Bristle Blaster + Gibbs Oil — Cleaning Advice for Bare Metal Underside

[Rook]

Hi folks,

I recently picked up a project car that’s been undersealed, but a lot of the previous metal work is questionable. I’m planning to strip the underside back to bare metal to assess the condition of the floor pans — looking for pinholes or any areas that might need replacement in the future.
I have access to a Monti Bristle Blaster, and after doing some reading, I’m excited to try it. That said, I understand it leaves a fairly textured surface, and I’m wondering how difficult that will make the cleaning process before applying Gibbs oil.
My goal is to take the whole car back to bare metal and keep it that way during the restoration, with Gibbs applied for protection.


Are these steps sound?

1. Strip to bare metal with the Bristle Blaster (including brushing nooks and seams).
2. Wipe down with acetone on lint-free rags (concerned about how well this works on the rough surface).
3. Apply Gibbs oil for temporary corrosion protection.

Do I need to consider something like phosphoric acid or another rust inhibitor before applying Gibbs? Or will good cleaning and Gibbs be enough to prevent flash rust while the work is ongoing?

Appreciate any advice from those who’ve gone down this road.

 

[Greeves246]

Gibbs oil hasn’t been available for some years in the UK, good stuff. I’ve only got one tin now so using it sparingly.

 

[Dcal]

If you take the accelerator bar off the Bristle Blaster you won't get the textured finish.
Having said that if you go to the bother (and expense) of using a Bristle Blaster to get an excellent surface ready for paint why not go the extra step and apply a primer?
I'd suggest an epoxy mastic but any epoxy primer would be suitable for the application.
As an area is prepped apply the epoxy, if it takes a while to prep and area be sure to sand any epoxy you are tying into to.

I'm not familiar with Gibbs oil but it is probably better to apply it after paint than to try and remove it to apply paint later.

 

[hotponyshoes]

You can get 'fine' brushes for the bristle blaster (pm me if you can't find them locally)

You'll want the course ones for stripping seam Sealer and heavy rust but you can always go over again with a fine brush if you want to smooth the surface finish.

They also do 1/2 width brushes for getting into tight areas (although you'll also need a 1/2 width holder.

The 'blasted' finish is very good at holding paint though so maybe best to work with that?
You can get acetone in aerosol cans or just put it in a sprayer. Lot easier to apply to a car than trying to wipe all the nooks & crannies with a cloth as there tend to be plenty of edges for the cloth to catch on.