Media Blasting Removes Rust & Paint From the Classic Car

Are you burdened by rust, road salt stains, or grime that detergents just cannot seem to remove?  When it comes to the toughest cleaning, media blasting is your ticket to a fully restored classic car. Media blasting is capable of smoothing metal, and stripping paint without causing any harm to the base material.

How Media Blasting Works

Media blasting is like pressure washing; however, instead of shooting highly pressurized water droplets, media blasting cleans surfaces by shooting tiny pieces of material using pressurized air. The materials used are far more abrasive than water droplets; therefore, they need to be contained.

Media Blasting for Classic Car Parts

Media blasting is typically performed inside an enclosed cabinet. The classic car part that needs cleaning is placed inside the cabinet along with a blasting gun and a pair of heavy-duty gloves that can be used from the outside.  The cabinet is usually inside to help maintain temperature to prevent flash corrosion, and the spread of harmful microscopic dust.

Types of Blasting Media

The classic car part, and what needs to be cleaned, determines the material to be used for media blasting. Some of the materials used to media blast include:

  • Walnut shells – Strips paint; removes minor rust; eco-friendly; inexpensive; one-time use
  • Plastic beads – Strips paint; removes minor rust; reusable
  • Glass beads – Strips metal; removes most rust; smooths surface
  • Aluminum oxide – Most powerful; smooths scratches; leaves a coarse finish; lasts the longest
  • Corn cob – Removes grease
  • Dry ice – Removes tar & ink

Media Blasting Procedure

When media blasting, the goal is to use the lightest material and lowest air pressure necessary to clean the classic car part. To determine this; test the material and pressure setting on an unseen portion of the part that needs to be cleaned. Because media blasting leaves a rough finish, polishing may be required before the part is fully restored.

Differences of Sandblasting, Soda Blasting, Or Dustless Sandblasting Your Vehicle

 When it comes to stripping paint, rust, oil, and grease from the steel body of a vintage car, a variety of methods can be used, but some of the most common are sandblasting, soda blasting and dustless sandblasting. Sandblasting uses sand particles alone to scrape the surface of a vehicle with small particles propelled at a high pressure. Soda blasting uses sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda. Dustless sandblasting is the same as sandblasting with the addition of water and usually a rust inhibitor.

 Which Method Is Best for The Steel Body of a Car?

Out of the three methods, dustless sandblasting is better for steel because the water in it reduces friction and heat, which can warp the metal during the stripping process. According to Dustless Blasting, the original manufacturer of dustless sandblasting equipment, dustless sandblasting can actually lower the temperature by 10-degrees while the process is being performed. By contrast, normal sandblasting will produce heat and friction, and the metal can be subject to warping because of this, especially if it is thin. Some people have taken to applying a cooler to the sand during this work to help mitigate this effect.

 How Are the Methods Employed?

The first step in the process is for a car owner to figure out which parts of the classic vehicle body need to be blasted. If sandblasting is being employed and the part being blasted is an underbody part, a bleached nd washed sand should be used. For visible surface parts, such as door panels, 36-grit silica sand should be utilized. If possible, parts of the vintage car not being blasted should be removed and kept in isolation. These include panel strips, door handles, taillights and other parts that are not undergoing the refinishing process. Contrary to popular belief, taping over parts is not good enough because the particles may erode the tape or get underneath it. If possible, the parts being blasted should themselves be isolated, and a tarp should be used underneath to catch the particles and dust. Soda particles can typically be washed away whereas sand and dustless sand particles can be recycled and need much more cleanup time. Some experts note that in many cases, the sand or soda can stay in joints and cracks of the car body long after the work has been performed. For this reason, extra attention should be paid to holes, nooks and crannies in the areas being worked on. Proper cleanup with compressed air is highly recommended in all areas.

 Which Method Works Best When It Comes to Body Work and Painting A Vehicle?

