I was given some old car ramps made of 5mm angled steel. They had been outside in the rain for 25 years and were covered with surface rust so I have got them both down to bare metal and they are surprisingly good with just the odd patch of the slightest pitting.
I have got an acid etch primer to go on but wondered if I any of those off the shelf kurust type jobbys would be of any use first.

Andi

I would say it might make them last longer before the rust breaks through - but it will still break through

Vinegar

Jenolite seems to work

They are only ramps, don't get too hung up on prepping them. I would just slap a coat of POR15 or similar on.

Seriously, if they've survived 25 years outside and only have superficial rust then I'd just spray them with WD40 if anything at all!



[Edited on 10/12/11 by Dave Ashurst]

What about Electrolyses with Lay and then Paint with POR or something. To properly protect them Get a couple of Blocks of Aluminium and attach to the bare steel . This will work using the sacrificial anode principle - allows oil companies to WET store Christmas trees (under the sea for 20-30 years)..



linky

Not being frivolous, but why try and fight the inevitable? It'll come back through as sure as eggs is eggs. Better to live with it and pick a paint that doesn't discolour and is a doddle to touch-up year on year.
Our villa's 20 years old and we've steel 'wreckers' on every window (built by a German who was very security conscious). They're white and tiny brown rust spots show up every two years or so, mainly at the welded joints. A good quality steel paint 'cures' the offending spot indefinitely but it comes through elsewhere. Nevertheless I need only paint around 5% of the exposed area biennially.

Really???

Just paint it in Hammerite, bloody hell they are only ramps!!!

Mine were rusty when i got them from a boot fair, 2 years and the hammerite is still ok. The bottoms get scratched up quickly anyway.