Media Blasting Body - Worht the money?

[83burban]

While I have everything torn apart on my 62 frame off - I got some quotes for media blasting the body. I can have all the sheet-metal done for 750 front to back, which seems like a fair price but the question is it really worth it to blast to bare metal?

What is the benefit - if any - to blasting over sanding (other than time i guess)?

The guy will be doing some sort of media blast if I go with it, and he has lots of experience so I am not worried about warped metal or adverse reactions to primer. I am working with a decent but not intense budget for the frame off - so if it is simply a matter or time spent to sand then I will just have to stock up on bud light and hit it hard for a few weeks I guess, but if it makes a big difference in showing then it might be worth it in the long-run.

Thanks in advance guys
Kurt

[HotRodYJ]

I think the biggest advantage is time savings and blasting can get intio areas you can't reach with sandpaper or a wire brush. I do think it is very beneficial to strip to bare metal to get rid of so much paint build-up and to uncover what work previous owners may have done incorrectly. I stripped my 66 by hand as much as possible. Takes a TON of time to do it this way, but I don't have the $750 to have it done. My time is free. I used some checmical strippers and it works fairly well, but I've found a 80 grit paper on a DA workd much better than expected, and I use a wire cup on a 4 1/2" grinder to get to other areas where the DA has trouble without tearing the paper. Could always use a Harbor Freight $69 sand blaster to get into the last of the areas yourself to finish the job if you wanted.

[jonzcustomshop]

A friend of mine with a body shop chemical strips all the sheet metal, then he blasts the jambbs, and crevices... he says with all the compound curves, and bends you don't have to worry about warping the jambs.

I worked on a 57 chrysler that had been acid dipped, it was dreamy... all that fresh brand new looking metal.

[72BlckButy]

Media blasting is a great step, because it will save you time and a lot of extra effort on your part, with a quicker result. One thing that you have to watch with sandblasting is that it builds up heat which then causes warpage. I just had my SWB (bed only) quoted, and granted there's not a lot of place in the area that offer this service, but the quote was $400 for only the bed. $750 for all the sheet metal front to back is a steal!!!

As far as the frame, I would just have it sandblasted because the metal is a lot thicker and won't warp on you.

Good luck, and be sure to post some pics!

[72BlckButy]

Acid dip is another thing to consider, but that is a lot more $$$$$.

[mbgmike]

We just had this 68 vette media blaster for $650. With us it boils down to saving time and money. this Vette had been painted three differant colors. It sure makes the body work go easier,

The last picture is what you look like when you are done

[LILRED66]

Lee and I had his frame sand-blasted, primed and painted with epoxy black for less than $400.00 and all of the sheet metal, including many of the small interior parts media-blasted and primed for around $1,400.00, so I think $750.00 sounds like a good deal.

One thing I would caution you about is making sure you have all of your parts accounted for when they go to the media blaster. It is frustrating when you forget to include something that you wanted blasted, but forgot it was on a shelf somewhere. I also suggest visiting the media blaster during the process, to ensure all areas are done and all media removed, prior to shooting primer. If not, the grit will end up in the primer and you will have a lot of hand work to do.

The other reason I like to have all sheet metal stripped, is to ensure the actual condition. Sometimes a glaze coat of filler will hide a small dent, crease, hole or premature rust and this will expose all of these imperfections.

Although some consider their time to be free, however with family, work, life and only 24 hours in a day, your time is worth something, not to mention the sand paper, stripper etc., to do it yourself.

In closing, making repairs and shooting primer over pristine metal is more efficient and effective over the long haul than trying to work with years of wear, rust and road build-up.

[83burban]

For anyone interested, the shop that is doing the work is Blasting Specialties and Powder Coating. http://www.blastingspecialtiesandpow...g.com/home.htm

They will be powder-coating frame, all suspension parts, and axle housing for 575. Seem like a fair place to work with and I will give a full report on the quality of their work in my build thread for anyone interested in having work done in So-Cal.

I am trying to stick with-in a budget, but the general concesnsus(sp?) seems to be that while its down and apart, it would be worth the expense. I have until the first week of September to complete the truck before school (everything except motor and transmission) so maybe I'll build it complete without a driveline and when I come back for Christmas break build up the motor and trans and drop them in.

