Soda Blaster

Has anyone used or owned the 15lb blaster that Harbor Freight sells? Just wondering how well it works. I have some parts I need to clean. thanks!

Cheap Tools = Expensive Repercussions

-my .02 Cents

Don't know anything about the Harbor Freight blaster, but I have some opinions on some of their other tools..................

I'd probably buy one from Eastwood instead

I know they are cheap tools but, since its something that I'm probably not going to use again once the project I'm working on is done I wanted to avoid spending 299 for a one. Oh well, I guess I'll get it and if it works like crap, I'll just consider it a lesson learned.

Let me know as I too have debated getting it.

Will do. I'm probably go get one this Friday and hopefully try it out this weekend. I noticed you're in CT, ever go to the cruise at the Pavillion Restaurant in Ashaway RI? I went there last week for the first time. It was pretty chilly out so turnout was kind of low.

If you all buy one of those blasters, you will pay 500% over what you could pay on blasting media.

How so?

I was checking out Harbor Freight tools the other day in the store down here, and for Plastic Blasting media, in a half gallon size container they wanted $14.99!!!! I was like HOLY SHIIIIITE Batman, I get the same stuff for $.85 a lb.

i did buy an air board(sanding) from them and the first time i used it,it locked up.took it apart and found a screw had vibrated loose in the slider,tightened it up and it's worked fine since,but when i get ready to tear into my runner i will pay a little extra for better tools.

Pretty much get what you pay for.

as for your question about the blaster im assuming its air powered ive used a few different sand blasters in the past with different air compressors as far as expensive to cheap sand blasters expensive or cheap there wasnt much of a difference. however a weak compressor that cant keep up makes even the most expensive blaster worthless as for harbor freight tools ive used enough of them to say if your not going to be using them for a living they usually will work for you. they may not have as much power and wont last as long but for only about 1/10th the price if it gets the job done thats up to you how you want to spend your money

why not just rent a good one for a weekend instead of buying a crappy one?

I steer clear of soda. Its caustic and if you don't clean it off really, really well it will ruin any paint you try and put over it. The guy that blasts for me hated it.

As for HF tools: I have had a hit or miss. Some work great, others are junk in a short time. I usually try them first and get a "good" one later after I know I will be using the tool a lot.

For something big like a blaster, I also recommend Eastwood.

Randy

why not just rent a good one for a weekend instead of buying a crappy one?

Oh if only I had used that philosophy my garage wouldn't be as full as it is now....:rolling:

I've used HF stuff, it is hit and miss, but if you need something cheap and quick, they can fit the bill.

As for the ultimate soda blaster, wouldn't that be Diet Coke and Mentos?

I had parts soda blast and power washed it afterwards and primerand paint came out great

A couple months ago I came across a pretty good review of the HF soda blaster (found it on google, but now I can't find it). Pretty much this guy said it would be good for parts and small sections but for a whole car it would take you forever. The thing I don't like just looking at it is how short the hose is and that it doesn't have a deadman valve, of course you can change those I suppose

I have a HF blaster(pressure pot)the only problem I have with it was the valve ,I put a deadman valve on and havent had a problem since .think about it not much to go wrong with it tank, valves,hoses

So true! Also, PPG will not warranty their paints if used on Corvette (fiberglass) bodies if they were Soda Blasted. I'm a professional Media Blaster and Soda is great for pool clean outs, mold removal/cleaning, and graffiti removal. I steer clear of soda. Its caustic and if you don't clean it off really, really well it will ruin any paint you try and put over it. The guy that blasts for me hated it...

Randy

From what I've read though, soda blasting doesn't cause the warping other media can. Which media would you recommend in lieu of soda? What I need to clean are inner fenders and other parts, not outer sheetmetal. This is for my other (nonmopar) project. I have to dig through my Hemmings Muscle Machines, I know they did an article on soda blasting in an issue a couple of months ago or so.
As for renting a blaster, does anyone know who has them? I checked Taylor Rental (I think they're national) and they don't have it.

I know you can rent sand blasters at most rental places. However, to answer your question, please know I am not trying to piss in your Cheerios, lord knows I have ENOUGH friggin problems in my own world, just trying to look out for a fellow MOPAR'er. Soda is caustic and it can cause issues; just clean it all up IAW directions. I can't tell you how to b/c I've never used Soda. Any media can warp panels, it's the air pressure that is key, any media will heat up; it's all friction; Sand, Plastic, Soda, Walnuts etc. The key is low air pressure. If you just want to clean up inside of your fenders, it will take all day, but, go for the HF unit, you may want to buy your Soda from someplace like http://www.sotabrasives.com/proofs/siteredesign/redesign.php or http://www.surfacepreparation.com/ as you'll get it far cheaper there than at HF. Go for it, and post pics.

