To Blast or???

[jfweaver]

Are you guys blasting the cabs or hand sanding? Just need help getting rust off my cab.

anyone know what it cost to blast the cab?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Kabwe on his 55-58 build thread just posted to me a source for blasting that charges $250 to blast his cab and said everyone else quoted him $400. Now $250 is better of course, but either price strikes me as pretty reasonable compared to the EFFORT and MESS that manual sanding would be. I'm going to have the components of my '46 bed blasted using his source, then later the hood and front fenders and I'll decide on the cab itself later.

[addicted2dunes]

I don't recommend sand blasting on these trucks. The sand gets caught up in between the roof panels, cowl panels, etc. Then it collects moisture and rots from the inside out.
I do however recommend soda blasting, it's blasting with baking soda. Works just as well as blasting and doesn't warp the metal. If it does get stuck anywhere it dissolves.

[4DSEVEN]

I decided to go the sand blasting route and was glad I did. It wasn't cheap as it cost me $1600 cdn for the entire truck.

When I bought the truck the fenders were already smoothed, sanded and in primer. I decided that since I was doing most everything I might as well do the fenders over just to know what truly lies beneath. Man what an eye opener that was. The end result was 3 new fenders.

[Thadious]

I blasted all mine myself... cost me about $500 in the end, and I built my own pressure blaster, rented the 90 cfm compressor and 11 bags of medium crushed glass. Absolutely no warpage and I sure ain't no pro.

A fine painting begins with a fresh canvas!

Just my two bits, since I prefer to do everything myself... it's a pride thing.

Cheers!
Ted.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Thadious

I blasted all mine myself... cost me about $500 in the end, and I built my own pressure blaster, rented the 90 cfm compressor and 11 bags of medium crushed glass. Absolutely no warpage and I sure ain't no pro.

A fine painting begins with a fresh canvas!

Just my two bits, since I prefer to do everything myself... it's a pride thing.

Cheers!
Ted.

"Thadious J. Whoopee, You're the Greatest" Sorry, I couldn't resist. With that screen name you must have gotten this before now. I can't remember what cartoon it came from though?

As to the blasting, can we get more info about "making my own pressure blaster". I'd love to see how you did that.

4DSeven, You're right about a clean canvas. Your truck in pieces looks so clean - excellent! Not like working on a rusty old piece of crap like many of these trucks start out prior to painting.

[Thadious]

"Thadious J. Whoopee, You're the Greatest" Sorry, I couldn't resist. With that screen name you must have gotten this before now. I can't remember what cartoon it came from though?

No idea... never heard it before actually. The tag came from someone asking me one day what 'Ted' was short for... Thadious? And it just kind of stuck.

I'm just one of these people that refuse to pay someone good money for something that I think that I can do myself... and besides... you learn something in the process and have new tools left over in the end!

Not to hyjack a thread... but the pressure blaster started out as good clean 30 lb propane tank, purged and cleaned, with 2" nipple cut out and welded to the top, a handfull of 1/2" ball valves, some flexible line, a pressure regulator and relief valve and a pressure guage fitted. Then a long length of flexible brake hose with a deadman valve at the end. Mount the whole thing to a 2 wheel dolly with a leg out the front and you're good to go. (Would highly recommend spending the little bit to have it hydro'd for safety!).

There's a pic of it in my build thread.

Cheers and good luck,
Ted.

[mr48chev]

If you take the cab to a blaster make sure that they do sheetmetal on a regular basis as some of the guys who normally blast heavy or farm equipment may be too heavy handed with the blaster and warp the panels. If you can find one that is tied in with a powder coater they may be more used to items that need a fine touch.

[dwcsr]

Phineas J. Whoopee was the mad scientist from the cartoon Tennesee Tuxedo

[chevyrestoguy]

Phineas J. Whoopee was the mad scientist from the cartoon Tennesee Tuxedo

And Chumley, too! (that was a line from the cartoon). Didn't Professor Whoopee use the 3-Dimensional Chalkboard to prove his theories?

I need one of those.......

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

If you take the cab to a blaster make sure that they do sheetmetal on a regular basis as some of the guys who normally blast heavy or farm equipment may be too heavy handed with the blaster and warp the panels. If you can find one that is tied in with a powder coater they may be more used to items that need a fine touch.

............... O H BOY, watch out, he said alot !!

We spent many, many hours trying to straighten out these problems on doors and hood and the back of the cab on TWO projects.

Be careful who you chose, these cabs and sheet metal will WARP big time !!

[54 jimmy]

my cab is going on the 21st to get blasted. this guy does p coating too and i have seen some of the stuff he has blasted came out nice no warping.i asked for a quote he said $60.00 an hour. that is a good price i think. he also said if it only takes an hour and a half it will be $70.00.

[56ClassicTruck]

I talked to guy out that dose plastic blasting he said it just takes off paint not rust an no damage to the metal what do you guys think of that.

[Dan in Pasadena]

I've heard all these warnings about warping sheet metal and I'm going to be asking a LOT of questions before I commit to someone. I've got Kabwe's referral to a guy and two other guys through people I trust too, so I should be able to find 1 of 3 that knows how to do sheet metal and will do it reasonably priced.

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I've heard all these warnings about warping sheet metal and I'm going to be asking a LOT of questions before I commit to someone. I've got Kabwe's referral to a guy and two other guys through people I trust too, so I should be able to find 1 of 3 that knows how to do sheet metal and will do it reasonably priced.

Well I've been getting my cars blasted for years and never had a issue so I can speak on that. The place I go does cars all over California its most of their business so they can't go around messing up peoples cars or they will be out of business. They use a very fine sand that looks like powder its so fine. Also I use SPI epoxy primer and they will not honor the warranty if you soda blast the metal. Soda blasting leaves a residue that does not help adhesion. I can only go by my experience and I have had zero problems with media blasting.

Dan here is an link to an article that was done on the place I recommended, read it you may like it. It was one of the reason I chose them because I don't know anybody that put time, love and money in the cars like the lowrider crowd.lol The chrome alone could buy a house in some states.lol
http://www.lowridermagazine.com/tech...ing/index.html

[Dan in Pasadena]

Kabwe,
Thanks so much for the link. Unfortunatley I can't access it from my work computer but I'll defintiely look forward to reading it tonight.

If the place primarily does cars then I would agree they are VERY careful not to warp anything or word would get out and they'd lose business fast.