Any tips for surface prep?
 

I have some surface rust on my '76 K25 that I want to patch the paint in and am looking for some metal prep tips. I don't have access to a blaster of any kind. Do you recommend wire wheels, flap discs or something else? I've heard wire wheels just end up polishing the rust. How do you recommend cleaning one the rust is ground away? I'd think using compressed air would work pretty well but alas, I don't have a compressor. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Any tips for surface prep?
 

if its not pitted you can use elbow grease and sandpaper to clean it up.. if you can clean it to bare metal, be sure you get some epoxy primer on it
some pics would be helpful

Re: Any tips for surface prep?
 

The first thing you have to do is remove the paint. Put on rubber gloves , take your metal prep and a maroon Scotch-Brite pad and scrub the metal prep into the remaining rust. This will dissolve the remaining rust. Then use 4 inch foam roller apply two coats of the moisture cured urethane permanent rust sealer use the silver formulation preferably non leafing. then Prime and paint it. So now you have removed all the rust and left a zinc phosphate film , applied in airtight primer over it there is nothing left humanly possible do to prevent the rust from returning. I hope this helps

Re: Any tips for surface prep?
 

I forgot to mention this isn't going to be a restoration grade job. More so just to try to blend in with the old paint and and stop the rusting, it's a working truck. Top of the bed rails, hood and roof is just surface rust no pitting, Bottom of the bed has some pitting. The truck lives outside in the wet PNW so this is more of a stop gap effort. Will post pics if I can.