Basic Sheet Metal care

[dsholler 54]

OK, this may be blindingly obvious to the readers here, but bear with someone who is generally on good terms with things wooden and fiberglass, but has not had much experience with stuff made from metal...

I have dump trailer that is starting to show a lot of rust at the back. (In the spots you would expect if it had been left out in the rain sitting full of wet mulch.. don't know who could have done that ) The paint has started to flake off a lot. Can I just wire brush the loose bits down to the metal, and spraypaint the thing? Will this last a bit?

[SousaKerry 502]

Well yes that will work but takes a lot of elbow grease and that stuff is damn expensive now

You can nock the loose stuff of and use a rust coverter spray paint or if ya really wanna go the extra mile get a DIY bed liner kit

[SAM58 30]

A Drill & wire brush will do the job good enough to paint.

Use primer over the bare metal, then paint.

Did this one last weekend.

[Rooster 191]

The good thing about a dump trailer...it is its own E-Tank...

Pour some water in it, enough to cover the rusty spot, mix in some Arm & Hammer wash Soda.

Put a plate of steel in the water, with something to electrically isolate it from the traliler.

Hook the negative lead off of your battery charger to the trailer body, and the positive lead to the plate in the water.

In a short time the rust will be magically Bubbled away! This not only removes the rust, but will stop the oxidizing process.

Clean with some vinegar and a scotch brite, then prep and paint!

[546cowboy 301]

Never thought of that Rooster. I have done the wire wheel and then covered it with bed liner and that turned out great.