1952-59 Ford Sand Blasting

Can someone help me out by explaining everything a novice would need to know before having this done? I would like to get my frame sand blasted sometime in the next year so that I can really get into this build and make it start looking the part of nice.

The guy at RW Little said they can do medium blasting, is this the same thing as people that talk about media blasting?

Is powder coat better for preservation of the metal than painting? I would like to make sure the frame will last another 100 years or so.

Will priming and painting look so different on a frame that one day when I really care about getting a first place trophy that I may kick myself in the but if I decide for the painted coat vs. the powder coat?

This may be all the question that I have for now. I have looked in the groups history and the main page history but I could not find the exact answers to these questions. If my questions can all be answered by a post that you know of please let me know. Thanks for your help.

 

I had the frame on my '54 sand/media blasted here in Orange for $125.00. Took it home and put jack stands under it and then primed with automotive primer. Then painted it with black rustoleum. This will probably last along time. I've also used por-15 on another frame and it seems to hold up pretty good. I guess the question you have to ask yourself is how much you want to spend in time and money. I have found that paint is shinier than powder coating as I had inner fender wells and core support powder coated and I didn't like it. Had to sand it down and paint it gloss black. It looked alot better and seemed easier to clean. my .02. Your mileage may vary.

 

Ok , first there are different things you can use to take rust , paint , oil and everything else off to get the clean metal to work with .
Now the sandblasting term is used but covers many different materials that they use . Sand will work but is very harsh to metal and I would only consider using sand on a frame . Medium is a term used for different softer abrasives that can be used to remove rust and paint . As for removing paint , you can use different softer materials that remove paint a little easier . You can use soda which is very good on sheet metal but you need a big compressor if doing it your self .
On the other hand you can do it all yourself , but will take longer and a lot of time and labor from you BUT you will save a lot of money . Once the body is off , take a grinder to it with an aggressive sanding disc . I use the sand disc that are layers in a row around the disc . Some call it a flap disc you understand what I am talking about . I use a 40 grit to get the crud off . Then once you get most of it off , I would use a good sealer and there are a few out there besides POR . POR does work well BUT you must follow the instructions very closely .
Now if you pay a professional to come and pick the frame up , strip it and power coat it , that is the way to go IF you have the money for it ! Powder coated frames are very nice to work with and gives you that perfect looking frame base to start your build with . It really all comes down to what you can afford and what build are you looking to have in the end . If you want a really sweet show car , then get it powder coated . If you are going to just have a good driver/show car , then I wouldn't spend the $$$ for a powder coated frame . If you are going for a costly paint job , a super soft leather interior , new engine with lots of chrome then I would powder coat the frame for sure .
I don't know what you are building and what level you want you car at . That is something ONLY YOU can decide on . It also depend on the most important thing of all and that is your budget for the project . That is your private information ! Now if someone tell us how much you have to spend , then we can all help you get the best value for your money . There are ways to save money with your labor but you need to figure out what level of project you are building . Then make a list of what you want to do to the project , the engine and trans you want , the interior you want , the paint you want and write the list down and MAKE SURE YOU STICK TO YOUR LIST ! If not you will blow your budget !

I understand this is a lot of things to consider but you really have to or the project will never get done .
Good Luck with your project and if we can help in any way , please ask !
Now this is just my opinion and the way I go about a project .

Jim

 

Flyboy89-Thank you for your $.02 and for the ideas of different products to use.

Retro Jim- As usual you have outdone yourself with supplying information. I have read some things that I didn't like concerning soda blasting and a residue that is left over in crev***es causing a paint or primer adherence problems. Thank you for clarifying the difference of abrasives used for sand blasting.
Generally I am a do it my self type, but I realize when I need to have a professional take over so that I don't totally screw things up. Also not having a garage or any place to work on the car other than the auto hobby shop on base helps make those big decisions for me too.
I would like to have a really nice show car and maybe one day get a trophy but more important to me is the metal surviving another 100+ years. If powder coating will allow this to happen then I'm all for it but if doing a zinc primer and paint is better for this type of thing then I would rather do that in the end. Also this car will be driven to all shows even if I have to drive across country. Well, one day it will drive again anyway.

