Rust Converter- Restore Rusty Items
I have always been interested in rust converter. You can put rust converter on a rusty metal surface and it forms a black protective coat, ready for painting. Rust converter works using a chemical reaction with tannic acid which converts iron oxide into black colored ferric tannate, which is much more stable than rust. I like that rust converter chemically reacts with the rust to convert it to something else. I like the idea of changing the rust into something else instead of just painting over it and watching it rust through again later.My son's car has some rust coming through at the bottom. Conveniently, his car is black, so the black ferric tannate will almost match his car's color. I also have a black metal cabinet in my shop that has a rusty spot about 1 inch tall by 2 inches wide where the paint chipped off. I'll try the rust converter on the metal cabinet first before we try it on my son's car.
Before Rust Converter
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| Rusty Metal Surface- Before Rust Converter Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher |
As you can see, there is a rusty spot on my metal cabinet. This is a great place to try out the rust converter.
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| Permatex Rust Converter Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher |
I went with Permatex Rust Treatment, which is a rust converter. An 8 oz bottle which can convert 20 square feet sells for about $6.50. A 16 oz bottle sells for around $10. You can buy this at a car parts store or on amazon:
Permatex 81773 Rust Treatment , 16 oz.
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| Applying Rust Converter with Small Paintbrush Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher |
When applying rust converter, it is important to pour a small amount into a different container. If you dip your brush into the bottle, the chemical can activate from rust on your brush, ruining the whole bottle of rust converter. I found a cup in my recycling bin and wiped it out. I poured a very small amount into the cup since my rusty surface was pretty small. I used a small paintbrush to apply the rust converter to the rusty surface.
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| Rust Converter- First Coat, Wet Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher |
The photo above shows the first coat of rust converter while it is still wet. It didn't take much at all to cover this small rusty patch. After 15 minutes, I put on a second coat. The photo below shows the rusty area with a second coat of rust converter while still wet.
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| Rust Converter, Second Coat, Wet Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher |
At this point, I was a bit worried. I was putting the rust converter on to make the rusty spot less noticeable, but now it was very noticeable since it was white. I went let the rust converter dry overnight and came back to check out the results the next morning.
After Rust Converter
I was happy to see that the rust converter did turn black as promised. The rust converter is suitable as a primer. I think the black color is close enough, and the metal cabinet is in a protected area in my shop, so I don't think I will paint it. I will just leave the rust converter as the top coat. |
| After Rust Converter- The Rust is Completely Converted to Black Primer Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher |
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| Close-up of Rusty Surface After Rust Converter. The Rust Has Transformed into a Black Surface. Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher |
I will definitely go ahead and use rust converter on my son's car. I will plan to put paint on over the rust converter since the car will be exposed to water and salt in the winter.
Rust converter is a great way to take care of rusty surfaces, stopping the rust and providing a good primer coat that can be painted.
Permatex 81773 Rust Treatment , 16 oz.
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