Posted by Pieter on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 at 1:44AM :
In Reply to: Does sandblasting really hurt these thick skinned trucks? posted by Roy Sanders on Monday, November 17, 2003 at 7:18PM :
The only real way you will find out is to try. Different metal/thickness will react differently. I have blasted just about every body piece of a vehicle. If parts are really rusty(frame) crank up the air(120psi) and go for a coarser abrasive. The thinner the material, go to a finer abrasive and less pressure. blasting at 120psi is excessive and is a real handfull both on the body and compressor. I normally blast at 90 and a medium grit sand. for sheet metal I may drop it down to 65psi. i have tried the fine sand and it seems to be a waste of time IMHO. Medium grit and as long as you keep moving the gun it won't drill a hole. I used a 40lb pressure pot from harbor Freight. I can blast for +/- 20 minutes and use about half the sand at 90psi. Compressor never drops below 120psi(tank pressure) 6.5 hp, 80 gallon unit. For larger items, I spread out a big tarp so I can catch the sand to screen and reuse. Medium grit I could use it 3 times. The fine is useless after the first blast.
Blasting doesn't work for everything, especially fine detail work as it is a little cumbersome and not the msot accurate at times. if you can get sandpaper to the spot, use sandpaper. There are also scotchbrite pads for irregular surfaces.
blasting does work great in tight spots/seams etc. if your just removing paint, you may try paint strippers.
things I have come across
Pieter