Plastic or plastic mix...Donny will definitly give you a heads up. I know the plastic works well (A) because it is the shape/configuration of the media that removes the scale/rust more efficently, unlike Black Beauty or Aluminum, which in order to be effective need high pressure/momentum thus creating more friction and heat. Downside of plastic is you need a "real deal compressor", like a two stage 5-10 HP at least to have the proper CFM to back it up. A single stage 3-5 HP 60-80 gallon compressor form Home Depot/Lowes will not get you there. (B) Plastic will cut your removal/cleaning way down v.s Alum./Glass/Black Beauty.

I have an Eastwood 100LB pressurized blaster I use with my 5HP compressor at home. By no means do i just have it hooked directly up to my compressor. I have 3/4" Class M copper running up the garage wall and all the way across at a 4 degree angle. Then into a leg/trap with drain and coming across with another 6 degree angle, then down into 1/2" downlegs to create a venturi effect. Split manifolds, one for lubricated air, one for dry air. There is a couple other traps/drains along the way. I have a desiccant dryer along with a good filter/regulator running out to the media blaster along with a disposable desiccant filter and another filter/regulator on the blaster. i spent quite some time studying Donny's threads, other peoples threads, and other internet resources before putting this system together. The main issues I seen was people buying small blasters, just pluging them into the undersized compressor's without the proper piping and filters/dryers and then wonder why they don't have the cfm to push media, or are constantly pluging up there blaster with water/moisture. The bottom line is a 5HP or less single stage will be working pretty hard to keep up with most blasters, thus condensing and creating a lot of vapor/water in your lines. Most companys that sell these smaller package blasters are pretty decieving saying, "low cfm, low pressure is all you need with your 3.5 HP compressor!" That simply is not the case. If you "plug and play" withouth the proper filters, piping system, and a substandard run of the mill compressor made for pumping up bike tires, you will have problems!

I use black beauty or aluminum a majority of the time with a 3MM nozzle but keep in mind that i'm primarily not blasing external sheetmetal. I don't think I would take the leap to try to blast a whole car. Would be way to expensive/time consuming and would make much more sense to farm out to the proffesionals like Donny. I do admit that it does work very well for smaller parts/areas and I am pretty happy with the unit thus far. Also, be prepared for a mess. You need a larger area to accomodate a blaster along with proper ventilation and personal protection. I will be blasting my own inner fenders area on my roadrunner project as well. And as far as soda, I agree with the other guys, at a do it yourselfer level, I would not do it. It's caustic, messy, and is not going to clean out those rusty/mudded areas worth a damn. Good luck, hope this helps.

I have a 33 gallon Craftsman compressor. Does not sound like it will be good enough. The professionals want a lot of money though. I was quoted 200 bucks for the inner fenders alone. Seemed like a lot to me.

200 Bucks....you could ask Donny, but seems about right or fair to me. When you think about it, most automotive type service companies primarily charge between $45.00-80.00 bucks an hour for labor. Obviously techs don't get paid that, but covers insurance, benifits..and all the other mumbo jumbo.. Then there's that matter of prep, consumables, equipment maintenance, and over head. To blast an area as large as under the hood, you're probably looking at their shop min. price. You could always do it the old fashioned way..:buffer: or chemical, but will have to decide if the mess, time, cost of chemical strippers, sand paper, wire wheels is worth less than $200 bucks to ya.

good luck

well looking at the specs of my compressor and the HF blaster, I don't think I have a choice.

Whatever way you go, wish ya the best Satellite. Hope everything pans out for you.

Hope you didn't pick it up yet. If you go to harborfreight.com/carcraft you will see coupons posted, including one for 20% off any one item. I use these on a regular basis, so I don't even need to pay HF's already cheap prices. Have a blast! Keep us posted on results.

Wow, I'd LOVE to get $200.00 per fender! With me, as I guess with all folks, time is money. I have such a stout air compressor (50 HP) rotary screw, that I can do a complete fender inside and out in about 30-40 mins. I get $150.00 per hour. As I said, 200 bucks, send 'em my way!

Oh yeah, it's also a balance between doing it right yourself for a one or two shot deal, or, paying someone to do it correctly. The one shot deal will cost you some $$, or, you can spend all day on the inside of a fender with a 5 HP compressor; what's your time worth?

I returned the hf blaster I had. I was trying to blast my hood hinges, I went through two bags of ther media, made a huge mess the I have yet to finish cleaning up and it didn't touch most of the paint I was trying to remove. My advice is that of you don't want to spend the money for a good one and don't have a large area to work in take your stuff to a professional. All the HF stuff is use and throw away.

like i said you NEED a STRONG compressor

From what I've read though, soda blasting doesn't cause the warping other media can. Which media would you recommend in lieu of soda? ...

My guy uses plastic media. He swears by it and he and his team are really good.

As for the cost, man you guys are expensive. I got my entire front clip frame done and my rear sand blasted for $100 total. I had my spitfire frame done for $75. Hes a friend and he likes helping out guys trying to save musclecars. He does this professionally, so his shop has a massive compressor. He normally does farm machinery top to bottom inside his reclamation booth. He has two car lifts, a bobcat with forks, and a front loader (fullsize) so if it can be lifted or moved, he can blast it.

For the rates he charges me, I will never buy a sandblaster.

