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Hi everyone. Could you please give me your experiences using media blasting, be it sand or other. Is it good value for the service, is it a good starting point or after some repairs have been made. (I've seen both ways)
Let me know as I may be going for it on a car depending on feedback.
Many thanks

I would go for sand/bead blasting once you have removed the panels you are going to replace. This way you can get in to the closed sections eg inner sills, map pockets, behind the scuttles etc. Ensure the shell is supported/braced if you remove things like sills or sections of floor to avoid twisting/distortion. Go easy or avoid the flat large panels as too much heat will distort them. Blasting beats paint stripper and sanding by a country mile and a great starting point before letting in any repair sections as you can see exactly what you are doing and don't have hours of cleaning up rusty metal. I pay around £250 inside and out with a light coat of red primer. Good luck. Mark

Rolesyboy,
I'm also in Essex, where do you get your shells blasted?

Cheers!
Nick

Hi Nick, its a bloke I have used for years. 10 minutes from West Mersea/Tiptree. Great bloke, does a thorough job and really careful.
Drop me a pm if you like. Cheers. Mark

Cheers mark!
Will be in touch soon!

Bermablast 01789 840012

Did my mk2 shell all over ( no damage what so ever ) and some extra panels and frames , plus zinc primed everything for about £250

Top bloke , been doing it for years

to cut a long story short DO NOT get it acid dipped unless you pay the extra (which is more than the dipping) for the neutralizing/plating process.

Can anyone recommend a blaster in the North West to do a shell for me ?

I used these people, in west Sussex.

http://www.blast-cleaning.co.uk/

Very good service, by no means cheap, but they soda blasted my shell inside and out, in ever single corner, under the dash, rear pockets, underside of the roof, EVERWHERE, and then gave it a specail kind of zinc coating.

It's all on there website if you want a to have a bit of light reading.

I've had shells sand blasted and found the resulting finish to be deeply etched from the aggressive garnet. It took a lot of good metal away. It also heated up the metal in places and caused a lot of warping.

Glass and plastic bead blasting removes the paint and only polishes the good metal, it doesn't remove it.

Thank you for all the responses. That's some good information and some useful companies. Thank you all very much.

Pete wrote:Can anyone recommend a blaster in the North West to do a shell for me ?

Hi Pete give John Broadway at gentle touch blast cleaning a ring 07971 033 231 he is llandudno, he has done a few for me and is the best has soda/grit/plastic beads/glass so can do whole shell inside and out with no damage whatsoever and is very experienced with car body shells.

Great, thanks for that.

Mick wrote:I've had shells sand blasted and found the resulting finish to be deeply etched from the aggressive garnet. It took a lot of good metal away. It also heated up the metal in places and caused a lot of warping.

If you give a sandblaster to a chimpanzee, then yes, they can easily make a mess of a body panel. If the guy understands the difference in technique/pressure/angle of attack between blasting a door skin, and blasting a 6" I-beam, then you will be fine.....I know guys who have had aluminum MGB hoods sandblasted with no issues. Find a shop that is experienced at blasting car bodies, and don't be afraid to ask questions on their specific approach to a car body.

Soda blasting has been advertised for the last few years as the answer to every prayer, but it's not as "harmless" as most people would have you believe. Baking soda is a Base (as opposed to an acid), so it also must be neutralized very carefully, and can cause havoc if left behind in cracks and crevices.

Find a sand-blaster who knows what they are doing, and go with sand blasting, you won't be sorry.

I hope to find one of these people one day.

If anyone is in the Norfolk area, I can highly recommend a sandblaster. He is really careful with pressures etc and we have never had any problems with panel warping with him. He uses an agricultural sand (IIRC) which is less harsh than ordinary sand. He is VERY reasonably priced as well. Don't expect a modern industrial facility though

Mick wrote:I hope to find one of these people one day.

When speaking to a potential sandblasting outfit, use phrases like 'concerned about panel warping", "reduced pressures", and "low angle of attack". If their eyes roll to the back of their head, find someone else!

Anyone who is experienced in blasting car bodies will usually be nodding their head, and finishing your sentences.

Nick "the dip" in Wollaston, Northampton is a top bloke.
Sand/shot blasting and small scale (i.e. not bodyshells) alkali and acid dipping.
No marbled floors, big titted secretaries, pot plants or his own 911 parked outside....just Nick in his overalls! If the door's shut, he's not in.

If it's core sand removal you're looking for, there's a place in Leicester who use heated alkali. The finish isn't great and needs following up but for completely gutting out cylinder block and heads, it's the bollocks! Also, I think the life expectancy of their staff is about 4 weeks, going by the fumes!