VACTAN - Talk to me....

[mercrocker]

Seen a  few of  us on here have  been using Vactan as a rust treatment.....

 

How does it apply - presumably I am going to need to haz  a compressor if I am thinking of chuffing it into box sections, chassis legs, sills etc.   This would  be on a vehicle that has some surface corrosion inside sections but no perforation (yet).    

 

Any tips/don'ts would be appreciated.....

[dollywobbler]

I just brush it on. I imagine a compressor would get through a lot of it very quickly. I'm not sure how 'worth it' these potions are. They'll never stop anything other than light surface rust. For box sections, anti-corrosion wax is what you need. The best stuff stops any corrosion it finds though again, it's no miracle cure if things are properly rotten.

[TRW]

Pointers for Vactan

 

* Its bloody good stuff

 

* It doesn't like being stored in sub 5deg conditions

 

* It needs a dam good shake to mix it

 

* I've used it in brush application only (thinly)

 

* It's self priming

 

* ITS BLOODY GOOD STUFF

 

Seriously though, it does work. I had a bit of scrap rebar so conducted a little test. I cleaned it up with a wire brush and coated half of it in Vactan and left half bare metal. This was back in September last year, the bare half has considerable rust on it whilst the treated half only has thin blebs popping through. If I had gone at it with a wire brush attachment & drill combo I believe that the treated half would have no rust coming through.

 

If you want to do box chassis sections Waxoil is the best bet with a long probe.

 

Edit - dollywobbler beat me to it on the box sections.

[Shep Shepherd]

I love Vactan. It works best when the weather's warm or you're indoors, though.

[mercrocker]

OK thanks!   I currently use Bilt Hamber waxoyl equivalent aerosol sprayed into anywhere that I cannot get a brush to but wondered if Vactan was more suitable if there was already surface rust  in there, I am only talking about the light formation of rust not ryvita style!    

 

I think  I might give Vactan a go as a brush-on where that's appropriate and your comments are helpful in that respect, in the case of box sections I will probably carry on with the Bilt Hamber stuff - it is a lot easier to use than Waxoyl...

[Shep Shepherd]

  On 13/04/2014 at 20:01, mercrocker said:

OK thanks!   I currently use Bilt Hamber waxoyl equivalent aerosol sprayed into anywhere that I cannot get a brush to but wondered if Vactan was more suitable if there was already surface rust  in there, I am only talking about the light formation of rust not ryvita style!    

 

I think  I might give Vactan a go as a brush-on where that's appropriate and your comments are helpful in that respect, in the case of box sections I will probably carry on with the Bilt Hamber stuff - it is a lot easier to use than Waxoyl...

 

I want to try the Bilt Hamber stuff, but have never gotten round to doing so. Their 'Auto Balm' polish is bloody excellent

[scooters]

We use Vactan at work to protect steel in onshore and offshore environments. Vactan is a tannic acid rust killer suspended in a water soluble vinyl. It is very very effective but MUST be applied to rust to bond effectively so don't remove all rust before application.

It brushes or sprays on and can be diluted if required.

Give it a very good shake before using.

Di not apply to surfaces that will become very hot eg exhaust pipes as the vinyl will simply melt.

Far more effective than any of the car specific ones.

 

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[scooters]

Vactan is a rust killer and primer. Not a protection wax. Treatment should be....

Brush off loose rust

Apply vactan

Once dry paint and or protect with wax.

I would recommend Rustbuster over Waxoyl. .much more advanced and self healing. See www.rust.co.uk

 

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[mercrocker]

That's an interesting clarification, Scooters, thank  you.   Seems I should add this stuff to my chemical  warfare armoury against the bastard that calls itself Rust.....Shep, I have found B-H products to be superior in use to other stuff, at least from the point of application.   I cannot say that I have any evidence that they are necessarily performing better but the rust  proofer certainly creeps a lot better than the others.

[scooters]

If you want a Material Data Sheet on Vactan let me know. We need to provide them to our clients. I'm rather proud of having introduced vactan to the gas sector ...They were using some rubbish beforehand. I came across it years ago when rust killing on a mini. We buy it by the 80 gallon drum.

 

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[mercrocker]

Well if  it worked on Minis....Cheers  Scooters I have some equally festering BMC tin to protect.

[forddeliveryboy]

80 gallon drum, eh? Steel? How much thicker than your std 45 gallon drum? Any going spare?

 

Good advice re. waxoyl - it tends to dry out/doesn't stick as time goes by

[mat_the_cat]

  On 13/04/2014 at 22:58, forddeliveryboy said:

Good advice re. waxoyl - it tends to dry out/doesn't stick as time goes by

 

I know I've linked to this (post 27 onwards) before, but I've never been all that impressed with Waxoyl. This put me off it totally! It doesn't seem to penetrate very well, and unless applied to completely unrusted steel, doesn't seem to do a great job of slowing down any rust present.

 

Would be interesting to see how Dinitrol (3125 from memory?) stands up in a similar sort of test, which I keep meaning to do - I believe things a lot more if I see them with my own eyes...

