Sarge 3,462 #26 Posted September 20, 2017 A real trick to using those guns is to let the tool do the work - don't lean your weight on it or you'll have a really hard time using your hands later ( same with running jack hammers) . Use a very heavy welding glove on one hand , use that to guide the needles to the exact area you want to clean and keep the tool 90* to the work for the most effective cleaning action . Split the angles in tight spots or it will skip all over the place , and as said before - stay well away from anything under 1/8" steel . I'd never use it on aluminum , either ...lol . There's sort of a learning curve - let it "bounce" a bit and float over the surface - it will clean faster and beat you up a lot less . The more padding in your gloves , the better and gel filled palms will help as well , although they seem to wear out faster using this type of tool . I break mine out once in awhile to drive off a neighbor I'm not too fond of , or just use the large hammer head on a big piece of tread plate on the welding trailer - that usually drives her off for the afternoon .... Btw - what price you paying for the self-etching SEM primer ? That's a really good product but around here they want nearly $25/can ... Sarge 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jerry77 1,218 #27 Posted September 20, 2017 Well, my nobody mentioned muriatic acid ( 10 to 12 bucks a gallon.)...years ago when cleaning parts for painting, I used a plastic tub and mixed 3 parts water to one part acid... you can put parts in it without cleaning rust or dirt or grease or paint or whatever from it....it will eat up the metal too if you leave it too long - took about 4 to 5 hours to clean a 15 inch rim ( no tire of course )...you are left with clean shiny metal ready for primer and paint.. I just used enough volume to turn it 3 times to catch all of it.. it is like anything else - dangerous if you don't have your head in gear....very quiet too... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twohorses 2 #28 Posted September 23, 2017 I have been following your progress, but my first project required removal of the tires since I was not able to get a seal due to the rust. I found someone to sandblast the wheels down to bare metal. ($10 each), so now I have primed, painted, and mounted new tires. The next project (1969 Raider 12) is just a cleanup, so I bought a needle gun and will give that a go. I hope mine look as good as yours. Update... Tried one wheel with the needle gun. Did not like the result. I'll just take them to the sandblast shop. The guy said he would powder cost if I press out the bearings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
