Rusty trailer- which zinc spray to use?

[MM5AHO]

That's an issue with adhesion, not necessarily the paint. In almost every coating system, what you do before putting the coating on makes more difference to adhesion than anything else, including the coating.

 

[HunterWanderer]

I think if you remove any flakey rust with a chipping hammer, treat with a rust converter then use any zinc rich primer from a car accessory shop it will do a reasonable job. A top coat of grey or aluminium spray will help to make it longer lasting.

 

[rogerthebodger]

In my view the rust must be removed and a proper preceptive coating should the used otherwise you will simply be redoing it in a few year time as I have to rebuild my mobo trailer in the next year

 

[ducked]

Not exactly a boaty question, but I'm fixing up a little garden trailer just now and noticed some superficial rust on the (galvanised) mudguards etc.
I've not had great results with zinc spray before but maybe I wasn't buying the right stuff.
Any recommendations for which ones are any good? I gather it's all about the zinc content but in finding it surprisingly hard to get numbers for most of the cans I've seen on sale.

Flatten a beer can into a disk.
Poke a central hole in it
Cut the head off a suitably sized bolt and with a couple of nuts and washers, make yourself an arbor for a power drill
Apply a little sunflower or linseed oil, and then buzz the rust off/aluminium and zinc on with your new disk.

If thats too much trouble and/or the rust is fairly light, (which it sounds like it is) just use crumpled aluminium foil as your abrasive and rub by hand.

(I've also used empty pill blister packs, of which I have a huge supply, but crumpled foil is better.)

Rust will be removed/stabilised, and the rust pitting will be filled with a paste of oil, aluminium and zinc, which will set slowly by oxidation. Costs nothing and is quite effective.

 

[Sea Change]

Flatten a beer can into a disk.
Poke a central hole in it
Cut the head off a suitably sized bolt and with a couple of nuts and washers, make yourself an arbor for a power drill
Apply a little sunflower or linseed oil, and then buzz the rust off/aluminium and zinc on with your new disk.

If thats too much trouble and/or the rust is fairly light, just use crumpled aluminium foil as your abrasive and rub by hand.

Rust will be removed/stabilised, and the rust pitting will be filled with a paste of oil, aluminium and zinc, which will set slowly by oxidation. Costs nothing and is quite effective.

If never heard of this! Fascinating! And a good excuse to go and drink a beer.

 

[ducked]

If never heard of this! Fascinating! And a good excuse to go and drink a beer.

Neither have I.

AFAIK I invented it, but my Nobel Prize seems to be held up in the post.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/coke-can-for-brake-drums.242350/

I might try it on my keels if I can ever re-acquire access to my boat.