Treating bare metal

What is good to use on bare metal when you strip 20+ year old paint.There is minor pitting in some areas and that gets a wire brush attachment on a grinder.Rust outs get cut out. But would you use a rust neutralizer,say on a 2ft. section that shows no rust? I would like to treat every inch with some rust treatment but am not sure of what works and if you then wash it off after it dries? Concern is about whether primers will adhere if its not washed off or sanded,or something done to the rust neutralizer???

Acidic rust converters won't work on an area that has no rust. There's no iron oxide for them to convert. Your best protection on unrusted metal surfaces is an etching primer covered by a good paint system.

Rust neutralizers are generally flushed off with water and dried. No other special treatment is required other than good etching primer and paint.

You should cut out bad rust, convert minor rust and pitting, and treat unrusted metal for what it is - unrusted metal.

the rust should be netiralized which will turn black. make sure to wash all chemicals off the metal before using any type of primer.

I've been using a non-rinse metal prep from R-M for the last 10-15 years, without a failure. Just wipe and towel dry 30 minutes before primer. I always etch bare metal, even if I can't see rust. Why take the chance when you can prevent any possible problem in 30 minutes time.

Just don't use metal prep if you are using self-etching primer.

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Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

I've been using a non-rinse metal prep from R-M for the last 10-15 years, without a failure. Just wipe and towel dry 30 minutes before primer. I always etch bare metal, even if I can't see rust. Why take the chance when you can prevent any possible problem in 30 minutes time.

Just don't use metal prep if you are using self-etching primer.

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I have been using epoxy primer first,followed by high build urethane primer.Would an etching primer be best to use on the bare metal,,,or does it matter? Sometimes I strip a panel of all paint,repair the rust outs,and it may sit several days before getting primed. I do hit it again with 180 grit on DA but would the etch primer be better to use than epoxy since it'll be garaged til top-coated,,,?

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Would an etching primer be best to use on the bare metal

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Yes, it would.

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Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Yes, it would.

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Thanks,would this be like one of the Zinc primers used with a self-etching reducer,(I'm a little slow sometimes),but am I correct in assuming this is what is considered an etching primer? I ask because I have these available at several parts stores/auto paint stores here. Thanks.