Author Topic: Soda blasting - any good?  (Read 2604 times)

Trull

  • The settee will kill you
    • Aberdeen Astronomical Society
Soda blasting - any good?
« on: 04 May, 2014, 09:54:23 pm »
Just watched Edd China of Wheeler Dealers totally restore a beaten-up rustbucket with extremely fragile panels by blasting them with a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and pixie dust before restoring a nice mirror finish. The thing that impressed me was that unlike glass bead blasting there was no metal loss and the process actively helps the steel surface against rust. This could be a revelation for thin walled bicycle tubes?

Anyone had any experience of this?


Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Soda blasting - any good?
« Reply #1 on: 04 May, 2014, 11:07:56 pm »
Just watched Edd China of Wheeler Dealers totally restore a beaten-up rustbucket with extremely fragile panels by blasting them with a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and pixie dust before restoring a nice mirror finish. The thing that impressed me was that unlike glass bead blasting there was no metal loss and the process actively helps the steel surface against rust. This could be a revelation for thin walled bicycle tubes?

Anyone had any experience of this?

Done a few car and bike panels...it is messy.  The coating lasts about 3 weeks.

Dibdib

  • Fat'n'slow
Re: Soda blasting - any good?
« Reply #2 on: 04 May, 2014, 11:15:33 pm »
I always thought the usual alternative to sand blasting for delicate stuff was ground walnut shells.

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Soda blasting - any good?
« Reply #3 on: 05 May, 2014, 06:38:58 pm »
I know that the heat generated by the blast media hitting the panel is the issue.

Trull

  • The settee will kill you
    • Aberdeen Astronomical Society
Re: Soda blasting - any good?
« Reply #4 on: 03 June, 2014, 06:32:09 pm »
Ah well, "Black Bess" is off to Finesse Coatings tomorrow for a good dose of powder coating preceded by glass bead blasting and acid dip.