What is the preferred abrasive media for blasting sheetmetal body parts? I use various types of abrasive media in my cabinet, depending on the project, but I recently purchased an ALC 110lb Blaster so I can start stripping the body of my '56 F100. Looking for something easy to source that will cut through 2 coats of paint and some minor rust without damaging the metal.
Fine Garnet, as done by North Texas Customs in Wylie Soda wont cut rust. http://www.northtxcustoms.com/
Soda is fantastic if you are just removing paint. In skilled hands paint can be removed by the layer and it doesn't affect the base metal or glass. Fine garnet is probably the better choice if you have a bunch of rust. With silica sand you run the risk of messing up your lungs or the lungs of those around you with silicosis. It works good but you sure don't want to breathe the dust.
You want a rough surface on the clean white metal that you just blasted , with a good epoxy primer over that ,and you will have the best adhesion you can get at any price !!!
I have used most available blasting media. Each has a different purpose. Since you specified body blasting, I would recommend recycled glass. It comes in a range of different grits but quickly turns into increasingly finer grits with extended re-use. I have dozens of 5 gallon buckets that I try to keep in order of grit and just select which I find to be the best suited for the job. I have a booth, dry air supply and use a 60lb repurposed propane tank converted to a pressure feed blaster. I totally agree with larry k about the superior paint system adhesion derived from blasted metal and would reiterate that cleaning the freshly blasted metal surfaces very well, prior to paint prep is very important. I have been using a product simply labeled as "Prime Wash".
I have a friend that does custom and hot rod metal work for a living. He told me to look into laser blasting as an alternative to all other forms of paint and rust removal.
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