholes and surface imperfections. It’s so tough you can apply it to rusted body work, then apply body filler over top of it and still get full adhesion. The Rust Encapsulator should be the last step in your rust neutralization/removal work before starting with primer, paint and the rest of the finishing process.
So there is the four-step process for fighting rust: 1) Chemical and mechanical stripping to remove the rust 2) Rust Converter to neutralize and convert the rust into a paintable surface 3) Rust Encapsulator to surround and seal any rust that is left and keep it from coming back 4) Prime and paint for long lasting rust proof and cosmetic purposes.
Do all this and your car should look good for many years to come, even through New England winters.