Topic: Looking for peoples process on Leaf Spring prepping for Gun Blueing.

[Morsel]

One hint - do not handle any item after you've blasted it. Wear rubber gloves, or use shop towels. Be paranoid about keeping the item clean.
Jim

Haha, learned that one the hard way a while back, now I always wear rubber gloves when handling every piece I blast through the final coating process...

Jason

[OldMustangGuy]

I recently blasted a new set of springs from Eaton to remove the paint in preparation for blueing. I too have a blast cabinet that is too narrow to fit a spring section into. So, I opened up the end door and, with a lot of duct tape and heavy plastic, I built a "balloon" on the end of the cabinet to allow the spring to fit in. It worked pretty well except that a lot of the media would collect in the "balloon" so I would have to occasionally shake it back into the cabinet.

If your doing a new set of springs, the paint that Eaton uses is tougher than nails so I found that applying some heavy duty paint stripper prior to blasting helped a lot.

For soaking large parts like spring sections or drive shafts in Evaporust, a trough can be easily built using plastic rain gutter parts. Another, albeit pricey technique, is to use a large plastic garbage can as a dipping tank...obviously takes a significant amount of Evaporust to fill it but it will last a long time and you can do a lot of parts all at once.

[Bob Gaines]

I recently blasted a new set of springs from Eaton to remove the paint in preparation for blueing. I too have a blast cabinet that is too narrow to fit a spring section into. So, I opened up the end door and, with a lot of duct tape and heavy plastic, I built a "balloon" on the end of the cabinet to allow the spring to fit in. It worked pretty well except that a lot of the media would collect in the "balloon" so I would have to occasionally shake it back into the cabinet.

If your doing a new set of springs, the paint that Eaton uses is tougher than nails so I found that applying some heavy duty paint stripper prior to blasting helped a lot.

For soaking large parts like spring sections or drive shafts in Evaporust, a trough can be easily built using plastic rain gutter parts. Another, albeit pricey technique, is to use a large plastic garbage can as a dipping tank...obviously takes a significant amount of Evaporust to fill it but it will last a long time and you can do a lot of parts all at once.

I have made some odd shaped soaking tanks out of plastic sheets and using plywood sides and bottom cut to make shapes that require the least amount of fluid material.

[67gtasanjose]

For soaking large parts like spring sections or drive shafts in Evaporust, a trough can be easily built using plastic rain gutter parts. Another, albeit pricey technique, is to use a large plastic garbage can as a dipping tank...obviously takes a significant amount of Evaporust to fill it but it will last a long time and you can do a lot of parts all at once.

I have made some odd shaped soaking tanks out of plastic sheets and using plywood sides and bottom cut to make shapes that require the least amount of fluid material.

This is why I buy Rust911. Same thing essentially as your EvpoRust only it is affordable.

$60 goes a REALLY long way! Hind sight being 20/20, I would have just bought 4-5 gallons (makes 64-80 gallons) up front, built a few boxes like Bob mentioned and just dipped everything WHOLE instead of in sections like I ended up doing. $300 is REALLY CHEAP when you see the result and consider how much extra time I spend screwing around trying to "be cheap and affordable".

[OldMustangGuy]

I would have just bought 4-5 gallons

I buy Evaporust in 5 gallon buckets on Amazon. If you are a Prime member shipping is free! I wouldn't say it's cheap but is much more affordable that way than buying it by the gallon at Walmart, etc...It's about $80 for 5 gallons on Amazon.

[67gtasanjose]

I buy Evaporust in 5 gallon buckets on Amazon. If you are a Prime member shipping is free! I wouldn't say it's cheap but is much more affordable that way than buying it by the gallon at Walmart, etc...It's about $80 for 5 gallons on Amazon.

AMAZON is a great tool for savings! I like to use them too, however...

5 gallon bucket of Evapo-Rust = 5 gallons of Dip (COST around $1280 for 80 gallons or $899 for 55 gallon barrel)
5 gallons of Rust911 CONCENTRATE = 80 gallons of Dip (COST around $300 for same 80 gallons, also with FREE shipping)

I like the math! I also LOVE the results, I have tried Evapo-Rust and believe it to be phenomenal! I have ALSO used Rust911 ever since I tried it and will NEVER go back when I see the savings. To date, I have had no ill-effects of using this product.

Don't forget to buy a gallon their MetalShield 2009 to guard against Flash Rust, an affordable alternative to Boeshield T9

https://www.amazon.com/Rust911-16-gallons-Economical-Safe-Use/dp/B0031HQJWW?SubscriptionId=AKIAJ2F6RDUSIYCWQMFQ&tag=sa-sym-new-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0031HQJWW

https://www.rust911.com/

[Morsel]

I actually came up with a super cheap and easy way to soak my springs in Evaprorust that doesn't use that much product. I bought one of those black 4 inch flex tubings from the hardware store for about $10. It's just a little wider then the spring and about 10 feet long. Because it's flexible it bends to the shape of the spring. I then just bent the end up close to the long spring ends, poured in about 2 1/2 containers of Evaporust which filled the tube and now is soaking my long spring. I have to do the long ones one at a time, but the short ones all fit together. Anyway, thought this might help people in the future save a touch of money... also easy to pour back into the containers when your done.

