SODA Blasting--Is it really that good?

[EScanlon]

This is from the 311s.org forum. I'm posting what Nissanman posted there and I presume it's the same Nissanman as here:

Replying to the following:

Getting ready to have the body stripped, prior to doin' all the body work / sheet metal replacement.

1) Should I have it soda blasted, or is sand ok? I've heard that sand can warp the metal, but I've heard that soda can leave alot of rust and scale.

2) what should I expect to pay for this? Body is completely stripped of everything..... (including hood, trunk lid and fenders)

3) What should I coat it with immediately afterwards to keep it from oxidizing while I'm working on it?

thanks

Do some research on the soda.

It appears that while it is excellent for cleaning, it is very difficult to paint a surface that has been soda blasted.

Ask your painter or paint supplier if the primer you intend using will cover a panel cleaned by soda blasting.

I was all set to go soda until I read some reports on a Hot Rod Forum that poo pood soda.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/soda-blasting-83749.html

http://spi.forumup.org/viewtopic.php?t=156&mforum=spi

It is virtually impossible to fully neutralise any residue especially in cracks and crevices.

Also, because the soda leaves an inactive surface, you have to use some sort of abrasive to activate the metal to give the etch primer a chance of sticking.

Sand or garnet blasting if done very gently will not warp a panel.

By gently, I mean use a home syphon gun @ 100psi max.

The big sucker blasters may be too powerful.

Once again, talk to a few blasters and tell them what sort of job it is.

If they are willing to "give it a go", ask them to do their own car first :devious:

You need to find someone who has done it, successfully, and is recommended by body shops

Soda was great for cleaning the Statue of Liberty apparantly :rolleyes:

I followed the links given and there seems to be enough there that this should be posted for anyone considering this as a method of paint removal prior to their paint job. It's hard enough to do a good job without it peeling off the car later.

Here's the link to the thread there:

http://www.311s.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6977

2¢

E

[george71z]

I had my 71 done by a local media blast guy back in '92. My paint still looked like new after 15 yrs. I just had her repainted last year to freshen it up and get rid of arse't. rock chips, scrapes and wear and tear. I am however, still getting some of the media falling out of the C-pillar area onto the rear shock tower. If you are near the C. Fla. area, his business is Master Blaster in Orlando. He does plastic media blasting. No web site; sorry.

[Nissanman]

Yup, he and I are one of the same:D:D

After all the hoo haa, I have decided to stick with garnet or similar, I won't be trying out the soda:ermm:

At least I know that metal cleaned that way can be overcoated with relative ease and confidence.

I'm getting a pressure pot blaster too which should be easier to use on bodywork than the syphon gun I have at the moment.

http://www.supersavingsonline.net/Photos/SandBlaster/DSC02325.JPG

I'm sure soda has its' applications, but preparing a car for painting doesn't appear to be one of them:finger:

Now if you've got a really tall statue that was given to you by the French and it needed cleaning, well.......

[ncz]

Just a quick note. Had mine done and the guy does many jobs for local restorers. Charlotte Soda Blasting. Great guy, does good work. You do have to get the residue off. He is very specific about what to do before painting. You basically clean it with vinegar and water in a small pressure washer. After that you are done. What I like is that the car won't scale. I have had it in the garage for 6 months with no prep and the surface has never rusted. Do all your work and then prep with the vinegar solution and then apply primer. It was also very good with bits that were left on the car. It stripped everything(undercoat, rust, etc) but took it very easy on brake lines that I left on it, also did not cut out all the body sealer. Cleans it up, shows you where it is but does not strip it out entirely. Also made the striker plates look like new. IMO, I wouldn't write soda blasting off yet

[EScanlon]

ALL methods of paint removal need to be understood as to their values and their shortfalls.

Where Soda Blasting has a problem in the residue it leaves behind, regular Sand Blasting or other method has the problem in media being left behind in nooks and crannies as well as possibly warping the metal if too high an air pressure is used. One individual commented on how it can peen the rust crater's edges over and "trap" the rust (encapsulate it). Another mentioned that if the blast stays in one spot too long it can heat up the metal that way.

Paint Stripper has it's use as well. However, it too can seep into seams and cracks and come "bubbling" up once the finish paint job is on.

D/A sanding has it's advantages in that it can be very mild, but it is very labor intensive. I've also seen where an individual compounded a "washboarding" problem all the way across a panel and caused much more work to be done.

My point in bringing the quoted text and the links is to allow others to evaluate for themselves and be informed as to the +/- of the process.

E

[busterblasterea]

As an industry professional and one that has stripped several hundred vehicles with soda, I think I can comment on the paint sticking rumors. Baking soda does leave a residue that needs to be rinsed off. I used to recommend vinegar and water mix, but nobody knows what ratio and there will be some sort of residue left aftert that. Vinegar is out in my book!

I now recommend, use and sell a product called Hold Tight 102 (www.HoldTight.com) and it is the best afterwash product on the market after blasting with ANY MEDIA. It will clean your metal, leave no residue behind and promotes paint adhesion. It also has a rust inhibitor built in. Additionally, some brands of baking soda in use by blasters contain additional chemicals that are hard to remove, so I use and sell only Natrium Products brand as it's 100% pure sodium bicarbonate.

Baking soda is a great media for stripping vehicles as there is no damage to glass, chrome, rubber and no metal warpage or flash rust issues. Light abrasives, like crushed glass, are good for your rusty areas. Soda will strip a car and show you where your good and bad metal is without damage to the good stuff.

Contact me any time for more information - Stacey @ www.ChesapeakeSodaClean.com

Edited September 20, 2008 by busterblasterea

[soundmasterg]

I've heard of walnut shell blasting too....any comment on that?

You could always dip the car in an acid bath....tho with a Z thats probably not a good idea unless you want to be left with a FIAT...haha

Greg

[JohnnyO]

Any idea what the cost of soda blasting is?

[soundmasterg]

I think its around $400 to $800 depending on who is doing it......but thats just what I've heard....I haven't checked into it firsthand.

Greg

[five&dime]

The one good thing I know about soda blasting is that they have mobile guys that will do that. Since the media is bio friendly they can blast it in your yard. Of course you would still want to do it in an open space that is out of the way as it does create a mess. I have always been told as stated here that if soda is used it needs to be post rinsed.

I have no experience with either but I like the idea of the media blaster coming to me

I always use aircraft stripper and a 6" DA sander

[conedodger]

Busterblasterea,

I have a car that I am considering soda blasting. My question is this: The car has fiberglass fender flares fitted to the steel fenders. Will soda blasting damage the fiberglass or remove the body filler work?

[geezer]

I recall asking that very question at a car show where a vendor booth was set up, showing examples of their work. The guy I talked to said he was able to remove individual layers of paint by soda blasting. Common sense tells me that is dependent on the type, age and adhesion factor of the paint and the softness of the fiberglass. The adeptness of the operator and quality of the equipment would be a major factor also. Fiberglass on one hand is a fairly hard surface, which will be dug out quicker, in contrast to body fillers which are softer and cause the media to bounce somewhat. The thing to be cautious of would be the soda becoming embedded into the fiberglass that will possibly become porous after blasting and not being properly removed before paint prep. Filler is easily gone over if damaged but the integrity of the fiberglass will be breached if the fibers are bared by the resin being dug out. These are just my best guesses from my sandblasting experiences on these materials. I hope to hear from someone who uses soda to enlighten us more.