[scooters]

  On 13/04/2014 at 22:58, forddeliveryboy said:

80 gallon drum, eh? Steel? How much thicker than your std 45 gallon drum? Any going spare?

 

Good advice re. waxoyl - it tends to dry out/doesn't stick as time goes by

Plastic!

But if you want some excellent thick British steel I have a fair bit

 

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[Caffiend]

Mat, if you want to inspect next time we're at the same event - fuel pipes on my BX were treated with Dinotrol when replaced last year (March 2012 or so) - since then they've done 30K miles, mostly winter commuting, although it's been mild and there's been hardly any salt on the roads. Car's stored outside, as you know. Be interested to know what you make of the Dinotrol compared with Other Stuff

[406V6]

Has worked very well since applying to a steel radiator in the bathroom. No sign of rust re-appearing despite getting quite warm and damp during bathtime.

[scooters]

Underbody protection is a moot point. I wouldn't recommend underseal unless You are hiding stuff from the MOT tester if causes more problems than protects. We see a lot of powder coating issues. Again it gets stone chipped and the rust comes through. Again the chloride trap issue can cause similar issues. Powder coating can be very difficult to remove you need to blast it off. Best underbody strategy for chod is to brush and vactan the rust and then protect using a CLEAR rustproof wax this way you can see problems before they manifest.

 

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[pompei]

I'm certainly no expert but I recall that when PC (or one of the other mags) did a long term test, Dinitrol came out as the best product and was certainly more effective than Waxoil.

 

I think that Waxoil has become a generic name for rust treatment rather like Hoover has for vacuum cleaners.

[twosmoke300]

Vactan? isnt that where the pope lives?

[mat_the_cat]

  On 14/04/2014 at 20:34, pompei said:

I'm certainly no expert but I recall that when PC (or one of the other mags) did a long term test, Dinitrol came out as the best product and was certainly more effective than Waxoil.

 

I remember that too, but can't remember whether they tried any BH stuff as a comparison. I do reckon the Dinitrol 3125 is good stuff, as I filled the box sections with it on the BX in 2004 and that has yet to require any structural welding after 230k miles and 21 years (although I did replace part of the rear wing around the fuel filler last year). I redid the box sections with BH S-50 last winter, so hope to keep rot at bay for a while longer.

[mercrocker]

Their UC wax is of similar properties but designed  for flat panel application - ideal for the underside.   It holds up well on the Minor in daily winter use although I tend to use it quite liberally and repeat the wheel arch treatment around Xmas time.    Its supposed to creep less but deflect road debris better than the S-50 stuff.   My Cowley was pretty solid when I bought the car but I had the entire  underside cleaned  off, primed and coated with lizard skin - an American product that we have not tried before.   Its getting a full coat of S50 when it goes on the road but I shall not be using this one in the salt.  

[tooSavvy]

... uber tredddredger..

 

Looking for something to do the 'frilly bitz' on toyyo of much mintyness & follow up with chassis slappon....

 

VACTAN is being purchased .. I found myself at this thread via a lonngggg webbie trawl looking for 'good stuff, rust treatment?'

 

TS

[sierraman]

Now is a good time to do it while there's a bit of dry weather. Don't worry about getting every speck of dust off. Forget doing it in a few months.

[mercrocker]

As this thread has re-surfaced it might be worth mentioning that my test horse-shoe is still nice and clean after one coat of Vactan and being nailed to the prevailing wind side of my shed for nearly two years now.   More importantly, the floor of the Cowley is still pristine after Vactan and being top coated with Lizard Skin underneath and black Rustoleum inside the car.  

 

Definitely a convert.....

[tooSavvy]

  On 26/08/2016 at 21:01, mercrocker said:

 

Definitely a convert[er of repute].....

Good!

 

 

TS

[Squire_Dawson]

Thanks for the follow-up.

[Jifflemon]

@scooters, (or other Vactan experts)....

 

"40 Micron Thickness coat is optimum". Now before I get my micrometer out, is a good thick slurp of the stuff sub-optimal?

 

Best methods of application? Pressurised squirty bottle? Thin it down and blast it in under high pressure? 

[egg]

I've been using kurust on my garden gate with fairly successful results, with Hammerite direct to rust on top. However on the Mondeo kurust seems somehow a bit less effective. Must investigate this Vatcan stuff before the weather cools.

[Honey Badger]

  On 21/09/2016 at 15:46, Jifflemon said:

@scooters, (or other Vactan experts)....

 

"40 Micron Thickness coat is optimum". Now before I get my micrometer out, is a good thick slurp of the stuff sub-optimal?

 

Best methods of application? Pressurised squirty bottle? Thin it down and blast it in under high pressure? 

 

Paint an area, test with a wet film gauge.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wet-Film-Comb-25-3000um-/130960449530?hash=item1e7dd9dffa:g:OYcAAOSwnDZT6wZj

[oldcars]

I enjoyed my visit, was much larger than i thought, shame i missed the pope but still worth the visit..................................