Sandblasting
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,930
Likes: 15
From: Calgary Alberta
Sandblasting
I've heard that sandblasting can easily ruin regular fiberglass panels, but what about SMC panels? My 1976 vette is all SMC and if sandblasting will not harm the shell, then I mine as well strip the bondo infested front end that way. Any thoughts?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,164
Likes: 7
From: Beringen
Hi,
I did one of mine once, after I had the guy do a test on low pressure blasting. The test was fine, but the body was ruined after he did the job. There were three layers on mine and since the job did proceed fast enough (he made a fixed price) he decided to use a stronger blast media and more pressure. Result : the body was a total loss.
Point is : it can be done if done correctly (all depends on blast media, pressure and the opening they blast with) but it all depends on the person involved and that's were most of the time it goes wrong.
I advice against it. Period
Yves
I did one of mine once, after I had the guy do a test on low pressure blasting. The test was fine, but the body was ruined after he did the job. There were three layers on mine and since the job did proceed fast enough (he made a fixed price) he decided to use a stronger blast media and more pressure. Result : the body was a total loss.
Point is : it can be done if done correctly (all depends on blast media, pressure and the opening they blast with) but it all depends on the person involved and that's were most of the time it goes wrong.
I advice against it. Period
Yves
Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 361
Likes: 0
From: Valley AL
Media blasting includes all types off media: soda, plastic, glass beads, black beauty,walnut shells, corn cob, etc .The only one that I have heard of that might be safe for fiberglass is soda blasting and even with that you have to have someone that knows what they are doing.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 840
Likes: 19
From: Oshawa
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Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,692
Likes: 833
From: WI
Capt'n Lee's worked fine on my jambs and places where there weren't very many layers, but where it was REALLY thick, it wasn't very effective. I used Kleen Strip (fiberglass-safe type) and let it soak an hour. It still took two applications, but worked great. I think I had the whole car stripped in a good long day.
No way would I sandblast fiberglass. Besides that you'll probably ruin the body, you'll get sand everywhere and it tends to raise heck with seals aii moving parts. The time/energy you will probably have to put into re-doing bodywork to straighten it out, and problems it might raise with other mechanisms, I don't think there's any gain.
Just my take.
Mark G
No way would I sandblast fiberglass. Besides that you'll probably ruin the body, you'll get sand everywhere and it tends to raise heck with seals aii moving parts. The time/energy you will probably have to put into re-doing bodywork to straighten it out, and problems it might raise with other mechanisms, I don't think there's any gain.
Just my take.
Mark G
Sand is too course, use media blasting. I razor blade 3 layers of paint off of my 82