On a side note, yes, I had to strip the paint off first with stripper, I'm going to soak each one, then blast them and onward

Thanks,

Jason

[Bob Gaines]

I actually came up with a super cheap and easy way to soak my springs in Evaprorust that doesn't use that much product. I bought one of those black 4 inch flex tubings from the hardware store for about $10. It's just a little wider then the spring and about 10 feet long. Because it's flexible it bends to the shape of the spring. I then just bent the end up close to the long spring ends, poured in about 2 1/2 containers of Evaporust which filled the tube and now is soaking my long spring. I have to do the long ones one at a time, but the short ones all fit together. Anyway, thought this might help people in the future save a touch of money... also easy to pour back into the containers when your done.

On a side note, yes, I had to strip the paint off first with stripper, I'm going to soak each one, then blast them and onward

Thanks,

Jason

Good alternative container . I like the easy to pour out aspect compared to the way I did it. I wanted to ask why the extra steps? Strip paint ,soak in Evaporust, then blasting. Why wouldn't you go from painter stripper straight to blasting?     

[jwc66k]

I bought one of those black 4 inch flex tubings from the hardware store for about $10. It's just a little wider then the spring and about 10 feet long.

I like it. You're using the contents of the hat rack for the good of all mankind.
Jim

[Morsel]

I like it. You're using the contents of the hat rack for the good of all mankind.
Jim

Plus I can attach it to my down spout from my rain gutters afterward and direct water away from the garage

Good alternative container . I like the easy to pour out aspect compared to the way I did it. I wanted to ask why the extra steps? Strip paint ,soak in Evaporust, then blasting. Why wouldn't you go from painter stripper straight to blasting?     

My springs were a disaster, they were super rusty under some epoxy paint, I tried first just blasting, no good, then even after using stripper, there was still paint left, I soaked in Evaporust after that and strangely because of the rust they painted over, a lot more came off. They look pretty good, but the main reason I'm blasting afterwards is to even out the over all finish and surface before I gun blue, I want as even a surface tone as I can get prior, it's a large area and going to be battling a smooth even finish already...

One thing that was fun, I found some paint marks while I was stripping them, for future reference, 1966 February 10th San Jose factory GT K-Code, driver side springs had green and yellow spray dots, passenger side had green and yellow stripes, mixed, have you seen this before?

Thanks,

Jason

Thanks,

Jason

[jwc66k]

Plus I can attach it to my down spout from my rain gutters afterward and direct water away from the garage

Rain? In "parched" California? Only in the movies. 
Jim

[Bob Gaines]

Plus I can attach it to my down spout from my rain gutters afterward and direct water away from the garage

My springs were a disaster, they were super rusty under some epoxy paint, I tried first just blasting, no good, then even after using stripper, there was still paint left, I soaked in Evaporust after that and strangely because of the rust they painted over, a lot more came off. They look pretty good, but the main reason I'm blasting afterwards is to even out the over all finish and surface before I gun blue, I want as even a surface tone as I can get prior, it's a large area and going to be battling a smooth even finish already...

One thing that was fun, I found some paint marks while I was stripping them, for future reference, 1966 February 10th San Jose factory GT K-Code, driver side springs had green and yellow spray dots, passenger side had green and yellow stripes, mixed, have you seen this before?

Thanks,

Jason

Thanks,

Jason

I have seen mixed before just a seldom occurrence in the big picture . It is typically a earlier 66 date around the transition time.

[J_Speegle]

One thing that was fun, I found some paint marks while I was stripping them, for future reference, 1966 February 10th San Jose factory GT K-Code, driver side springs had green and yellow spray dots, passenger side had green and yellow stripes, mixed, have you seen this before?

Have seen this many times but then I see allot more San Jose examples than most 

[Morsel]

OK, one last question here, about to get these ready to assemble my leaf springs, does anyone use any grease or wax between each spring to promote a good "slide" and avoid any spring noise between each leaf or do you just go raw metal to metal Obviously these will be Boeshield'ed prior to assembly.

Thanks,

Jason

[Bob Gaines]

OK, one last question here, about to get these ready to assemble my leaf springs, does anyone use any grease or wax between each spring to promote a good "slide" and avoid any spring noise between each leaf or do you just go raw metal to metal Obviously these will be Boeshield'ed prior to assembly.

Thanks,

Jason

I have seen it done ether way but personally would apply some grease.