Hello all, just joined today to ask about blasting. It's probably a dumb question, but this is my first project car. I'll be taking it in a couple of weeks to get media blasted (garnet). The car was yellow and I'm having it stripped to eventually paint it silver. I'm in the process of stripping the car down, but someone suggested that I might be able to NOT remove the door windows, and just roll them down instead. I'm not overly concerne with blasting the insides of the doors or the inner door skin that will get covered anyway by panels. But I know the blasting will have to hit the areas that but against the window channels, so anyway what do you guys think?
It would be helpful to tell us what you're working on. In general the quality of the result depends on who's blasting. Many of us have had bad experiences with warped panels from an inexperienced operator. To your question, I would take out the windows to be safe. Better than replacing them. If your car is newer than mid sixties, you won't get much response here. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
if i Wasn't feeling lazy i would run out and take a picture of my 55 chevy Wagon, they blasted it with the windows down and the trim holes open. Made a real neat pattern of circles on the glass
I think I would remove the paint on all the flat panels on a newer car like that with a hamburger wheel and a D/A and just use blasting for the jambs and other difficult areas to get at
I thought about that but I've read that a da and paint stripping wheel can warp panels, so I didn't want to take the chance. Plus I would have to do it over the course of a couple of weeks and it would flash rust before I was done with it
Blasting is never my first choice.It always seems to create more work. I just take the out side paint off with an abrasive disc " DA" and then if its really rusty use a small blaster on the rust only .Trying to get all the abrasive out of the cranies is really bad when you get ready to paint or primer and it flys out all over the wet paint. Just my opinion I am usually wrong.
If you think a D/A will warp the metal you have, blasting will absolutely destroy it! Really the worry with sanding/ grinding is being to aggressive on body lines and reveals , 80 grit may not seem aggressive but hold it wrong or long enough on a body line and it will round corners and make it less crisp You can strip with paint stripper too Do one panel at a time and follow it with metal prep when done or just epoxy that panel
I usually end up using several different paint removal processes on each car. Blast the areas that need it, generally where it's rusty, or where the contours make it the easiest method. I use stripper where it's the quickest way to get the paint off, usually when the paint is thick. And I sand it where it will get the job done quickly, such as flatter areas with a thin coat of paint.
I saw the thread title and though this was about fake news. Get it, Media Blasting...tough crowd! I bought a Eastwood soda blaster and have had limited success with it. I have not tried it but they claim soda will not harm glass or chrome and the soda is easy on the environment they claim. Doesn't do a darn on rust but if you can keep your air delivery bone dry, and I mean Saharan, it does strip paint without damaging the metal.
Considering this is your first time I'd suggest asking the blaster if he will be responsible for any warped panels and get it in writing. I know, but at least ask. Ask me how I know! After the car is blasted there will be sand in nooks and crannies EVERYWHERE. After you've blown everything out three times, do it three more times, you will find more.
It depends how fast and how much u want to wait and spend imo blasting gets the job done cost more and clean up is a beast to get rid of, sanding will be cheaper but take longer and u still have clean up not as bad plus blasting will show u bad areas that sanding may not so just something's I've run into when doing mine and my buddies cars, GL Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Had a truck Dustless blasted. The process did not warp the panels. Remove the windows and the chrome. Be prepared to find blasting materials in every crack and hole in the car. Did a good job. Cost $ 700.00 and he came to my shop. He let me try it out and it was pretty slick. Just used aircraft stripper and a wire wheel on my latest project.
Is the paint really bad? Cracked and peeling, rust under it? If not you have some nice yellow "primer" that's been there for who knows how long, yes? Get a flat sander going and block what you have, sealit and go for the finish. Imagine how many hours of filling and blocking will reveal itself as you level it out. Some stuff, blasting is the only way. I have jobs out there that were not stripped to bare metal and holding a show quality finish for 20+ years. Here's one that was done 17 years ago and she drives the shit out of it. Sorry for the phone pic...
Remove everything, be prepared to be finding little piles of media coming from various holes everywhere for months after getting it done. But it is probably the quickest method of stripping anything down. That being said we dont like to do it much because of the mess on bodies. But do every Frame we build.
It is important to remember that with ANY type of blasting the REMOVED material is also mixed with the media and can do damage even though the media alone may not.
I personally like acid dipping. I dipped all the removable panels for my '54, but I blasted the body because we have a good blaster and it was more cost effective then dipping the body. He switched media from sand to plastic when blasting certain areas to make sure panels aren't damaged. But I only did all that because I was going to do a lot of sheetmetal work, if I was just going for a repaint I would listen to @theHIGHLANDER . Just like with anything else, if you choose a knowledgable place, you'll get a quality job. Someone may be able to refer a trusted blaster if you tell us your location. Then you can call the blaster and let them tell you to take the glass out. And by the way, DA's and paint stripper is not going to warp a panel. If you were sanding a panel, you just have to not get it hot to not warp, and as suggested above, make sure you aren't sanding out body lines, or removing any parent material for that matter.
That glass will be destroyed if you leave it in. I'm not the hugest fan of blasting panels at all. The bigger surface areas can't handle it. Save that for things like steel wheels, motor mounts, and other structural stuff. Sent from my SM-G920W8 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Dipping the body is the way to go. I use to do wet blasting with great results but you cant get everywhere the dipping gets to. Sent from my SPH-L720T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I was thinking that on my 51..... Original factory paint and paint job #2 Have been there for 65, 35 years and holding up minus rust areas and dents. Body guy is starting with dents and rust but thinks rest is in good enough shape to block, seal and prime for more blocking....if it ain't broken don't strip it? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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