What is the best media material to use for "sand blasting" the frame and to remove some paint from the underside of the fiberglass?
-
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
When i did my frame i just went to lowes and bought a bunch of fine sand.Think it was 12 bags. Cost me about 30 bucks..Don't really know the best for the under side..Maybe walnut shells or plastic.
Ken -
Re: Sandblasting Material
I have used triple O graded sand which I buy from a Taylor rental place. Most places don't carry it that fine.
Paint on underbody.... would use chemical stripper.Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
If you are using sand, make sure you wear a hood and the best mask you can get or better yet, a respirator. The fine dust is known to cause lung cancer. Interesting that even though the bags at stores state these health issues, it is still sold as play sand for kids...
I agree with the above comments on paint on the body, either method of walnut shell, plastic or cob will work, same with stripper.Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
I have been told and have read where 'Soda' blasting is a rather new and better way to clean most parts with....
The part that grabs my attention is that it is environmentally safe, washes away and cleans up with simple water and is not that expensive. We actually have mobile units that come to your residence.
Here is a web site that will give you some reading on it. Good luck
David
Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
Soda blasting at low pressure works well on 'glass, just don't overdo it and keep the soda off the grass. Too much will kill it.Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
A friend has restored a '54, two Auburns, a Cord and a few others. He now uses soda on most everything that he considers fragile and does not want to mark and it cleans up easily.Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
Richard,
As one who went the chemical stripper way for the body, I'd definitely go the soda blast route! I'd just have a professional come and do it. Someone told me less than a grand. I also took my whole frame and had it sandblasted and then powder-coated and that was a few hundred. If you have the facilities and time, you can do it yourself.
Unless your fiberglass is damaged or degraded in some way, it is tougher than people give it credit for. I sandblasted (with the same glass beads that I used for metal parts) all my fiberglass panels that were small enough to get in my four-foot cabinet, the paint came off and it had no effect on the glass.
BobComment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
Richard,
My 62' was bought in Texas and 6-mos later made it's way to Phoenix, AZ where it stayed until I moved to Nothern California, so the frame was in very, very good condition. I didn't know how good until I bead-blasted it (glass bead). It came out looking like it was just fabricated and ready for the paint process. Glass bead is more expensive than sand, but I've heard too many stories about damage caused by sand - probably exagerated. Glass bead may also be suitable for the underside of your car - can't say.
My setup was to hang tarps from the rafters in my garage to make a booth with one on the floor duct taped to the four sides to contain the media and a very good respirator - got a little hard to see at times, but very doable. Good luck!Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
Damage done by sandblasting with sand depends on operator skill. It is all about pressure and speed. Degrease the frame before blasting. Moist sand is not your friend no matter what size compressor/ blaster you have.
That triple O sand leaves the frame smooth as silk, it can also gouge out grooves in concrete...depends on the pressure and speed of the gun.
Rougher sand under lower pressure would be just as gentle.
Try out some bumper braces to start on.Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
I would not recommend media blasting for getting paint off the underside of the fiberglass body. That may alter the smooth, low-gloss appearance of the bare fiberglass surface. A chemical stripper will remove the paint without affecting the surface of the fiberglass.
Remember that on the underside of the car, the fiberglass will be unpainted, so preserving the surface finish of the fiberglass is more important there than it is for panels that will eventually be painted.Comment
-
Re: Sandblasting Material
I used a combination of Simple Green or Krud Kutter, lacquer thinner and acetone (individually, not mixed) to get dirt, grease and blackout and primer (everything from the seat bulkhead rearward was blacked out on mine) off, then used soda at low pressure (35-40 psi) to finish off stubborn areas. I also "gelled" areas with plain resin where age, etc, had pitted or roughened the surface. Worked out pretty well. As I indicated earlier, it's low pressure and patience. You might want to start out even lower on the pressure and slowly work up to whatever just cleans the paint off w/o damaging the 'glass.Comment
Comment