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 1980-86 Bull nose Forum.

Look forward to any replies.

 

Here’s a good article on soda blasting. It’s less likely to warp, especially on big flat sides like on your panel. I’m waiting for spring myself to do my cab so will follow along as guys add their comments. Stu

Soda Blasting Capabilities - Hot Rod Network

 

Commercial sandblasting techniques will generate a lot of heat which will warp most sheetmetal panels. Soda blasting has issues with residue that will/may cause paint failure...check with your paint supplier, some manufacturers offer NO warranty if applied after soda blasting. The best paint removal system that I have seen is dustless blasting. There are mobile operators that will come to your site and do the paint removal there. The blast media is ground glass which is pressure sprayed with water. The water keeps the panel cool and the blasting dust out of the air. Check it out before you pull the trigger.

 

I never use any form blasting on body panels .
I just use the plastic paint stripper discs on a sander or grinder .
They are much cheaper than blasting and won't warp your panels .
The problem with soda blasting is it will not remove rust .
The stripper discs are great , they remove rust but don't remove metal .
Give them a try .

 

Had my 55 sand blasted.
Some of the panels warped a little that the body man was able to fix.
They must be experienced & know what they are doing.

 

I am a body work rank amature and bought the Harbor Freight sand blaster. The nature of the unit doesn't seem powerful enought to warp panels using a generic 50 gal 3 point something hp compressor.. It does do just fine at removing paint and rust using sand or Black Diamond type media. Personal protective gear is essential.

 

I had my panel truck blasted using the dustless technique. The work was done in my driveway and cost about $340. I have a thread with some pictures that was started 9-15-16. The process was noisy and messy. I live in the woods without any neighbors close by, so there was no one to complain. If you live in the city, the noise and mess might be an issue. Good luck and welcome.

Jim

 

If you are blasting a car that needs body work, the small risk of warping (which is usually repairable) is outweighed by the time saved by blasting. But only use a blaster that normally does cars and knows not to concentrate on large flat panels.

My only experience with dustless blasting was a 57 Chevy Wagon. There was no less than 5 pounds of sand left in the rockers and hat channels. If we had not had to open them, we would never had known they were packed with sand.

I would NEVER use dustless blasting on a car.

 

I made the mistake of going dustless and I've never seen such a messy, slurry mess, inside my cab even thought I tried to seal up the holes.

 

X2

Later!
Mr. Ed

 

I used a Harber Freight blaster on my frame off 52 F-1. I went easy on the door skins or large areas like the hood but I did not run into any warping.
TractormanBill

 

Thanks for the replies. Dustlass Blasting sounds good but no vendors anywhere near. Unit on EBAY is $5000.

I know soda is a bear to clean up. I understand there is a chemical you can spray on to neutralize the soda. More research is needed I guess.

Thanks again for the input.

 

The dustless blasting equipment used for my job belonged to a trucking company--Karl's Transport out of Antigo. I don't believe they advertise that they do blasting, but I heard that they did, and was able to make the necessary arrangements. I see you live in Wisconsin--maybe just do some asking around and you might find a company with the equipment willing to do your job.

Jim

 

I was at a body shop here some years ago that was run by a father/son pair. On that particular day there was a C2 Corvette in the shop for a paint job. The father was removing all the old paint in preparation for the new finish. What was unusual about this is that he was using a single edge razor blade to peel the old paint off the car. I asked him why was he stripping the paint with a razor blade, it seemed like it would take so long to do it that way. He said that he would be done that day and when the paint was off that the surface of the fiberglass would be smooth and undamaged. I have never tried it but I can say that the next day the car he was doing was clean and ready for primer. He said that he had been doing Corvettes this way for decades. I didn't ask him if he used the same technique on metal cars.

 

seaves46;17801027]I never use any form blasting on body panels .
I just use the plastic paint stripper discs on a sander or grinder .
They are much cheaper than blasting and won't warp your panels .
The problem with soda blasting is it will not remove rust .
The stripper discs are great , they remove rust but don't remove metal .
Give them a try .[/QUOTE]

Can you recommend a brand or source for these discs?

Thanks.