Tony, I have everything in crates, seperated by what goes were. one for chrome, one for blasting and powder coating, another for just blasting, etc; but good tip anyways.

Thanks for the help,
Kurt

[72BlckButy]

Originally Posted by 62c20

For anyone interested, the shop that is doing the work is Blasting Specialties and Powder Coating. http://www.blastingspecialtiesandpow...g.com/home.htm

They will be powder-coating frame, all suspension parts, and axle housing for 575.

Kurt for that price... give me your address and you can drop my stuff off when you go.

[scotts62]

ya i bought a handheld speed blaster from matco for $50 and 4 bags of sand it worked really good. It took me a whole day to do my whole cab but for a hundred bucks it wasn't that bad.

[PipsC10]

any problems with rust if you media blast all the body parts and immediately put a primer back on? I was thinking of doing this and someone told me if I let the panels sit for too long before body work and paint, that rust will eventually resurface? A reputable body and paint man told me if I media blast myself and later brought the truck to him he would just have to do it over again. It does not make sense to me.

[tomlamb]

Originally Posted by 62c20

For anyone interested, the shop that is doing the work is Blasting Specialties and Powder Coating. http://www.blastingspecialtiesandpow...g.com/home.htm

They will be powder-coating frame, all suspension parts, and axle housing for 575. Seem like a fair place to work with and I will give a full report on the quality of their work in my build thread for anyone interested in having work done in So-Cal.

Do you have anything to report on Blasting Specialties? I am in Los Angeles and am looking for a good media blaster.

[83burban]

When I visited the facility I was very impressed. Lee, the guy who owns the place was very knowledgeable and let me crawl around the shop looking at all the different cars, frames, and things that had just arrived, been blasted, and were finished. Most shops get angry when I ask to look around, but he had no problem with it. Thus far I have been extremely pleased.

I pick up the parts either tomorrow or Saturday, depending on what my schedule is like, so I will have some before and after shots of the frame and suspension.

Also, he media blasted the cab and shot 2 coats of a metal etching primer over it. I plan on taking the rest of my body panels to him later next week

The total bill thus far: 1000 dollars
Powder Coating: Frame, 2 cross-members, rear control arms, axle housing, front lower and upper control arms
Blasting/Primer: Cab

I estimate another 750 or so for the remainder of the body panels to be blasted and primered, and maybe another 200 or so for just blasting of small parts. If you want more info, you can call me at 626.298.4897 (Kurt) or call him direct - 1-323-721-5020 (Lee)

[Chevy Fleetside]

I asked about two bedsides and they wanted $350 a few years ago... I did sand blast my frame and other parts myself and all turned out well. Need a good compressor for that though.

[jkaylor68gmc]

Yes, blast it!, you just don't know whats lurking under there.

[salazar44]

There is this relatively new stuff from SEM called Metalock .

I wish I would have bought this stuff! Its a high build epoxy primer. You dont get this high build from normal epoxy primers so you are essentially able to eliminate the use of an extra high build primer. All in one if you will!

Two popular techniques are epoxy primer or etching primer. If you do not do one or the other you will rust up in no time and the work WILL be done for nothing. Trust me. You will want to get it protected ASAP.

[pquick]

I had my 70 rs z28 done, if you want great final results that is the way to go, Remember to let the body guy know that you had it done so he can prep it correctly, or you WILL have bad adhesion problems. I see a GTO that an inexperienced body shop did, the paint game off in sheets do to bad prep after the soda blast process. ish.............also, wash out the vents and hard to reach areas...it gets into everything. I will do it on this next project (1959 austin healey 100-6) for sure.

[ClassicAutoResto]

An etch primer is a good idea. I do some of my own blasting, and more recently have had one soda blasted, and liked the results so much, I will be investing in a soda blast system so as to have the ability to do either. The downside to the sand or media is the never ending sand and media that shows up afterward. Soda blasting can be washed down, and it dissolves. If left on, it will act as a natural rust inhibitor for up to 6 months without having to prime. I will post pics later when I get the system in. I am doing a few more mods to the shop before I make this investment. Jerry

[salazar44]

And as for the process being worth the money... well that all depends on how much time you have. Its been 2 years and I just finished sanding my last panel down!