Sand Blasting
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Black Hawk,SD
Sand Blasting
A budy of mine says to never sand blast as it pits the metal. Is this bad advice? It seems it would be alot easier to sand blast than to use wire brushes and wheels.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
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Sand as a media for paint removal, will move metal. This displacement means that the metal is being removed also.
This can and will cause some pitting, and other problems associated with a prfessional finish.
Other medias can be easier on steel than coarse sand.
With enough time on a concentrated area, one can make a hole in steel with a sand blaster.
Glass, walnut sheels, plastic, and even baking soda can be used.
Each carries its own advantages and even disadvantages, but can be used. Any can be less damaging to the metal being blasted.
This can and will cause some pitting, and other problems associated with a prfessional finish.
Other medias can be easier on steel than coarse sand.
With enough time on a concentrated area, one can make a hole in steel with a sand blaster.
Glass, walnut sheels, plastic, and even baking soda can be used.
Each carries its own advantages and even disadvantages, but can be used. Any can be less damaging to the metal being blasted.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Kasson, Minnesota
Are you talking about the body? If so, it can be blasted using a low pressure system and media made for it, but I leave it up to professionals to do that since doing it wrong can warp and pit the metal. AFA, the frame, just regular high pressure sandblasting works well.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: trenton ns canada
it all depends on what your blasting.its not a good idea to sand blast the sheet metal on the body,inner fenders,rad supports,light buckets etc should be fine,same goes with frames and suspension parts.but if its exterior body panels glass beeds work fairly well and are inexpensive.there not the best a removing heavy rust,nor is soda blasting.but to remove light surface rust and paint glass and soda work good.sand blasting creates alot of heat and can warp body panels making more work for yourself.
and if the panel is already thin from rust it could cause you to have holes where you didn't before.
and if the panel is already thin from rust it could cause you to have holes where you didn't before.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Westbrook, CT
Yes sand will pit the metal and there are other medias glass, plastic beads, walnut shells, baking soda and very fine sand. If the rust is just very light surface rust wire wheels or board sanding would be my advice. If the rust is deeper and there is allready pitting I would blast cautiously most likely useing a very fine sand as I will need to use some spot glazing putty on theaffected area anyways.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,107
Likes: 32
From: Spokane, WA
The irony is that sandblasting is what showed me weakness in my truck that I didn't see initially. They're right, sandblasting WILL blow through metal if it's weak enough, and that's exactly what happened on the floorboards of my truck. I didn't know the metal was that thin nor rusted, but once we blasted, it was like swiss cheese.
Actually, this was a good thing, as it told me that I needed new floorpans. So, I had those welded in, and seamsealed the hell out of them, and to top it off, the entire floor and inside back walls of my cab have been truck bedlined by Line-X. That should keep it protected, sound deadened, and moisture resistant for quite some time to come.
I know, kinda off topic, but just a way that sandblasting can point out weaknesses that you may not be aware of yet. I kinda went with the "silver lining" approach, which is rare for me.
Actually, this was a good thing, as it told me that I needed new floorpans. So, I had those welded in, and seamsealed the hell out of them, and to top it off, the entire floor and inside back walls of my cab have been truck bedlined by Line-X. That should keep it protected, sound deadened, and moisture resistant for quite some time to come.
I know, kinda off topic, but just a way that sandblasting can point out weaknesses that you may not be aware of yet. I kinda went with the "silver lining" approach, which is rare for me.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 998
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From: Benton, AR
Soda blasting is the safe way to clean the body. I plan to have a 79 frame sand blasted and powder coated in the near future. Once my frame is completed I will begin reassembling the parts. I guess I'm doing a frame off resto. I've picked up some parts from the powder coater today and I was extremely pleased. The radius arms and rear backing plates are done in silver vein.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,107
Likes: 32
From: Spokane, WA
That's the same color I had my entire frame done in. I think it looked good, as does your parts. I figured a black truck with a black frame would have been a little redundant, so i threw in a little contrast under there.
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Benton, AR
Nice frame. You do intimidate me just a bit though. After seeing how you just tossed an entire frame in the back of another truck by yourself, lol. I am doing the suspension and bottom end stuff in silver vein. I will likely go straight black with the frame and shave off a few dollars.
FTE Legend
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: northwestern Ontario
I used sand to blast my frame, I mechanically stripped most of the paint off the body and went over any rusty areas with the sandblaster. It's the large flat areas that you have to be careful with and not concentrate on. Sandblasting gives very good foundation for primer but should be primed as soon as possible as it will start to flash rust very quickly. As far as sandbasting creating heat this as I was told is wrong as you are actually blowing cold air with your media, I was told what actually warps the metal is the constant pounding on the metal as sand is actually tiny little rocks so it acts like a plinishing hammer.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,107
Likes: 32
From: Spokane, WA
Nice frame. You do intimidate me just a bit though. After seeing how you just tossed an entire frame in the back of another truck by yourself, lol. I am doing the suspension and bottom end stuff in silver vein. I will likely go straight black with the frame and shave off a few dollars.
I did figure out a much more efficient way of bringing it home when it was coated, though. The dolly I made in conjunction with the use of the car trailer worked like a champ.
As for saving a few bucks, I can understand that. I seriously considered just coating the frame on my own with something like POR-15, but I decided that I liked the look of the powdercoat better. I still have a few parts left to be coated, but the list is finally getting smaller.
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