HELP NEEDED Painting Magnesium Panels

We have Jeff Issabell's ex Top Alcohol Dragster, it has magnesium panels. Since landing in Australia the panels have oxidised under the paint. We have been told we need to soda blast the panels to remove the paint.

We now need advise as to how, it is best to repaint, so this problem does not re-occur. We have been told that the panels need to be sanded shiney and then we only have an hour to get the paint on before the oxidising starts to re appear. We have also been told that the dents cant be removed because magnesium has a memory and they re-appear. Also do the panels need to be painted both sides?

Has anybody got any advise on what paint and what prep that is needed to paint these panels. Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks
Weston Racing.

email: westonracing@optusnet.com.au

 

i'm not sure, but i think i was told that alot of people have their mag panels Teflon coated. maybe someone else can shed some light on this.
Darren

 

i myself can't help you but go to the attached fourm link below.these guys can steer you in right way to do it.it is a body/paint fourm and very knowing persons on it so if anyone knows how one of them will.

http://www.autobodystore.com/forum/index.php

hope this helps

 

The corision is due to mosture that mag retains; it looks like battery corrosion in some cases. Often times, when mag bodies are done, they're not coated in Dow 7 coating prior to painting. As a result, mosture is retained when the mag is painted and has nowhere to escape resulting in bubbling in the paint over a period of time. Dow 7 coating is a gold coating that helps with this issue. I would look online down there to see who does Dow 7 coatings. I also know that people have used PPG expoxy primers in the past with good result. I hope this helps.

 

mag panel painting

Dupont has a surface prep liquid that i have used for years. I would go to the web page and inquire about the process. I used Imron poly u as the color and had great success. Dirty rat

 

Anywhere with salty air and petrochemicals will do this to mag panels. (Houston and Brisbane for sure).
Deep soak with Dow 7 @ 150* F for 45 minutes is a major plus, but a proper etching primer (same as you'd use w/alum.) needs to be shot on the inside also. "THE PORES NEED TO BE SEALED"!!!! Nasty air will flow right through the material and then be trapped by the paint on the outside. It will then start to grow potatoes, and eat the mag and bubble the outside paint.
It is NOT the painter's fault!

Builders don't necessarly use mag to be light, it's to protect themselves from the tire shake guys who blame them for not knowing how to hang an alum body! Mag has a great memory, while alum just simply wrinkles.

Also, as far as dents, be gentle. Never use a steel hammer and dolly. A leather mallet and a chunk of hard rubber will do it.

Bob
Meyer Race Cars / San Diego
2010 Our 45th Anniversary

 

Hmmmm.... not a bad memeory for and old guy with his feet up on a lanai somewhere in Hawaii, and most probabaly sipping a cool cocktail whilst eyeing off the local birdlife.....

 

Thanks for all your advise. I will give it to my painter and see how we go.
Thanks again.

Elaine Weston.

 

Pretty close.......... but the diet came with me, still on the Michelob Ultra!