Rusty metal prep on boat lift. Ospho?

[Alexander2]

I've been asked by a friend to help him figure out hot to best prep his boat lift prior to painting. Its steel and was painted at one time, now its half rust. He started sandblasting it but its very slow going if he tries to get it all to bare metal.
I found Ospho at ospho.com. It is supposed to be able to treat sound rust so it can be painted. Anyone used it?
I've also found more expensive products like POR-15 but the cost is prohibitive. Lift is in a freshwater lake 6 months of the year,outside on shore the other 6 months.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

PM me your phone # give me a call if your close;) I can give you a hand. I have lots of experience having prepped and painting the CS boat clubs steel work barge, ya know with my good buddy Phil ;)

Not all that fresh water in the Hudson here slightly briny. But you know that ;)

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/fosterhere/DSC01017.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m320/fosterhere/DSC01018.jpg

[Lew Barrett]

Ospho does treat rust well, but you can't just use it willy nilly as a primer. Not all paints are compatible with it. Therefore, research is required. You might look into system products specific to painting steel boats, or reassure yourself that the primer you put over ospho will be compatible with the top coat. Research required not only from the ospho people, but from your paint supplier.

[Alexander2]

Thanks Mr. Barrett. The paint people says its ok with their paint so I'll pick some up for him.

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Thanks Mr. Barrett. The paint people says its ok with their paint so I'll pick some up for him.

What no thanks Joe???? :( I offer my back and my obviose skill and I dont even get a thanks but no thanks :( sheesh and all I was trying to do was be neighborly ;)

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

163 views and only 5 resposes, three of them mine ;)

I think I made my point ;) Thanks for all the kind pm's.
Alas I never got one from Alexander2 :( :p

[py]

Maybe Alexander2 is really an Ospho sales rep out to make a name for his product

[BrianW]

Well, Joe has guilted me into replying, although I've only used it once before. We stripped down the non-skid on an aluminum barge, and the piping and cranes too. Then we Ospho'd it all, redid the non-skid, and painted the crane and pipes.

As expected (by me, but not the boss, even though I told him) the non-skid peeled up because Ospho is for ferrous metals. The paint on the steel parts looked good.

After we were done painting, we wrapped all the hydraulic fittings with Denso tape.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/BrianW/denso.jpg

[Alexander2]

Py, no I'm not the Ospho rep. Wish I was, I drove 40 miles one way and paid $22.99 to get a gallon. :)

Yes I did get some and we tried it out on a rusty piece of scrap iron.
Its dried hard and somewhat shiny, filled in the rust pits to some degree. Let it dry a day and put a coat of paint on it.

We scraped on it with a knife and it seemed to bond tight to the rust and the paint seems to bond tightly to it.
I'll help him do the boat lift when it gets warrm outside and if I remember I'll let you know what the lift looks like when he pulls it in the fall.

Thanks for the help!

Before and after pics.
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh296/Yazoomower/