Sand blasting aluminium.

[danniboy]

Hi Folks,
Time to paint the hard roof of my Series 2A. I see that it is far from smooth with three main ribs and lots of little corners, edges and indentations. Does anybody know what the best way to get the old paint off? Is it safe to get the aluminium roof sand blasted?
Thanks for all ideas and info .

[jerryd]

I used paint stripper and a wire wheel attachment on a grinder when I stripped my roof for painting. Aluminium can distort when sandblasted, I had some floor panels done which weren't very successful

[gromit]

Hi Folks,
Time to paint the hard roof of my Series 2A. I see that it is far from smooth with three main ribs and lots of little corners, edges and indentations. Does anybody know what the best way to get the old paint off? Is it safe to get the aluminium roof sand blasted?
Thanks for all ideas and info .

Depends what you mean by 'sand blasting'.
Different media can be used (not sand). Most abrasive blasting companies would use a fairly aggressive media so you'd probably be better off with soda blasting.
I've recently stripped part of a roof using paint stripper.
Walter the Dormobile (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/dormobile-and-carawagon-conversions/214323-walter-dormobile-post3157066.html#post3157066)
Wasn't fast but reasonably mess free as it was done in a garage.

Colin

[1950landy]

I had all the panels of my 80" glass blasted but the guy I had do it really knew what he was doing. I believe Soder blasting is a lot gentler. I did strip a bonnet for one of my other S1 80's using paint stripper but problems with stripper that had got under the rivet heads causing the paint around the rivets to start to peal after a couple of months being in the sun. I had the bonnet glass blasted then water blasted before re painting.

[aussearcher]

Soda blasting is excellent for aluminium (and fibreglass). Senko Abrasive Blasting in Brendale might be worth a try.

[1950landy]

If you go down the road of using paint stripper, make sure the one you use is aluminium friendly, I had one once that attacked the aluminium, it can also cause a lot of heat causing thin panels to buckle.

[Tins]

Throw my two bob's worth in here. I discussed having the shell of my FIAT blasted. I was advised that "sand" blasting would probably destroy it, and it ain't aluminium. Media such as garnet or walnut shell were also too aggressive according to the firm I spoke to. Plastic bead or soda were deemed to be ok. The pressure put through the blaster is also important.


If you go down the road of using paint stripper, make sure the one you use is aluminium friendly, I had one once that attacked the aluminium, it can also cause a lot of heat causing thin panels to buckle.

Wow, hadn't thought of that one. Thanks.

[Cadas]

I had Sid sandblasted, a took the panels to a glass bead specialist but he ended up using garnet

They are very good at what they do and took it very gently, the end result was excellent.

That said, my current project, a 1959 Thames I’ve just used stripper which is excellent and takes all layers off in one go. Tested several brands and CAM is by far the best. Did the whole exterior shell in a weekend using two tins ($100 in total)

PPE is essential though.

There is a local firm that does hydro wet blasting which looks great as they come to you and do it in your drive. Thought about soda, but you do have to treat the shell afterwards.

There is a dip tank place in Adelaide, but it eats aluminium so only on steel.

[DazzaTD5]

*The biggest issue with getting car panels stripped using media blasting is the heat that's generated, which is what buckles panels.
*A good blaster that can do panels will have no issue.
*Media blasting such as alum oxide, garnet, glass etc is a profiling finishing, the courser the media, the more profile.
*Soda blasting is a non profiling blast and less aggressive on the surface (turbine blades in power generation are cleaned using soda blasting)
*Depending on the painter, some say you need a profile, some say you don't. This may be irrelevant with alum as you are using a etch primer.

P.S with any media blasting, you get a degree of impregnation into the surface and it gets into all the tiny nooks and crannies making it very difficult to clean out.
wet soda blasting has no adverse effect on the surface.

Cost, the cheapest is prolly the paint stripper and your time

[Tins]

There is a dip tank place in Adelaide, but it eats aluminium so only on steel.

Yonks ago a bloke I knew stuck his twin carby setup into one in a basket. Wound up with a basket of brass fittings.

[Dorian]

My 2 cents on the topic.
Most cleaning baths and degreasers (nonsolvent) have a fair whack of caustic soda in them, as do most paint strippers.
The chemistry that does the cleaning, is that the caustic soda reacts with the oil and turns it into sort of a soap which dissolves in water
Aluminium will react with caustic soda leaving you with aluminium oxide and hydrogen gas. A neat but dangerous party trick.

I used a Karcher with a wet sand blasting attachment to prep 1.2mm panels on my boat and had no problem with warping.
the media was fine beach sand, the largest panels was about 900 x 600.
At about the same time a friend was restoring an old Mazda, using a compressed air sand blaster, and the same media. He ended up with a few problems with warping.
I know that 1.2mm panels are thicker than car panels, but I really laid into my stuff, as others have said, I think it's the heat build up that makes a difference.

Cheers Glen

[Boxpacker]

I used a guy in Adelaide who uses recycled plastic granules through a water blaster. he came to my place and stripped the body panels of the 88" in my driveway for $800! No heat, no real abrasion and it just fell off.
I can send you a video if you want to contact me
Boxpacker

[johnp38]

I used a guy in Adelaide who uses recycled plastic granules through a water blaster. he came to my place and stripped the body panels of the 88" in my driveway for $800! No heat, no real abrasion and it just fell off.
I can send you a video if you want to contact me
Boxpacker

I'd like my trailers rust cleaned up conveniently at home

I am sure you could just post a link to the business here, as a happy customer?

[Cadas]

Have you got the details? I’ve another project and been looking at finding a mobile blaster?

I’m in southern Adelaide

[Cadas]

Took the plunge and booked a local hydro dustless mobile blaster to come and do the van….

Never again

While the guy worked very hard, and it was less than half the cost of sending it away, I’ve spent day shoveling sand off the drive, cleaning cars in the street, and power washing the van multiple times to get rid of the sand. The sand is caked everywhere.

That, plus the van flash rusted all over and so had to spray with rust remover that then had to be washed off again.

[Lionelgee]

Took the plunge and booked a local hydro dustless mobile blaster to come and do the van….

Never again

While the guy worked very hard, and it was less than half the cost of sending it away, I’ve spent day shoveling sand off the drive, cleaning cars in the street, and power washing the van multiple times to get rid of the sand. The sand is caked everywhere.

That, plus the van flash rusted all over and so had to spray with rust remover that then had to be washed off again.

Hey Cadas,

The last time you posted about the van was back on the 1st February 2022, 07:36 PM. Any chance of an update! How did you go with narrowing down a suitable more modern engine and gearbox than one made in 1959? New post .... Thames 1959 ... Hint ... Hint

Kind regards
Lionel

[Cadas]

Ah the van.

Well, the van started and quickly became a huge challenge, not helped by the fact I was stuck working away in geelong.

But while there in geelong, I came across a (virtually) rust free, complete and driving Thames bus which came with the far more practical and desirable 4speed box and an engine that was pristine and I suspect has been rebuilt not long ago.

So, Van A is now in storage with a long term plan of converting to a pickup (mainly because once I cut the rust out, it rather resembled a flatbed pickup)

Van B is now the project bus and soon to be camper. I’ll pick up the project in the other thread.