Rust repair

[bubba]

I'm working on that VMC56ST I picked up. I've got the whole cabinet stripped down, and everything but the tub removed. I was going to try not to remove that. There was a small rust spot on the  bottom, above the compressor deck. I was planning on just filling that spot and throwing some paint at the machine. I hit the machine with a rust killer-- there is no rust mort around here.. I was doing some sanding, and realized that there is more than one rust hole. Upon wire wheeling the area, I ended up with a whole lotta holes. I imagine its more than a bit of bondo to repair now. What is the best way to repair this section? Should I cut this out and butt weld in a patch? Should I just put a plate on top of this rusted out piece? If I have to take the tub out, I will, but I'd rather not.

[aspbear1]

What I would do with those small places you have is go to wal mart and buy one of the fiberglass repair kits for cars.  Use them to fix the holes and then smooth with a small amount of bondo. Use a good quality auto primer and you will not be able to tell the difference.

[MoonDawg]

Bubba.........it's the underside...........no one will ever see it !

[Eric]

Depends on how far you want to go and if you're keeping it.
It would drive me crazy wondering how bad it is and if the bottom of the tub is rusting through.
I'd take the tub out, cut it out and replace that piece... But that's just me and I'm speaking if
it was a keeper... Now if it doesn't matter you might sell it or trade it later on poar some type
of rust nutrilizer (spelling) in there to maybe help prevent anything you can't get to and bondo it up.

Now that 88.... That would be a frame off restoration '>

[bubba]

Thanks Guys... I know its out of site, and I'm not sure what the future is for this machine. Once I own things, I have a hard time getting rid of them . Being that this is my first machine doing any real work on, I wanted to do a decent job with it. My fear with just bondo over the holes is that the rust will come back after its painted. If I patch over top of it with a new piece of metal, than it can rust all it wants, but should last a good amount of time.

Eric.. I am kinda wondering about the whole inside of the cabinet as well, and I may just pull it apart the rest of the way. I am also afraid of what I may find.... As far as the 88 goes, I may replace the wiring and leave it alone for now. Its in good shape, and I think with a bit of cleaning and elbow grease, that machine will look great. There will still be some scratches, but its old....

[BrianB]

Bubba -

If your not going to remove the panel and weld a new one place then there are a few different options that work pretty good.

#1 - Remove all loose rust and scale, spray with either Eastwood Rust Encapsulator or POR 15. Patch holes using Bondo Fiberglass. Then spray with a good quality rubberized automotive undercoating to seal the entire thing and also give it a moisture/condensation barrier.

#2 - Substitute Bondo with a sheet of mild galvanized steel available at Menards/Lowes. Cut to fit and use a good quality metal epoxy. Then use undercoating to seal it.

I've use both methods and they both work great!

[bubba]

I've got some 22ga galvanized sheet stock at work. I brought the machine in today, and I'm gonna cut a patch and tack weld it in place. Then I'll use a seam sealer around the edges to seal it. Prime it and paint with the rest of the machine...

[collecture]

Bubba,
The problem I see is that the rust ate the machine from the inside and there will still be a lot of rust inside. Without taking the tub liner out, you are just masking the problem. Moisture will get trapped between the rusty shell and the fix causing more rust. I would take the liner out, seal the whole shell from the inside and replace the liner and insulation.
I am certainly no expert and have never personally restored a machine, but I am a completest.

[bubba]

Well, right now, I cut out the really bad spot, and left enough meat to attach a new panel over the top. I've got it installed now, and sealed. One part of me knows I should pull the liner and check for any other rust, and the other part of me is afraid of what I will find. I've still got other work to do before I get to the point of no return. I'm going to see how the rest of the work goes... So far, the MarHyde rust killer I used has done a horrible job. It did a great job of turning the rust spots black, but it did not penetrate the rust and spots that I sanded down smooth still have rust under this stuff... I'm not happy about that so far. I've been working in a low light garage at night... today will be a beautiful day, so I will get it outside in the driveway and see just exactly what is going on... I'll get some pics of the progress...

[coke_and_stuff]

Ive had around 50 machines and all but one had that rust issue, Ive pulled the liners on almost all and the inside isnt bad just that area. Word of advice the only way to get rid of rust is to kill the rust, or it will come back and haunt you. cut it out and weld a new piece in, If you keep the machines 5-10 years from now you'll be happy you did this.

Joey