Sand Blast or Not

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Sand Blast or Not
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Whaley, Georgetown Ontario Canada on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 07:13 pm:

I have finally got some of my body panels rounded up for my '23 roadster project.

Here is the question - do I take them and get them media/sand blasted, or spend the time doing it by hand? They have some surface rust on them, but are solid, and no rust through. In fact, the two front fenders still have what looks to be original paint on parts of them.

I am not a body man, and this is going to be a challenge to say the least, but I want to have a go at it, so at least I can say I tried. I know it is all in the prep work.

So - pros/cons of blasting?

Thanks


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 07:32 pm:

You can use a 3m stripper wheel and make progress pretty quickly. I stripped my 24 touring panels with this wheel and a disc sander in my electric drill.

I would be hesitant to hand these off to someone to media/sandblast. You would need to make sure they know what they are doing. Blasting can induce stresses and distort the panels.

If it were me, I would try one myself and see how I came out.

As to not being a body man, you will be when you are done.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 07:46 pm:

Ask around and if you can locate a good sandblaster, that will save you so much time and be so much better off in the overall finish.

Fenders are the first part you see on a car.

The local paint/body shops can give you references, important to prime the parts right after sandblasting. My blaster also did the etch primer as part of the deal.




Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By steve miller- mississauga,ontario on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 08:03 pm:

Greg
sent you a pm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Booth@ Bay City, Mi on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 08:05 pm:

I didn't sand/media blast anything on my fordor...check out a new product called "Rustbullet". It requires some cleaning up the metal with a wire brush. Then two coats and the stuff helps to fill the pitting and also works as a base primer. I was amazed at how tough it is and easy to work with.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Whaley, Georgetown Ontario Canada on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 08:13 pm:

Thanks for the info guys. Greatly appreciated.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ken bechtel on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 08:51 pm:

Yes you can do it your self! there are a few different ways to get it clean. some cost more. dipping,hand sanding or sand blasting. get a pressure blaster at harbor freight and just use play sand from Lowes.about 100 psi at the blaster will not warp model t metal. play sand will be a little dusty but it is lighter than mason sand and won't sand pit the metal real bad.if your metal is not real bad you could just blast all the seam areas and borders do the rest with a DA sander.if you feel you need 80 grit sand paper or heaver to get rid of the rust, use sand blasting or have them dipped. what ever method you choose to do, try not to get more sheet metal clean and bare than you can etch prime the same day. ps. if you sublet the work out, ask how much psi they use and is it coarse sand. just don't want you to send it to a commercial blasting company and you might wind up with a pile of warped metal


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 09:21 pm:

I like to use Rust Bullet too.
Use it outdoors on a breezey day with a big electric fan helping the breeze blow the fumes away.
Do not store anything painted with Rust Bullet in an attached garage for a couple of weeks, unless you are single.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 09:22 pm:

I like to use Rust Bullet too.
Use it outdoors on a windy day with a big electric fan helping the breeze blow the fumes away.
Do not store anything painted with Rust Bullet in an attached garage for a couple of weeks, unless you are single.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Eagle Ida Fls on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - 10:10 pm:

I sandblasted for several years but now I wet hand sand with 80 grit. All the dents and wrinkles show up as shiny metal and you can work them out as you go. By the time you have all the dents out most of the rust is gone. The more you do the easier it gets and a piece of top material between your fingers and the sand paper save your skin. A wire brush will get a lot of the rust out of any pits there are.
It's not the most popular technique but it's worked good for me on the last few projects.
When I was sandblasting, everything came out the same shade of gray and I had to color sand with different colors of primer to find the dents.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By kep NZ on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 03:22 am:

Thinking i had nothing to lose i had rough dented and bent panels sand blasted and they came back way rougher. Took 1 month per panel to make them look ok, Still not right though. Not recommended unless you were sand blasting edges of panels on an assembled car. If you do just do not blast the flat areas people can see.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bede Cordes, New Zealand on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 03:43 am:

Gidday all,

I was taught a few years ago that if you must sand blast panels, do so at an angle so the sand glances off the surface and does not hit the metal so hard, which is effectively what peens the surface skin of the metal and causes it to distort.

Regards,
Bede


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration