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Rust on painted metal

orriginal

Active Member
Hey,
I got a Sanyo TP 626 the other day and I'm starting a clean up/restoration. The thing was filthy. After a basic cleaning it's really coming around. It's a really nice looking turntable.

Anyway, it looks like the most challenging part is going to be rust removal. I've read some threads on getting the platter shiny and I have a few methods I'll try for that. What I can't really find is how to get the rust off the painted metal base that is inserted into the wooden case (sorry for my lack of vocabulary).
It's not much. Little tiny spots here and there. If I was going to keep the table I'd probably leave it.

Can I use vinegar?
Should I sand with fine grit and repaint?

I can't wait to get this thing all shiny and purdy!
 
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Hey,
I got a Sanyo TP 626 the other day and I'm starting a clean up/restoration. The thing was filthy. After a basic cleaning it's really coming around. It's a really nice looking turntable.

Anyway, it looks like the most challenging part is going to be rust removal. I've read some threads on getting the platter shiny and I have a few methods I'll try for that. What I can't really find is how to get the rust off the painted metal base that is inserted into the wooden case (sorry for my lack of vocabulary).
It's not much. Little tiny spots here and there. If I was going to keep the table I'd probably leave it.

Can I use vinegar?
Should I sand with fine grit and repaint?

I can't wait to get this thing all shiny and purdy!

You're speaking of the matte black steel plinth, right? Anywhere that you see rust the painted surface has been breached. Just chemically removing the rust with something like vinegar, if it worked, would still leave the little pin holes in the paint. That means those spots would rust again.

The best solution would be your other idea: to scuff-sand the entire surface and repaint it. You might want to use a Rustoleum product, "wrought iron black" for instance, but any spray paint would probably be as good if the rust is truly light. What you want is to seal the surface so that no more oxygen can get to the bare metal. No oxygen, no rust.

Or you could just send the table to me. I've regretted selling mine since the moment it left my hands. ;)

John
 
You're speaking of the matte black steel plinth, right? Anywhere that you see rust the painted surface has been breached. Just chemically removing the rust with something like vinegar, if it worked, would still leave the little pin holes in the paint. That means those spots would rust again.

The best solution would be your other idea: to scuff-sand the entire surface and repaint it. You might want to use a Rustoleum product, "wrought iron black" for instance, but any spray paint would probably be as good if the rust is truly light. What you want is to seal the surface so that no more oxygen can get to the bare metal. No oxygen, no rust.

Or you could just send the table to me. I've regretted selling mine since the moment it left my hands. ;)

John

That's what I was thinking. Thank you.

So would you take it all apart or would taping and papering what I didn't want painted be sufficient?

And yes, I picked a dandy of a first buy-low-fix-up-sell-to-keep-my-habit-financed project. I'm trying not to get attached to it. The thing is that it is so beautifully different than my fully automated and beautiful Sony PS X600. It's a slippery slope, and I'd like to stay married.

Now, if you can convince me that I should REPLACE my Sony...

I know the resale value of that one is higher.
 
So would you take it all apart or would taping and papering what I didn't want painted be sufficient?

I don't remember whether the reject lever and speed controls are easy to remove or not. The arm is attached simply but you'd have to unsolder the tonearm wires. I'd try removing anything easy and then masking everything else first and see how happy I was with that before painting.

(Really, if it were me, I'd be tempted to strip it completely. I'm more into restoration than quick fixes..... but that's just me. My father was an antique collector and liked nothing better than getting a basket case for small money and then making it as close to museum quality as possible. It rubbed off. ;))

John
 
So this is my first restoration, and I'm learning as I'm going. As with many other first go rounds at a new skill, I am actually learning by f*(^ing up.

It's not that bad actually. I think it will look really good once its done. I just have to be patient and enjoy the process. It's all about the process.

The platter came out awesome. Just used sandpaper in incremental grits, and just cleaned it up real nice. I'll focus more on the buffing as I'm putting it all together in the end.

I sanded the rust off the plinth, took my time, and that came out nice and smooth, and for the first time I could see the potential for what I was working towards.

I struggled with choosing a paint. Original is original and once I sanded it, it was never going to be that again. I think I looked on the interwebs for too long at some of the other restorations on this table, and the desire to make something that resembled one of those overcame the part of my brain that tries to talk one out of these sorts of ventures. I decided to just jump right in over my head.

