Soda Blasting for Paint Removal
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 272
Likes: 2
From: West Hills CA
I soda blasted my Callaway bumper (the previous owner had it hanging in his garage and had spray painted it red, so when I got the bumper it was covered in a goopy red paint that couldn't be sanded) the soda is incredibly gentle, it stripped the paint, gently cleaning the bumper to the original color (a dark silver) It didnt eat through anything or pit the heck out of it or any of the other horror stories (now the oxide and sand etc will tear through something soft like our bumpers) I havn't been able to take the bumper to get painted yet but I would definately say soda blasting is the way to go.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 20,974
Likes: 261
Not sure I like any of the ideas here......
Blasting with any medium can lead to pits......if it were steel, I might be more comfortable. I blasted a lot of coated parts with 3mm Alumina Oxide and it was easy as hell to blast away a nice little divot.
SMC is soft.......
See that slot?? The older '84s had a hole there rather than a slot....I slotted it with the Dremmel in about 15 seconds
I bet the blaster can blow a hole in the SMC just as quick.
Blasting with any medium can lead to pits......if it were steel, I might be more comfortable. I blasted a lot of coated parts with 3mm Alumina Oxide and it was easy as hell to blast away a nice little divot.
SMC is soft.......
See that slot?? The older '84s had a hole there rather than a slot....I slotted it with the Dremmel in about 15 seconds
I bet the blaster can blow a hole in the SMC just as quick.
FWWIW, I think maybe a pro could do it, but even then it could be a disaster.These cars show a lot , metal is more forgiving IMO on body work.
pretty ballsy to do it with no experience.
Last edited by pologreen1; Apr 2, 2010 at 10:15 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
I soda blasted my Callaway bumper (the previous owner had it hanging in his garage and had spray painted it red, so when I got the bumper it was covered in a goopy red paint that couldn't be sanded) the soda is incredibly gentle, it stripped the paint, gently cleaning the bumper to the original color (a dark silver) It didnt eat through anything or pit the heck out of it or any of the other horror stories (now the oxide and sand etc will tear through something soft like our bumpers) I havn't been able to take the bumper to get painted yet but I would definately say soda blasting is the way to go.
SMC??
I could see using a blasting media on a rubber surface much quicker than I could on SMC.
And yes Coffeemakervette (
) (cuisenartte) I've not actually done it...but I have blasted a ton of things in the past.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 272
Likes: 2
From: West Hills CA
My Callaway bumper is fiberglass, but seriously soda as a blasting media is sooooo gentle, and doesn't pit. You could also turn your regulator down if you have it set to high I suppose. For the most part, I usually stay away from using soda on most parts because it's so gentle it wont even take the paint off 
but unpainted aluminum is also perfect for soda 'cause it wont pit it but it'll clean it off great. On the other hand, using sand, oxide, like I said earlier will tear through fiberglass for sure I'd stay away from using that (but it's great for heavier metals and I use it for valve covers 'cause it tears through paint and grease etc)
but unpainted aluminum is also perfect for soda 'cause it wont pit it but it'll clean it off great. On the other hand, using sand, oxide, like I said earlier will tear through fiberglass for sure I'd stay away from using that (but it's great for heavier metals and I use it for valve covers 'cause it tears through paint and grease etc)
Last edited by Hideki; Apr 4, 2010 at 12:18 AM.
