Prepare steel beam for paint

[Super_Paulie]

Not sure which sub forum for this, so apologies. 

I need to get this beam prepped before I get my intumescent on. It's not oxide coated, seems just raw steel and as such it's flakey with surface rust, probably sat in the fabrication yard for god knows how long. 

Which will be the least painful way of getting this ready to take a coat of the thick intumescent? Detail sander with mesh pad? Wire wool and a few stiff drinks? 

 

It's 8m and both sides and underneath need going at. Any experienced heads on this with any tips that would be excellent.

[Nick Laslett]

My advice would be to pay a tradesman if you can. I found it a very nasty job cleaning up a steel beam with an angle grinder. The rust gets everywhere, you need a full face visor. 
 

I used these grinding pads, they did an amazing job and were very quick. 
 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stripping-Remover-Oxidation-Abrasive-Grinding/dp/B098BHYZZ5/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2PP5S0KHREEFA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-RiUzUPMM0xDSoj_ao0kyzCEkq06Ki9_tKwgAzUzzGgX0w9E79tHP9RGLHAZ1uvD6v4vAAxkOKU6EGAIZZPMcvZ671hrmCKe2R6Tt7GZoB69DpVG1u726XRYtt00LEgJLT0HQPuTJyAz5KFmiO3G46nG7BCaR5hFBVumshPhIn5gaZt4E5aSzxJJLeX3p4bPE-_uKnof6GWenJfVRmlP7I0bfM6W6TT9qNV7A-b0lzxrg3EyRxCQdPaIfmCTWNYaapLHh_bgqAPpLorSF6pTcAg1RtEdnc5IGTeUrhOdDzM.ZZ4qAg_eV6JXNLQLgrNZx0vRPf5X8GVjbarfh9fhWWc&dib_tag=se&keywords=poly%2Bstrip%2Bdisc&qid=1725208867&sprefix=Poly%2Bstr%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

[Onoff]

I'd paint it with phosphoric acid. 24 & 48% solutions readily available as descaler.

 

https://www.redlabelabrasives.com/blogs/news/mill-scale-what-it-is-how-to-remove-it#:~:text=Phosphoric Acid Treatments%3A Unlike the,provides some resistance to rust.

[JohnMo]

Save your time and effort, just buy this and follow the instructions. It's pretty harmless to use.

 

https://www.fertan.co.uk/product/fertan-rust-converter/

 

Or as @Onoff says.

[Onoff]

46 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

Save your time and effort, just buy this and follow the instructions. It's pretty harmless to use.

 

https://www.fertan.co.uk/product/fertan-rust-converter/

 

Or as @Onoff says.

 

You can make your own:

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/tannic-acid-rusted-iron-artifacts.html

[Conor]

Pink board!!!

 

Looks like it can be easily boxed in far easier job. Otherwise, you've a lot of prep, priming and then horrible painting to do.

Edited September 1, 2024 by Conor

[Super_Paulie]

32 minutes ago, Conor said:

Pink board!!!

 

Looks like it can be easily boxed in far easier job. Otherwise, you've a lot of prep, priming and then horrible painting to do.

It's not getting boxed in, otherwise I would have done it!

[Super_Paulie]

On 01/09/2024 at 17:41, Nick Laslett said:

My advice would be to pay a tradesman if you can. I found it a very nasty job cleaning up a steel beam with an angle grinder. The rust gets everywhere, you need a full face visor. 
 

I used these grinding pads, they did an amazing job and were very quick. 
 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stripping-Remover-Oxidation-Abrasive-Grinding/dp/B098BHYZZ5/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2PP5S0KHREEFA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-RiUzUPMM0xDSoj_ao0kyzCEkq06Ki9_tKwgAzUzzGgX0w9E79tHP9RGLHAZ1uvD6v4vAAxkOKU6EGAIZZPMcvZ671hrmCKe2R6Tt7GZoB69DpVG1u726XRYtt00LEgJLT0HQPuTJyAz5KFmiO3G46nG7BCaR5hFBVumshPhIn5gaZt4E5aSzxJJLeX3p4bPE-_uKnof6GWenJfVRmlP7I0bfM6W6TT9qNV7A-b0lzxrg3EyRxCQdPaIfmCTWNYaapLHh_bgqAPpLorSF6pTcAg1RtEdnc5IGTeUrhOdDzM.ZZ4qAg_eV6JXNLQLgrNZx0vRPf5X8GVjbarfh9fhWWc&dib_tag=se&keywords=poly%2Bstrip%2Bdisc&qid=1725208867&sprefix=Poly%2Bstr%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

These bad boys got the beam cleaned in an afternoon. Used the purple type and it lasted pretty much the entire job, so I've got 4 spare...

 

It was brutal though, looked like I'd been working down a coal mine afterwards.

[Onoff]

7 hours ago, Super_Paulie said:

These bad boys got the beam cleaned in an afternoon. Used the purple type and it lasted pretty much the entire job, so I've got 4 spare...

 

It was brutal though, looked like I'd been working down a coal mine afterwards.

 

I used the blue ones and looked like a Smurf afterwards.