Rusty backboard help!

[Mfresh]

Just installing a new backbox on my Diner, and have got to the backboard which is rusty as hell, although the boards are fine.

So the question is, whats the best thing to do here? Sand the rust off and paint the backboard, while keeping the mounting and earth points paint free?

Any advice appreciated!

 

[Marvello]

Any explanation as to why it is so rusty? Is it, or has it previously been kept in a damp location?

 

[Mfresh]

Good question. I don't know the history, but the fact that the backbox tha the backboard was in was not the original one makes me think that the original one got so damp that it fell apart, and the owner at the time got a replacement one (which was well made, but home-made, and not quite right - hence the swap)

 

[Mfresh]

Incidentally, whoever made the replacement did one really good innovation: instead of a hole for all the cables from the cabinet to pass through, there is a big open sided gap, so removing the backbox was a simple matter of sliding it back, rather than having to stuff all the cables down through the bottom first: