Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Soda Blasting

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Illawarra NSW
    Posts
    16
    Total Downloaded
    0

    Soda Blasting

    Hi guys. As part of my restoration project, I need to give my steel wheels a birthday.
    I have been looking at getting a soda blaster for the job as well as for cleaning a whole host of other bits and pieces.
    Have any of you used this kit and if so would you be good enough to give some feedback on it's effectiveness, costs and any issues?
    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    260
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Keijo,
    I've recently had a fibreglass body professionally soda blasted. Sandblasting is too harsh on the gelcoat whereas soda removes the paint without knocking the gelcoat around. For steel wheels sandblasting is fine. I'm taking it that you are looking to acquire a small blaster yourself? I have a cheapie and tried to garnet blast some old wheels a while ago; they went to the sandblaster the next day. Great for small parts but in my experience they just do not have the mumbo to do bigger stuff.
    Regards,
    Alan

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Narre Warren South
    Posts
    6,314
    Total Downloaded
    0
    The problem is you need a big delivery compressor for any sort of blasting.
    You can charge up a receiver then blast for a very short period but if the compressor can't keep up the pressure drops and so does the effectiveness of the blasting.

    I supplied parts some years back to a guy that would travel to your location to soda blast body shells. He had a big 'roadworks' type compressor he towed behind his ute. One advantage of soda blasting was that there was minimal cleanup because if the job was done outdoors the soda dissolved when it rained.
    Good for removing paint etc. but I don't think that soda copes with heavy rust.

    Unless you are doing a lot of blasting the cheaper option is to find an abrasive blaster who is reasonably priced and drop the parts off .....


    Colin
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  4. #4
    MLD's Avatar
    MLD is offline Wizard Silver Subscriber
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Stanwell Park, NSW
    Posts
    1,556
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Keijo View Post
    Hi guys. As part of my restoration project, I need to give my steel wheels a birthday.
    I have been looking at getting a soda blaster for the job as well as for cleaning a whole host of other bits and pieces.
    Have any of you used this kit and if so would you be good enough to give some feedback on it's effectiveness, costs and any issues?
    Thanks.
    If you are willing to drive to Helensburgh, i've used the boys to sand blast and powder coat stuff for me. they are on the roundabout at the intersection of Princess Hwy and Parkes St. They quoted me about $80 a steel rim (quoted to do a set of 5) to blast and powder coat. If you live closer to the Gong, i'm sure there are businesses closer. For that price it's not worth investing in the equipment to do a decent job of it. I did some research on soda/sand blaster before i cleaned and painted my diff and came to conclusion that i had to buy semi commercial grade to avoid all the complaints about the cheap ones. Not to mention the compressor.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Illawarra NSW
    Posts
    16
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Hi guys, thanks very much for the prompt and comprehensive replies.
    What you say makes a lot of sense.
    In the end, I have decided to get the rims professionally blasted and/or finished.
    I think this piece of kit would have given me more grief than I want and ended up sitting in the corner taking up valuable space.
    So a one off cost with no hassles is the way to go.
    Thanks again,
    Regards,
    Keijo

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!