I'm a newbie to much body work, only done some minor patches/rust repair. Winter is winding down and I'm planning for my Summer projects. Going to be semi-retired and hope to have more time for projects.

I have 2 Ford trucks -- a 1986 F150 4x4 w/ 351 efi and a 1955 F100 Panel rolling chassis (no engine/trans). Plan to start with the '86 to learn some bodywork basics on a truck that I only plan to use for occasional use before I work on the '55 which has more potential value down the line.

Looking to get either a sand blaster or soda blaster (likely a Harbor Freight due to cost) and I'm curious about anyone's experience with either process? The little sand blasting I have done is with Black Diamond abrasive. Any thoughts on either process would be greatly appreciated.

I did contact a local speed shop to do the blasting and looks like will cost about $800-1000 to do the Panel. I assume the PU would be a little less since smaller. Is buying a blaster cost effective? Again, any thought appreciated.

I'm going to cross post this in the 1948-56 F100 Forum..

Look forward to any replies.

 

Do you have a place to use a sand blaster? They make a god awful mess...lol, even outdoors. If there's anything around that you don't want sand/dust on (like the wife's car), make sure it's a 100 feet away.

I have a basic one, 5 gallon gravity feed hopper style, that I just carry outdoors when I need to use it. Even then...it's just for cleaning parts. I don't have the space or interest or ability to do body work. (Going to do my 302 valve covers this weekend).

Sand blasting is a real CFM hog, so you need a decent size compressor. I have a 5HP/7.5 peak/with 60 gallon tank, and it runs continuously when blasting. I don't know if anything smaller than that would work very well. I also have an air dryer, which makes a difference...at least here with the humidity.

It is awesome for cleaning rusty parts, but I can't really comment on doing body work since I don't really do any myself.

I made a little DIY soda blaster for cleaning parts that the sand would be too harsh on. It works, but it's gentle compared to the sand. For rusty steel, I'd want to use sand.

If you want to try soda blasting, just make a little sucker/gun like the video below. I just buy the little 2lb boxes of soda at the hardware store. Good luck and happy blasting!

 

Problem with soda blasting is it will "weep" soda and debris for weeks/months...without intense cleaning, very hard for a paint job to stick....

 

I keep hearing that sandblasting or soda blasting the body itself is a no-no, it will build heat and cause the panels to warp and get wavy. I have heard you only sand blast small parts and the floorboards, you stay away from any body panels.

And using sand itself is dangerous without the proper respirator. It can cause silicosis.

 

Again, you are correct!

 

For blasting be sure you have the compressor to handle it. I have a HF blast cabinet with TP Tools gun. Compressor is a $400 HD special, older model 12.x CFM 3.x HP 60 gal single stage. I had to add an aftercooler and good filtration to keep the air dry. It is adequate for blasting but runs constantly. This is the smallest compressor I'd consider adequate for blasting. Before I added the aftercooler it would make more water than air when blasting, constant clogs and frustration... Completely useless. Be aware.

 

Do you need help loading the panel on a trailer to get it to the speed shop? For that price, I wouldn't think twice about even trying to do it myself. It's a messy, obnoxious process, and super easy to cause damage, too. For what they'd charge, you'd spend nearly that on a mongo 220v compressor, wiring changes, protective gear, bribing the neighbors so they don't call the zoning department on you, etc.

I had some blasting work done on my '48 Jeep, maybe 20 years ago. I dropped off the parts, came back two days later, and gave them a medium sized check. Money well spent. They clearly knew what they were doing.

For the hood, a large flat piece that would be SUPER easy to warp, they used soda blasting. Understand soda blasting removes paint, but NOT rust or even any of the metal like regular sandblasting. The hood looked like it just came out of the stamping shop back in 1948. I could even read original pencil marks made on the inside before the hood was originally painted. It was amazing.

For the rest of the sheet metal, not so prone to warping, and with some minor rust, they used sand blasting. This left some very light pitting, but this was easy to fill with high build primer.

Unless doing a very small patch panel, I'd highly recommend having the blasting work done professionally.

One more thought, this about learning to do bodywork. I'm what you might call a dangerous level amateur, thinking I can do it. A pro would hurt himself laughing at my work, of course. Between my limited experience and inflated opinion of my abilities, I think you will find the old panel truck much easier for learning. The metal is thicker and softer. The thicker metal is easier to weld. The softer metal responds more easily to hammer and dolly work. Compare that to your truck. The metal is thinner and somewhat hardened. I haven't done any body work to my '84 pickup, but I've had my share of grief with body work on other newer vehicles. The older stuff? Like butter. The newer stuff? Not so much...

 

Thanks for the replies. I am concerned about the cleanup after soda blasting. I am also aware of the issues with using sand. I would only use a blasting media (like Black Diamond).

May be wrong but isn't one of the advantages of using soda is that it won't warp panels like other harder media? Same with glass beads or walnut shells.

I do have a 5hp, 80 gal. compressor so I think I have enough air. If I get a blaster I will put a larger air drier on it.

Thanks again.

 

There are pressure washers that can also be used for wet sand blasting. Cuts down on dust and warping.

 

Dry air as fast as it'll put it out...

 

To blast or not is the question.
If a small area and not a panel that can warp then go for it.
If a full car/truck like the panel truck and can get warped I would find someone that has done this before on cars & trucks. Check with other car people in your area at car shows to see who they used.


I have heard of guys ending up with junk after having a car/truck blasted because every panel was warped and could not be fixed.
Dave ----

 

I have seen guys making driers like yours.
It looks like the pump feeds into the coil then to the tank is that right?
If so do you have an auto blow down on the tank before air hits the rest of the system?
If you put a small fan to blow air across the coil it will work a lot better.


I made my "coil" from base board fin tubing and some fittings.
It was made to fit in a small area in another house and why it is that size.
I did find I had to have a fan blowing air across it but it was mount in an area with all most no air flow.

Mounted in my garage at the new house. So far I have not needed to have a fan to have it pull water out.

My air system also has a loop that run around the garage with 5 drops with water drip legs and I have never had water at any water at a drop, I use mostly 1 drop.
Dave ----

 

Here is a couple of videos to watch and to think about. How much is your time and aggravation worth? What if somebody came to you and did this for you? Google to see what is available in your area.

 

That's what I was thinking about earlier. Years ago, there used to be a place in PA that could acid dip a cab of a truck, to remove rust and paint. Then dip it in a neutralizer to get rid of the acid.

 

Yes, it's an intercooler, out of pump through the cooler then into a Norgren water separator and into the tank after that. It keeps nearly all moisture out of the tank. It'll drop temps from 300*+ out of the compressor down to ambient. if running continuous in summer I've seen as high as 130* into the tank. Yes a fan would probably drop that to ambient into the tank no matter duty cycle or ambient temp. Still looking for a cheap 230v fan to wire into the pressure switch, though I have a few options for 110v or 12v fans on hand I may use if I don't find anything. I don't care for aftercoolers, I'd rather have a compact cooler on the compressor itself that keeps the water out of my tank.