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Getting ready to start reassembling my 68 chassis after getting it back from blast & powdercoat. I found a considerable amount of sand that worked its way out of the frame on the trip home and want to clean it out before anything else. So far I've tried running plastic tubing inside to blow it out with the compressor but it's not working very well. I have a cheap endoscope on order and some long brushes but was wondering if anyone has any other tips? Thanks in advance for any responses
That did occur to me however at the speed I seem to get things done it could be sitting there for quite a while collecting moisture so I thought it would be best to clean it out.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
If its a bare frame, can you stand it up on end and tap on it with a block of wood while blowing air through it? Maybe tie it to a rafter so it doesnt fall on you.
That did occur to me however at the speed I seem to get things done it could be sitting there for quite a while collecting moisture so I thought it would be best to clean it out.
I forgot to mention when I asked the question but the shop that did repairs on my frame used a cavity wax (3M I think) when they got it back from the powder coater. Probably making it more difficult to get the sand out. Going to try the tapping with rubber hammer and air again to get as much as I can and hope the wax takes care of the rest.
Using rubber hammer in my opinion is pointless because I have used this method on the powder coated frames and it works for me with no damage.
I find a hole in the frame that I KNOW I will use in the process of re-assembling the car and install a nut and bolt there so I can use an air hammer on that same bolt. I do not hammer it hard...but I am vibrating it and I will actually flip the frame over and over. Standing it up with the back of the frame on the ground then flip it so the front of the frame is on the ground.
If it been coated well, NO sand should come out...
OH YES IT WILL.
Powder coaters cannot get the powder inside the frame due to how there are steel plates inside the frame for added strength in areas.....thus...media and be stuck in it. And they should not powder coat the inside of the frame due to they can not media blast it clean so it will not adhere properly anyway.
Powder coaters cannot get the powder inside the frame due to how there are steel plates inside the frame for added strength in areas.....thus...media and be stuck in it. And they should not powder coat the inside of the frame due to they can not media blast it clean so it will not adhere properly anyway.
DUB
Based on a post above, It looks like the frame was internally coated with a wax. That would glue most of the sand in place.
Yes it would and any moisture that the sand or crud it was holding also....assuming that the person shooting in the wax coating could verify that everything is coated 100%. Sealing it off from air is what is needed. But if the wax layer gets compromised due to the moisture trying to escape an allows voids in the coating....then it is what it is.
I haven't sand blasted a Corvette frame but have done a couple of Camaro sub-frames. Both times I used compressed air and then stuck my shop vac hose in the sub-frame to help suck some of the sand out. Worked pretty good. It seemed to me that when you just use compressed air the sand just kind of bounced around the inside of thee tube.
Tried out the cheapo endoscope tonight. Not too bad for $25
The following pics hopefully give an idea of what the inside looks like (Second, Fourth, and Sixth pics attempt to show the hole the camera went into). Also, in pics 3 and 5 I think I see the internal structure or walls that DUB mentioned earlier.
Since the wax seems to be holding the media, what would be the best action to take at this point?
Thanks again andHappy New Year all!! ,
Tod
Frame cleaning tips/tricks?
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