how do i stop rust?

[mikeyo]

how do i stop rust on my bumper? it's a comin'.
thanks.

[Andy Illes]

Hey Mike.... hope ya had a happy T-day..

To get RID of the rust, I use some spray stuff called "Must For Rust"... Home Depot sells it.  Before you start, mix some Arm & Hammer baking soda & water.. have it ready to neutralize the stuff when you're done.

Don't let the "MustForRust" (or any other acid stuff) dry or it'll leave a nasty white residue... if it gets on aluminum, it'll etch (in balance, it leaves a really nice, clean, new-looking "mill" finish on aluminum).  Wet a fine steel wool pad with the stuff.... work the rust spots lightly till they're gone.  I've used fine Wet Or Dry;  too (320).  I have little SS brushes for hard-to-get-at stuff, like around the bumper-bolt heads.  After the rust's gone (only takes a minute or two, unless it's really heavy)... rinse with soap & water, then somma the baking soda stuff to stop the chemical reaction..... rinse again... rust's gone!!

To keep it from rusting again, about all you can do is keep plain 'ol auto wax on it.... not "miracle" stuff... plain 'ol wax (Turtle, Megiars, etc)... just do it immediately after the de-rusting, cuz you'll have bare steel where the rust came off.  Rust can start again in a minute!!

Rodney does a lotta old car restoration (check his website).... can ask him if he has any better tips.

Good luck...

[Rodney]

how do i stop rust on my bumper? it's a comin'.
thanks.

is this a chrome bumper?
how to stop rust in general is like stopping cancer. you cut it out for best results. or replace in your case.
for steel you sand blast then smooth the metal with 180 grit on a DA metal etch, prime with an epoxy primer, fill any defects, prime, seal and paint. while all the time wearing latex or rubber gloves to protect your hands and also to keep any oils from your hands from getting on the open surface.

[Andy Illes]

My "advice" was for the tiny rust spots and "bleeding" my chrome bumpers had when I got Fred, and on other older cars too.   If the rust is heavy.... like Rodney sez.... adios.  Nobody rechromes any more... thank you EPA!

Rodney... if you've never tried that Must For Rust stuff I mentioned, give it a shot.... it works.  Great for panel joints ya can't get at.  It doesn't leave a protective coating like Foz (for example) though... but it converts rust better and faster.  Another one that works pretty well is most any brand of ETCHING mag wheel cleaner.  I've used that on aluminum engine blocks/heads/etc... and they wind up looking like brand new castings!!!  It all has pretty decent surfocants in it already, so it cleans and etches evenly.... not splotchy.

Great for cleaning-our water passages in heads/blocks/manifolds too... and I'd guess it'd be good to clean radiators/heater cores too, though I haven't tried it for that.