Soda blasting and sandblasting create dust, which can get inside the vehicle and into body parts. Baking soda is technically an alkaline chemical, and the particles are so small that they get into the pores of the metal. Soda blasting companies often leave a protective film on a classic car’s surface to prevent flash rusting, and this can have a negative impact on epoxying or prime coating a car prior to painting because the epoxy or primer peels away from the surface. Therefore, to remove this film, grinding must be used, or the film can be neutralized with warm, soapy water, and a scuff pad.  Some people perform the latter process at a car wash. Others recommend adding vinegar to the mix and using Scotch Brite pads afterward. A good number of people have reported negative experiences trying to paint soda-blasted cars, mostly because the film was not removed or neutralized prior to painting. Vintage car owners should be careful as having to re-do a paint job can cost thousands of dollars. People who did not perform this step have had to paint their classic cars multiple times at great cost. Often, they blame the soda blasting process when, in fact, they did not prep their vehicle enough prior to painting.

 Which Method Works Best on Rust, Paint, Oil and Grease, And Which Method Is the Least Costly?

Sandblasting is an excellent process for removing rust from car bodies, but it is not as effective as dustless sandblasting for removing paint. Soda blasting is typically not as effective at removing either paint or rust compared to sandblasting or dustless sandblasting because it is not as heavy duty a medium. Typical dustless sandblasting incorporates a rust inhibitor that decontaminates the steel, leaving a chloride-free, clean, and paint-ready surface. A pressure setting of 70 PSI is recommended for dustless sandblasting at about a 20-degree angle. To know which method will work best on a vehicle, the person making the decision should look it over and see which of the above conditions affect the classic car’s body. If a vehicle has high amounts of rust, a heavier-duty solution will likely be needed over soda blasting. If the body is already relatively rust-free and the owner knows how to deal with the protective film that is applied afterward, soda blasting may be the way to go. Sandblasting is the cheapest of the three methods, followed by dustless sandblasting. Sand for children’s sandboxes is commonly employed for sandblasting although more technical or alternative media options are also available. Soda blasting uses expensive material and therefore is the costliest method of the three.

 How Long After Blasting Can One Wait Before Starting on Body Work or Painting A Vehicle?

A common question is how much time can elapse between the blasting of a vehicle and its preparation for painting. The answer is that it depends on the method of blasting being employed. If sandblasting or dustless sandblasting is utilized, the bodywork or painting of the vehicle can be performed as soon as the surface is clean. A number of restoration shops have reported that in a humid environment, flash rusting can happen within minutes to hours of blasting. The climate and geographical location where the work is being performed can greatly affect humidity levels as can indoor environments where moisture is prevalent. Any rust must be cleaned immediately prior to beginning bodywork or painting. In humid environments, the sooner bodywork or painting is begun, the better. With soda blasting, the surface is usually protected by a film applied to remove the soda from the metal when the process is finished. Because of this, the owner can wait if they want to begin the work; they just must remember to either remove or neutralize the film before applying epoxy or primer.

There are multiple methods to removing paint, rust, or grease from the body of a vehicle, but no one method is superior. Classic car owners should carefully consider the advantages, challenges, and costs for each type of blasting to select the best option for their vehicle.

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4 thoughts on “Media Blasting Removes Rust & Paint From the Classic Car”

  1. It was really interesting when you talked about how dustless sandblasting includes the addition of water. It seems like sandblasting would be effective at removing corrosions and other unwanted build-ups on metal. It seems like the dustless method would be utilized if you wanted to reduce the mess that is created.

    1. Jim; depending on where you live there are companies that do media blasting as well as mobile services. Some areas use chemical treatments and even acid dipping for stripping metal.
      Thank you for using our web site.

  2. I choose to discover more about it to assist my brother, who has been intending to repaint his car. I’m glad you mentioned that using dustless sandblasting is a fantastic idea to test out because it is much better for steels because the water in it lowers friction and heat, which can cause the metal to distort during the stripping process. I’ll be sure to let him know about this and look into mobile dustless blasting services that could be of assistance to him.

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