cleaning up steel for paint

[G-Force8]

What do you guys use to clean up your axle housings/frames/etc...for paint?

I've got a 4.5" angle grinder. My first power tool. I assume there are wheels I can get for it to grind down the surface. Which one would be ideal? Or is there something else that would work better?

Thanks in advance

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Removing rust and/or grease?


For an oily/greasy axle: Scrape away all the grease you can with a putty knife. After that, I use a brush and a pan with paint thinner in it. The paint thinner does a good job of dissolving/removing any oil/grease.

For a rusty axle, a wire wheel on your grinder will do a great job.


Either way, once you get all of the bad stuff off of the axle you want to wipe it down with lacquer thinner or brake cleaner (or some other solvent that doesn't leave a residue).

Then paint away

 

[G-Force8]

Removing rust and/or grease?


For an oily/greasy axle: Scrape away all the grease you can with a putty knife. After that, I use a brush and a pan with paint thinner in it. The paint thinner does a good job of dissolving/removing any oil/grease.

For a rusty axle, a wire wheel on your grinder will do a great job.


Either way, once you get all of the bad stuff off of the axle you want to wipe it down with lacquer thinner or brake cleaner (or some other solvent that doesn't leave a residue).

Then paint away

Fortunately the axles aren't very greasy this time. The 14BFF doesn't have a leak on it. But it does have a tad bit of rust here and there.The D44 front has a bit of old power steering fluid cake-age but not bad.

What kind of paint would you recommend? It won't be a show truck,so I'm not looking for a mirror finish or anything. Just want the axles black and protected. POR-15 maybe?

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Fortunately the axles aren't very greasy this time. The 14BFF doesn't have a leak on it. But it does have a tad bit of rust here and there.The D44 front has a bit of old power steering fluid cake-age but not bad.

What kind of paint would you recommend? It won't be a show truck,so I'm not looking for a mirror finish or anything. Just want the axles black and protected. POR-15 maybe?

I paint all my stuff flat or semi-gloss black, Rustoleum. It holds up well to the elements, even with the road salt here in CO.

If you do a good job of prepping the metal you can expect a good spray paint to last at least a few years on a rig that spends most of its time outside.

 

[G-Force8]

I paint all my stuff flat or semi-gloss black, Rustoleum. It holds up well to the elements, even with the road salt here in CO.

If you do a good job of prepping the metal you can expect a good spray paint to last at least a few years on a rig that spends most of its time outside.

sweet. Thank you