A rust converter turns tight rust into a hard dark layer you can prime and paint. Brush off the loose flakes, put the converter on the rust that's left, wait for it to go dark, then prime within two days.
Where it makes sense
Use it on steel and iron you can't grind down to bright metal. Think iron railings, gates, fences, trailers, truck frames and sheet metal. Kompozit Rust Converter handles rust layers 2 to 12 mils thick. It won't work on galvanized steel, zinc, aluminum or magnesium.
Step by step
- Scrape off flaking and loose rust with a wire brush or scraper. Tight rust stays on.
- Degrease with a water-based degreaser, rinse, and let the metal dry.
- Stir the can. Don't thin it.
- Brush, roll or spray one even coat. Filter it first if you spray. On a railing or a wall, work from the bottom up. Wipe up puddles with a damp sponge.
- Wait. At 59 to 68°F the rust turns dark blue-black in up to 2 hours.
- On rust thicker than 6 mils, some spots can stay unconverted. Give them a second coat once the first one finishes reacting.
- Keep rain off it. Once it's dry, put on an anticorrosive primer and a metal topcoat within 1 to 2 days.
Apply it between 41 and 95°F. Don't rinse it off.
How much to buy
A gallon covers about 340 to 500 square feet, depending on how deep the rust goes. That puts a quart at roughly 85 to 125 square feet.
Quart or gallon
- Quart, $19: one stoop railing, a gate, a mailbox post, a trailer hitch or a few rusty spots on a truck frame.
- Gallon, $69: a run of iron fence, a fire escape, several railings or a whole trailer. Four quarts cost $76, so past about 250 square feet the gallon is the cheaper buy.
Not sure? Call (718) 594-9337 with the length of the railing or fence, and we'll tell you which one.
What's in it
It's water based and made with plant tannins. VOC is under 50 grams per liter and there are no organic solvents, so tools clean up with water. Patent pending.
Price and delivery
Quart $19, gallon $69. We deliver across New York and New Jersey for $15 an order, free over $150. Quarts and gallons ship anywhere in the continental US at the carrier rate.
Order Rust Converter: quart $19, gallon $69
Questions we get
Can I paint straight over it?
Prime first with an anticorrosive primer, then paint. Do both within 1 to 2 days.
Does it work on aluminum?
No. Iron and steel only.
How long does it take to turn black?
Up to 2 hours at 59 to 68°F, the range where it works best.