Easy DIY Rusproofing

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I do not take credit for this following recipe. I stumbled upon it online in a British car restoration forum a long time ago. However I did come up with the heating and Windex bottle application, aren't I clever...

This stuff works great for repelling water, moisture and salt. I make a large premix I keep in my garage. Just simply heat it up and you can touch up high wear areas (such as wheel wells) at your convenience.

The rust proofing mix is essentially:
1. Mineral Spirits
2. Paraffin Wax
3. SAE 30 Non-detergent motor oil (finally found a use for Wal-Mart's Accel after all)

Paraffin wax can be had dirt cheap from online shops that sell home making candle supplies. Usually they come in 2kg (5lb) sheets. Get a high temp variety.

Additionally one can add a forth component, phosphoric acid, if the vehicle is heavily rusted. As to what concentration? I haven't experimented with it yet.

Pour 4L's (1gal) of mineral spirits into a clean bucket and use a cheese grater to shred about 0.5kg of wax (about 1lb).
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If your impatient like myself you can use a propane torch to melt the wax over the bucket of spirits. Obviously the spirits are flammable so I do this outside the garage while holding a chunk of wax about 3 feet over the bucket. The wax will melt and droplets will fall into the bucket of spirits. If for God knows whatever reason you somehow manage to light the bucket of spirits on fire, resist the urge to kick it over... Simply put a lid, or equivalent, over it and it will instantly go out.



You should now have a suspension of wax pieces in spirits (cloudy white). Grab an empty Windex bottle and pour the suspension (after shaking or stirring well) into it.
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Grab a large pot and boil up some water, a camping stove works well. Once you see the first sign of steam on the waters surface, the water is adequately hot enough. Cut the heat and dunk the Windex bottle in the pot and gently agitate the bottle.
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Within a few minutes you will see the suspended wax start to disappear, ensure the solution is completely clear (wax completely in solution).
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Add about 200mL's (about 7oz or 0.2qts) of SAE30 non-detergent motor oil.
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Mix well and spray the entire underneath of the vehicle. Take it aound the block to fully evaporate the spirits and the wax and oil will be left behind.
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The water will bounce and bead right off of treated surfaces.
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Yes the vehicle in this pic already has rust, used truck I just picked up.

I usually do this on my driveway with a large piece of plastic painters' tarp I drive the vehicle over with. Start from the middle and work your way out from each side. Don't forget the bottoms of your doors!

The mineral spirits aren't as volatile as most solvents, so your future offspring will thank you. The spirits act as a carrier for the wax and oil. It has great creeping ability, especially in frame and door seams.

Usually lasts me the entire winter, I then respray in spring and fall. If there are a lot of heavy snow falls then high wear areas such as wheel wells should be inspected and resprayed as needed.

If your vehicle is already rusted up simply hit it with a steel brush and spray over it (no need to be meticulous, just get the heavy stuff off). If you want to go the extra step you can first hit it with a primer.

Your resale value will be through the roof, enjoy!
 
My vehicles always seem to rust first in the folded seams such as in the door bottoms. Do you treat just the exposed outside bottom, or do you get the closed in areas too?
 
Yep the bottom door seams are always the first to go. I find a hole on the side and spray a bunch in. You can see it start creeping outwards. I then finish it off by spraying the outside.
 
I have a similar idea brewing.

One can get tea light candles, 50 for $1, at craft stores during crazy sales like black friday. There's a lot of parrafin in a bag of the things. You can also hit big lots after Christmas, scented candles 80-90% off. But then your car will smell like some ladys aromatherapy.

I think bar & chain oil might be better with its tack additive.

Also if one drives around with a wet undercarriage they might pick up dust. Good idea or bad, I can see both points of view.

Wonder if the stuff congeals in the small orifices of the sprayer.
 
Not sure if I like the mineral spirits - what is its effect on clearcoat, paint, seam sealer, etc?
Besides that, great idea!
 
Yes the stuff will congeal in the orfice of the sprayer if you let it dry, good point! I forgot to mention to run some gasoline or solvent in the empty sprayer once you are done to prevent clogging.

As for clear coat damage, on both of my vehicles I have not noticed any clear coat damage from over spray. Of course your mileage may very. I would recommend "test" spraying an inconspicuous area with straight spirits just to be sure.

Good points, thanks for sharing.
 
I don't see how the oil and wax get along together.
They don't mix, and are very different in how they coat and protect from rust. When they are on the surface, the oil will prevent the wax from sticking.

Under coating spray is common and pretty cheap at auto parts stores. A few cans would be my choice, or a good version of Spray Rustoleum.
 
Nice home brew. I have some minor rust in the usual places: wheel wells, door seams, and some underneath. I was planning on getting the whole car sprayed at Krown before the snow comes.

Now I'm thinking instead of trying your method for the underside and door seams, and using a couple bottles of Rustcheck (green bottle) to spray the body myself.

Any feedback welcome.

-Spyder
 
I have to say it's an interesting idea. I am particularly interested in the pictures of its results. It looks/acts a lot like Wurth Cavity Protection Spray which I really liked and then found myself unable to source any more. A creeping application ending in a barely perceptible coating which beads/rejects water like crazy.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I don't see how the oil and wax get along together.
They don't mix, and are very different in how they coat and protect from rust. When they are on the surface, the oil will prevent the wax from sticking.

Under coating spray is common and pretty cheap at auto parts stores. A few cans would be my choice, or a good version of Spray Rustoleum.


Like I said the brew wasn't my original idea, I have however tried straight paraffin dissolved in spirits. The brew with the addition of oil creeps out more so than a mix without oil.

A $50 investment will allow you to treat at least 20+ vehicles.

Additionally, you have the convenience of a cheap disposable spray bottle that can do wide spray or stream patterns.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Not sure if I like the mineral spirits - what is its effect on clearcoat, paint, seam sealer, etc?
Besides that, great idea!

Don't worry about the mineral spirits. This is what I use to cut my rustproof compound to make it sprayable. It doesn't seem to affect anything on a vehicle.
 
I still think that you'll be happier in the long run with proper paint or undercoating.


Oil for rust proofing dries out rather quickly. It is a technique that requires re application - I know.
Wax will flow at high ambient temperatures. Road or exhaust heat will make this even more so and will melt it.
 
I had planned to use POR-15 to do the wheel wheels, underside frame and parts, but between work, weather (have to do it outside), and other demands on my time - I ran out of time before the project got very far along, so its now postponed until next Spring when I can resume it.

Meantime I don't want to go with a rubberized under spray, as that will just be a PITA to deal with when I want to properly treat it with POR-15 come spring.

So which is a good alternative to use in the meantime? Rustcheck (green bottle) on the body, wheel wheels, and underspray with it too?

I only need a one season rust inhibitor as a band-aid to inhibit corrosion over the winter until I can finish the job properly next year.

That's why I've been kicking around the idea of Krown rustproofing, though I could probably do a decent enough job myself with regular Rustcheck spray.

I've been fence sitting lately on which way to go. Anything that I can do myself I'd prefer to do it that way rather than pay someone else to do it.

Not to hijack the OPs thread, it just sparked an alternative method and I'm trying to weigh the different approaches to come up with the best one - for now.

-Spyder
 
I would have properly prepped the car, used a Rust Converter like Eastwoods, then primed with Rust Encapsulator and top coated everything with Chasis Black.

then shoot with their heavy duti rust coating. Fianlly they have
A new product to shoot in the frames called Internal Frame coating. has zinc misture in a phenolic resin.

Internal stuff like doors, hatches etc you cant beat fluid film.
 
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