Rust conversion treatments / gel

[Mighty306]

Bilt Hamber's Hydrate 80 often get discussed on various forums but what about these? Anyone heard of them or tried them?

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VACTAN-RUST-CON...XQoiJRgy7a

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rust-Converter-...Swu4BVkS7o

I stumbled across them on eBay. Good value .......if they work!!!

[pug306driver]

Some stuff is brilliant and has done a fantastic job, but others are absolute crap.

I cannot remember the trade names but both were water cleanable on brushes. It went on white, smelled like phorsphoric acid type smell ( if it does smell ?? ) and dried reasonably quick to a black hard coating.

One type was very good but the other, as said was crap.

It was over painted as an added protection, but if the over coat was chipped, water was absorbed by the rust treatment coating which just merrily corroded away under the paint. This resulted in a really really badly corroded metal short rear mudguard ( and other stuff ) on a bike.

The overcoated rear bumper that I treated with this stuff has more or less corroded away to nothing, whilst the wing patch I treated with just the first brand of rust coating is still doing brilliant after about 15 years !!!

That one seemed to dry to a near clear finish and was water proof.

I hope the rear beam axle is still good !

As said some of this type of rust treatment seems good and water proof ( prepped and painted with rust treatmetna short section of corroded exhaust pipe, allowed to dry for a few days then immersed in water for a long term test. That brand seemed very good ) but others are not, so do a test.

Modern advertising laws should have finished off all bogus fantastic manufacturers claims, but a test by them should be believable these days.

[Magenta Sunset]

only thing I've ever used is the Kurust type stuff from a Motorist discount. in small quantities.

[pug306driver]

I am at present testing some rust cure from our local hardware shop.  

Plasticote stuff which is white and brushed on, Clean brushes in water.

Smells same as other similar stuff and dries to a blackk surface on rust, semi clear on paint.

It seems very similar to the good stuff I used years ago, but at 3 times the price.

The first test resulted in a run stain when it rained that night, as if it hadn't dried/cured properly. An other test piece is all ok and soaking in water to see if it "gets damp", and would cause rusting under the final top coat if top coat punctured.

The run stain on a car bonnet rust patch test cleaned off easy and has not run since.

Will post some pics on Tuesday, hopefully 306 ( road noise thread ) is back on 4 wheels by then.

[Mighty306]

Cheers for your thoughts on this. Will be interested to see your test results.

[Alan_M]

Use Geox-C for converting rust. The gel stuff is great. I understand that it is glorified citric acid.
Quite sure hydrate 80 is used to create a barrier against rust rather than convert bad to good.

[pug306driver]

Citrix acid............heard about the mechershmit removed from the channel and being corrosion treated in cosford, lemon juice !

Try neat Tesco double concentrated lemon juice squash, works a treat on steel, will try and post a pic.........a before and after, as well as today to show any rust bursting thru.......

A toolbox lid was completely immersed in neat Tesco double strength lemon juice squash and left. No real work involved apart from some slight agitation.

 Took about 5 days to removal all rust leaving a mottled rust free surfaced ready to paint, after lid was rinsed in cold water and dried.

Only really suitable for small stuff, unless you have a large workshop area and pockets.

It took the old gold colour hammerite type paint remains off as well.