Randy

Sounds like a smoking deal Randy. Wish I had someone with those kinda rates around here. I would have never invested my time or money into what I got now.

Those are insanely low prices there Randy. I supposed the 100 bucks is just beer money. Time is money, I try to keep my prices in line with how long it takes me, but, 90% of the time I go over in time, and don't add time costs. It's a gradual creep in prices for me over the years; I just did 2 Challenger doors, complete doors, both of them in about 65-70 minutes.

Those are insanely low prices there Randy. I supposed the 100 bucks is just beer money. ...

Oh, and I always pay in cash, so who knows where the money goes? Cash is king and I live in a very low-cost town far from the mark-up of the big cities.

Rural rules!!

Randy

I did mine with a grinder wire wheel and some metal conditioner on the indide and just sanded the out side down,I have a blaster but didn't want to chance it.I think they came out ok....see pic's

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They came out very nice. Is that silver paint/primer or bare-metal? I wonder, how many hours you got in those fenders? If you have the time, then you win!

They came out very nice. Is that silver paint/primer or bare-metal? I wonder, how many hours you got in those fenders? If you have the time, then you win!

The first pic's are bare metal the last to are Silver paint then I used some black under coating on the inner fender. I put 10 hr's in on 1 fender and the headder panel.

Media blasting car bodies is always a hotley debated subject. It is true that baking soda can cause problems for paint. When it happens is if it gets into areas that you are unable to vacuum, rinse pressure wash out or air blow. The guys that do it for a living have alot of work to do and generally have an Industrial size air compressor. Most guys just do not have this available. I personally have used chemical dip stripping and soda blasting. I find that it is very very slow if you do not posess the Industrial equipment. The Harbor Freight equipment is cheap stuff and most of us know that. Why not look for a used blaster on ebay or4 craigslist?. I purchased a used Sandy Jet pressurized unit for 75.00. You also need very dry air with a water seperator and oil seperator. If you use a siphon feed unit your going to find it very hard to use. THey clog and are constantly running out of blast media near the pick up tube. Look for a sandy Jet pressure fed unit, they are built like a tank and work a little better. But remember these units are like comparing a carburetor to modern fuel injection. Also alot of guys up here in Jersey are using black walnu shell at .68 cents per poundfrom a company called AGSCO COroration. This kind of company can be found across the us under Abrasive media. The other media for careful basting is Dupont Star Blast XL which runs .29 cents per pound. This material is heavier and requires more air and cfm than the walnut media and you will have less issues with cleaing out from nooks and crannies. Do not be fooled the baking soda is very good for concrete walls, masonry and some use on cars. BUt it is not environmetally friendly when it gets mixed with old lead based paint pigments and can still cause respiratory issues. You will not have the problems of sand over heating metal, but it takes alot of work.

Wow I only paid $40.00 to have my inner fenders blasted.

40 bucks for the inners only is a good price.

I'm going to go with the grinder and muscle. From those pictures I see that it can be done. I have the time so that is not an issue. 40 bucks a fender sounds good to me, too bad I can't find that rate around here.

It's all time. With me, (and some others) the investment into the stout air compressor pays off so I can do small jobs in quick time, for 40 bucks inner fenders, come back in an hr type deal. That's easy easy free free money for me when I'm doing other projects; I love small projects!

The harbor freight blasters are found in two varieties open top and pressurized types. I find most harbor freight equipment coming from China is pretty poor in quality. If you want to spend the money look for a "ALC Sandy Jet" blaster which is pressurized. What ever unit you get these systems are all very slow. Also many guys are using walnut shell media instead of soda. The baking soda can be a problem if you do not get it all out. This material is alkaline and will cause problems if not fully removed. But if you really want soda blasting go to professional they have the right compressors and dry air. The Soda is environmetally friendly until it mixes with paint residue.

that is a good deal for 40.00

A friend of mine found someone who will blast my inner fenders for 75 bucks a piece. That's a lot better than 200 a piece.

Blasting inner fenders for 75 bucks! Nice, send me that job!!

In a previous post you said you got $150 per hour and that an inner fender would take you about 30-40 mins. so two fender would be an hours worth of work for $150. Which is what I'm paying here. wish it were cheaper but, that's the best I can find around here.

Yeah, but...Fenders, Hoods, Doors, and deck lids I do for a fixed price; b/c I do these all the time, and, for me, time is money, so, I try to do 'em as fast as I can. And, frankly, I set these prices, and they are too low for my stated prices for these items, but, raising them is something that could bit me in the behind someday. So, incremental raises each year, and still have 'em clean as a whistle when I deliver them to the clients -- the name of this game is also name and value recognition. Sure, some items are not profitable, but, some items are! How's the rust up there? My GTX I scored from RI, man, what a mess that was! Post some pics in this thread...gives us reason to come back! :)

Actually the blasting is for my other project, a 1959 Edsel. I don't know if anyone wants to see that since this is a mopar site. My Satellite is in pretty good shape body wise, I'm going to rebuild the engine probably this winter, depending on where I am with the Edsel. I don't want to have too many parts spread out all over the place!