What's the best blasting media?

[rooster1911]

Due to my financial, I'm going to sand blast my own car. I was wondering what's the best and cheapest media to use, I was thinking Walnut shell but I have a few rough rust spots.
Any suggestions.
Thanks in advance Kevin.

 

[khryslerkid]

Where's Donny?

 

[Fran Blacker]

I'd look for a junker to try first. I see your not talking about sand can warp a panel in a second. I screwed up a hood. Blasting the frame work inside had a momentary glitch spray kicked off frame hit between frame work equals junk.

 

[69L48Z27]

Sometimes you spend more money on things that your trying to save money on. Until you buy media and all the gear to do one car you'll be better of paying someone. This is from my own experience thinking I would do it myself, specifically blasting.

Walnuts might not be agressive enough, 80 grit'ish sand is what most of these guys use unless it's a specialty type thing.

What about the dustless blasters? I talked to a guy that does this at a show and his pricing seemed better than any sand blast price I ever got. And you don't have sand everywhere.

 

[WileE]

Do not sandblast sheet metal. DA it down, epoxy prime.

 

[rooster1911]

Sometimes you spend more money on things that your trying to save money on. Until you buy media and all the gear to do one car you'll be better of paying someone. This is from my own experience thinking I would do it myself, specifically blasting.

Walnuts might not be agressive enough, 80 grit'ish sand is what most of these guys use unless it's a specialty type thing.

What about the dustless blasters? I talked to a guy that does this at a show and his pricing seemed better than any sand blast price I ever got. And you don't have sand everywhere.

I'll have to check that out.

 

[flypaper]

i use coal slag for 8 bucks a bag at tractor supply

 

[1969 beep beep]

I just had my car blasted with plastic media. No metal was stretched or warped. They only down side was a lot of prep work before paint. Had to sand all the panels before shooting epoxy primer.

The floor, engine bay and underside was done with aluminum oxide. Just wiped down the grease and wax remover.

If I had to do it again I would have it done with glass media. Less prep work before priming.

 

[eric383]

Do not sandblast sheet metal. DA it down, epoxy prime.

I am also a fan of using a DA. Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[brian6pac]

Soda blasting, no prep work they spray the glass and chrome the only thing it does is take off paint. No clean up just hose it down with water. In Ohio there are mobile units that come to your house and blast your car. I would do some research and try to find one.

 

[gkent]

To the best of my knowledge there is no single blast media that will effectively strip an old car. Each media has a specific purpose. While sand will remove just about anything, it will warp sheet metal. Soda and plastic media won't touch rust. Few will remove undercoating.

Here are the conclusions I've come to:
1) Use a hotsy pressure washer to remove undercoating, grease, oil etc from the underside
2) sandblast or crushed glass for underside, engine comp, etc (no body panels)
3) plastic media all body panels
4) aluminum oxide all rust
Because of the coarseness of sand and glass there will be paint residue in many pinch areas. Go over these with aluminum oxide which is very fine.

Too much bad press about soda. All the blasters I've talked to say the same thing - the surface needs to be pressure washed with soapy water afterwards, rinsed and dried. Somehow spraying water on bare metal seems counterproductive to me !!

The only fans of the wet blasters seem to be the guys who own them.

 

[brian6pac]

I would use acid on the rust or just cut it out. Everybody freaks out about using acid, all you have to do is neutralize it with caustic soda. you can't fix
rust in my opinion it always comes back. The hood with all the rust in the middle can be removed with phosphoric acid then neutralize it sand and primer it and that seems to always work and never comes back.
you can't sand blast anything that is soft or rubbery like under coating it will take forever if it comes off at all. Steam might but it's also very messy.

 

[gkent]

Baking soda is a neutralizer (also the stuff you "soda blast" with !!) "Caustic soda" is Drano and as the name implies, its CAUSTIC !!!

 

[brian6pac]

Right acid ph is around 1 caustic soda has a ph of around 13, mix the 2 and it becomes neutral around 7 ph. Baking soda will neutralize acid but I don't think you can get the ph high enough.

 

[gkent]

I always neutralize acid with water !!

 

[rooster1911]

I would use acid on the rust or just cut it out. Everybody freaks out about using acid, all you have to do is neutralize it with caustic soda. you can't fix
rust in my opinion it always comes back. The hood with all the rust in the middle can be removed with phosphoric acid then neutralize it sand and primer it and that seems to always work and never comes back.
you can't sand blast anything that is soft or rubbery like under coating it will take forever if it comes off at all. Steam might but it's also very messy.

Now sounds like a plan. I've sand blasted small part or 2. But never a whole car. Plus it seems like it would be the easiest way to go.
Thanks Kevin.

 

[rooster1911]

Thanks everyone again for your input

Kevin.

 

[rooster1911]

Now sounds like a plan. I've sand blasted small part or 2. But never a whole car. Plus it seems like it would be the easiest way.