As for a budget, I'm pretty good at this saving game so I can just be a bit more patient if need be for the right job. I'm not concerned with the money issue because I could also just volunteer for another combat deployment and get the extra cash needed. I've made lists before and so far I've stuck to them pretty well, but as I learn more about cars and mine specifically the list becomes larger. With the addition of the new items needed I adjust what gets done in which order.

I like both of your opinions and since you have both made it apparent that I need to give a little more information, the pictures will show you what I am dealing with when it comes to my frame. Well, I hope it helps.

 

First off , FIX that brake line ! That will rub the metal down in no time and you will be without brakes . There is a "U" clip that hold the rubber line to the frame . You can get them at Auto Zone or Advanced Auto in the section with the small parts that go bad all the time .

OK , Honestly to get the most for your money with the situation you are in with no way to remover the body and have the frame done . I would put on jack stands and start grinding small areas at a time and just use a rattle can of primmer and them rustolem . That will be the best way to do the best you can for now until one day when you get a garage of your own to tear the car down . Then i would do the rest of the frame with a grinder and flap wheel with 40 grit . Then I would use POR 15 . You can just brush it on and it will harden smooth ! There are a few steps to do but it does turn out really good why done right by the directions .
On the other hand I am just going to use spray paint on mine because I am on a shoestring budget since I am on disability and have no spare money at all !
I also removed all the paint on my car with a razor blade . Yes you heard me right . I stripped all the paint layers off the outside of the entire car with a razor blade . I used a 3" wide one from Lowe's and I went through 2 handles and 2 packs of blades which was around 10 or 12 blades . I have maybe $30 in the entire stripping of the paint from the entire car plus about 2 cases of beer ! I had a HAMBer show it to me that paints cars and builds hotrods all the time for good money and when he showed me that , I stripped the car down in about a week doing it a bout 3 hours a night ! Now I was first sanding the paint off with a sander , DA sander and a grinder with 80 grit and it took me longer to do the hood and one fender than the rest of the car . It was a lot cheaper too !
Now on what you read or heard about side blasting , yes that is so true ! When you do a side blast you need to use a compressor and blow out every crack and crevice you can find to get that stuff out ! It's almost as bad as a body dip to remove paint . The soda blasting also cost a good bit as well because the soda material is not as cheap as other products .
So if you want to save the money and don't mind doing it yourself , the put the car up on jack stands and start grinding that crud off the frame and rear . Now take a wire brush and knock off the loose stuff first then use a grinder . Also make sure you wear good goggles , respirator and a good pair of heavy gloves . When you have that grinder kick and it slides in your hand you will understand why I said use good heavy gloves ! I have been sanded and cut with a cut off wheel befor and was lucky both times ! I should have had s***ches when the mine grinder got me with the cut off wheel but didn't . I cleaned it out real good and kept it clean . Accidents happen and when you are using a grinder and cut off wheels be damn sure you be very careful ! They will take fingers , other parts off and give you a very nasty cut before you can let go of the trigger ! That I can promise you ! Just be careful and keep you hands away from the from the disc ! They are a damn great tool to use but the most dangerous of all the tools you will use to repair your car . Always remember safety first !

Jim

 

Razor blades! You are more dedicated and patient than I am for sure. I don't think that I could stand doing that, plus I'm sure the sound of the blade s****ing would drive me crazy too.
Thanks for the information about sand blasting and the brakes.

 

There isn't any noise since I have a stereo going when I work on cars in the garage ! With the blade in one hand you can do a car in no time , really . That also leaves one hand free to hold the cold beer ! Just s****e a small section until you can get the width of the blade working for you . Then just s****e in a V shape to open up the area you are s****ing the paint off of . If you have the blade on a slight angle instead of just pushing straight , it works a lot easier that way . Sometimes when the paint chips starts coming off real easy , you can make a 12" to a arms reach sometimes ! Just make sure you wear eye protection . The small chips fly up in you face sometimes and can get into you eyes easily if you don't wear eye protection .
It really does work !

Jim