So, I chose black. Black gloss. Mostly because I think it's awesome...when it's done right. I didn't do it right. It looks pretty bad. Uneven, brush strokes, fuzzies, and everything else you don't see in a good paint job. I was pretty bummed last night after I started to see the results. I feel a little better today after reading about some basic techniques that I didn't know about and I am pretty confident I can bring this thing back. This is my plan. I'd love some feedback and tips.

Wait at least another day for the paint to dry. I used Rustoleum straight-to-metal paint (not spraypaint).
Get better brushes, maybe try foam?
Wet sand with 400-800
Wipe down
Take my time painting. Thin layers. No going back over or touching after the plinth is painted, NO TOUCHING (probably my biggest mistake first time through).
Wait
Sand 1000-2000
Polish with rubbing compound

Sound about right? Fishing for help here.
Can't wait to see what this thing ends up looking like (probably what caused my 2nd biggest mistake, rushing). I'm photographing the process, and will post eventually if anyone is interested.
 
I don't think you will ever get what you want with a brush. I have become fond of the textured spray paint you can get these days. You need to spray multiple light coats. Don't even try for full coverage. By the third coat you should have things covered. Surface prep is the most important part of the process. Sand down to metal and always prime.
 
Don't even try for full coverage. By the third thin coat you should have things covered. Surface prep is the most important part of the process. Sand down to metal and always prime.

Fixed it for you! I agree about the importance of primer, especially in cases like this where there is exposed bare metal. You can sometimes get away without it if the surface is still completely covered with the original tight paint. In that case the original acts as a primer.

You'll want to give the surface of the metal a little "tooth" by scuff sanding it with maybe 220 grit. You don't want to use anything coarser because the scratches it leaves will show through the paint. Of course, anything finer might not roughen the surface enough.

As for a paint, you might want to use a "hammered" finish, maybe black/silver like the old ARs. Krylon and Rustoleum both sell it.

John
 
So the paint I used was called direct to metal so there was primer in it. There's an ugly coat of it on there right now. Just not sure what to do from here.

Do I sand everything off and start from bare metal, or do I try and pretty this up by sanding and repainting? Maybe with a spray paint this time?
 
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First, I'll assume that you've tested your TT and that it functions properly...

Beyond that, you should now probably sand the paint down to the metal followed by the application of a rust inhibiting paint (I've had good luck with both Rustoleum "Rust Converter" and Rustoleum spray "Protective Paint" that "Stops Rust"). Regular paint/primer may, or may not, keep any remaining or unseen rust from coming back through the paint over time.
 
First, I'll assume that you've tested your TT and that it functions properly...

Beyond that, you should now probably sand the paint down to the metal followed by the application of a rust inhibiting paint (I've had good luck with both Rustoleum "Rust Converter" and Rustoleum spray "Protective Paint" that "Stops Rust"). Regular paint/primer may, or may not, keep any remaining or unseen rust from coming back through the paint over time.

It seems to work well. I will replace the belt, and put a new cartridge on it, then I'll really know.

I used a Rustoleum product to start, but I think I'll sand down and spray it on this time. And I think I'll take the suggestions above and spray a primer first instead of using an all in one paint. Should I wet sand?

Any suggestions on a budget cart for this TT? I'm thinking AT95e.
 
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The AT95E is probably the best bargain around these days and would be well suited to that arm, unlike the other good deal cartridge, the Shure M97xE.

(By the way, the arm on the TP 626 is about the nicest mid-mass arm I've seen on a mass-market table.)

John
 
The AT95E is probably the best bargain around these days and would be well suited to that arm, unlike the other good deal cartridge, the Shure M97xE.

(By the way, the arm on the TP 626 is about the nicest mid-mass arm I've seen on a mass-market table.)

John

I'm gonna end up keeping this thing aren't I?
 
I've just sanded six transformers and two very rusted chassis for my W5M rebuild project. Without bead blasting them, I had no hope of 100% rust free parts, so I used rust converter then primed and painted either with black textured or hammer tone metallic. I'm a huge fan of textured paint as a covering for less than pristine surfaces. I'm doing this project on the cheap as I have more time than money these days.

You don't necessarily need to go to bare metal, but the surface must be smooth and transitions between paint and bare metal must be feathered. By trying to brush paint, you probably will need to sand way more than before.
 
You could have it media blasted and powder coated, but it will have to be stripped of all parts.
 
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