OK, I'm preping my frame. I have silver POR 15 that will go on. I was told I should use the metal prep that POR 15 sells. But when I ordered it, I didn't get any.
Has anybody used "Navy Jelly" from an auto parts store before? Reading the label it seems as if is desgned to do pretty much the same thing as the metal prep from POR 15.
Naval jelly is, AFAIK, phosphoric acid- same stuff thats in most rust converters. Essentially it sucks up an oxygen atom from the rust converting it into form of iron that dosen't rust as easily as the regular stuff. This is about the best chemical to use, it attacts the rust & pretty much leaves the underlying metal alone. Other acids will work such as muriatic (hydrochloric) or even citric acid (available from your favorite neighbourhood wine making supplies store) but these are way more aggressive at eating everything, The POR15 metal prep also includes a zinc compound that gets deposited during the reaction & weakly bonds to the metal giving some additional, but not total, protection. The main thing is that on fresh smooth metal the zink gives the POR something to grab onto. If your frame has been rusty/blasted/used/abused or otherwise changed from from its initial factory fresh condition you can probably get away with jelly.
I'm right at the same point you are right now, They Did send Me the metal prep, maybe they like me better than you :). I've been smothing down the piiting on the frame from the sandblasting so it'll look a little better & the POR will fill better. By the time I get from one end to the other the place where I started is turning brown again :(.
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