Door rust & restoration

[TheDude]

I've started stripping the doors down, and I've noticed the inside cavity has rust, what methods do you guys recommend for getting into those places? Should I just spray some rust converter and hope for the best?

[tmoble]

I'll be watching this. I had figured to use a long tube on my air gun to break the stuff up, then shop vac to clean it out, followed by one of rust converters. Any improvements?

[Rusty Hooker]

My school of thought goes like this, I scrape as much of the loose stuff as I can, clean it with degreaser, spray it with a good quality rust converter (Blue steel is the best I have found, they use it on ships and bridges) then undercoat the heck out of it. The only downside of rust converter is that if you spray it on, then welding to that steel doesn't work anymore. I don't know if anyone else has had this problem. Just make sure you seal both sides of the seam. Inner with undercoat, outer with paintable seam sealer. It worked for me. Good luck. And ya, how bout some pics. We like pics.

[MrTucker]

why not get them media blasted? The local blaster here does doors for $50 a pair, and does a very thorough job. Then hit it with some rattle can primer and it'll last for decades...

[55dude]

media doesn't remove rust! got some pic's? having them sand blasted is the sure way to clean them up and then paint with ZERO-RUST!

[dicer]

I'm curious how much sand is left in between seams and such? Like in the cabs where the rear of the floor meets the rear cab panel? I bet its a mess to clean it all out????

[55metalmonkey]

if you have the outer skin on sand/ media blasting may not be the best because you cant be 100% positive they got it all and yes getting out all the sand/ media is near impossible, there will always be some left, the only way I know of to get all the rust out of a intact door is to have it dipped in a caustic bath or a reverse electolosis rust remover you just have to be sure it is nutralized properly after. if the skin is off sandblasting is probably your cheapest option and if done right it will get all the rust if it's done to standard called "white metal blast" (SSPC-SP5 or NACE #1)

I opted for cleaning as much off as I could, rust converter, and a few heavy coats of rubberized undercoating. then again mine were so far gone (swiss cheese) that by the time I was putting the outer skin back on I pretty much had most of the lower door rebuilt with new metal