reesea49•1mo agoProlific Poster

Old timer on a platform job in the Gulf changed my mind about steel hull prep

I used to think you could get away with just a quick wire brush and a fresh coat of paint on steel. Then this guy named Sal on an 8 hour shift in Houma, Louisiana straight up told me "you ain't prepping, you're just smearing rust with pretty colors." He showed me how he hits every pitted spot with a needle gun until it's bright metal, then wipes it down with acetone. Now I spend way more time on prep and my welds actually hold. Anyone else have a crusty old diver set them straight on something they thought they knew?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettywood1mo ago

Did you try a needle gun on heavy scale or stick with angle grinder flaps?

miam7528d ago

Needle guns are good for big flat panels where you can just let them eat but on real heavy scale with pits and tight corners I've had better luck with a knotted wire cup on a grinder. The needle gun seems to bounce off the really crusty stuff and just polish it instead of breaking it loose. I keep a 4.5 inch grinder with a coarse flap disc for the initial pass then switch to a twisted wire cup for the grooves and weld seams. Way less mess than the needle gun too, those needles throw crap everywhere.