Media blasting services / equipment hire / DIY

[Davie]

Morning,

I'm in the process of stripping down a shell, more so from the bulkhead forward at the moment.

The engine bay is stripped completely and I'm now preparing it for paint and so far have used all manner of wire brushes, grinders and almost rubbed my fingers to the bone sanding.

It's getting there but there are lots of intricate areas that are just too difficult so I'm now debating getting it media blasted.

So, the options are either give it to somebody to strip it professionally, hire some blasting gear (I have a garage and can make a blast tent etc) or invest in a DIY kit to go with my compressor and airline (basic £100 Aldi effort) such as a Sealey gun for around £25.00 plus 25kg of shot at £20.00

So, basically... does anybody have a contact or a recommendation for somebody who could do this for me or who perhaps hires gear with a bit more grunt?

Ideally, Central Scotland... more so Fife / Edinburgh area.

Thanks in advance

[Davie]

Thanks.

That's the second time Ali-Blasting has been mentioned so have left him a voicemail.

Thinking ahead, I also need the chassis done and I'm now at the stage where I would consider paying to have it all done as the scale of the task is starting to get rather daunting!

So on that basis, if anybody could recommend a one stop shop to strip, prep and reseal an entire floor pan with potential welding repairs, then that would be good!

Cheers

[Davie]

Thanks,

I've just spoken with the chaps at Preserve & Protect who were very enthusiastic and helpful, so in terms of getting the chassis done and sealed they seem to be the boys for the job but they don't do blasting, so with regards to the intricate areas around the front end... I'm still deliberating.

DIY blasting seems to be more hassle than it's worth (the internet said so!) so I'll wait and see if Ali-Blasting can help and if not, it may be a few nights digging in with an assortment of wire brushes, paint stripped and copious cups of tea.

The biggest issues is a) the fiddly bits that are hard to attack and b) the paint I used to seal it for storage is either flaking off or completely welded on...

[Davie]

Will do, no problem.

I've pretty much shelved the DIY idea too - I get the impression it's fine for very small jobs but trying to do the front end of a car seems to be a very messy job and given the volume of shot need, potentially quite costly too. Plus my little compressor looks like it's simply not up to the task in hand.

I'll try Ali-Blasting again today / Saturday but ultimately, I think it may be a weekend of wire wool, Nitromors and assorted wire brushes.

Lovely.

[Davie]

Having exhausted the internet, I think I'm going to opt for paint stripper.

Couple of reasons... media blasting is as you say, very messy and will be a professional job so there are transport implications and so on plus the area I need to strip is fairly small (relatively speaking) and the coatings are fairly low grade, ie a coat of aerosol primer, some high build and a lash over with some satin black to seal it before it went into storage. Sooo, having spoken to some people the general opinion seems to be that a proper hardcore stripper such as Langlow Strip Away pro will be the most effective option and more cost effective too. Wire brushes seem ok on some bits but in others they tend to melt the paint and smear it rather than take it off cleanly. Again, my fault for chucking a right random assortment of crap at it over the year.

I'll pick up some tonight from my local trade supplier and see how I get on over the weekend... if there's a mushroom cloud over Fife on Sunday, it went badly.

Pictures / updates / tears and tantrums to follow in my Readers Cars thread.

Cheers

[Davie]

Thanks squire, I'll give them a call.

I've now gone full circle and having picked up some scary, toxic, cancer causing paint stripper last night... have now decided it may be just too big a job for me to tackle in a timescale that would see it finished this decade so now looking in to a "one stop shop" as it were who car do the chassis work, the welding, the sealing and a complete respray. That said, such persons seem thin on the ground so currently speaking with Protect & Preserve regarding the chassis work and then pass it on to a bodyshop to finish the rest.

Retro Power have been mentioned several times and whilst I don't dispute the fact it would be superb, I just can't stretch the budget that far.

[Davie]

Humper said:

If you have room(and understanding neighbours....) soda blasting is the way to go, you can buy 25kg tubs quite cheaply if you shop around, it offers much less chance of distortion and the best bit if using a pot outside for blasting, it washes away, basically a hose & a drain is all you need. There will be a LOT of mess, I once blasted a bike engine indoors, put a poly sheet up in the corner to catch the dust, The shed was like Xmas when I was finished.

I'm still open to all options but the issue with DIY blasting is not only do I think my compressor will struggle, but there is also the issue with treating and recoating once I'm done. I've weighed up cost vs time vs personal ability and I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a professional deal with it, that way it's all done in a timely fashion and I get the car back ready to start bolting shiny bits back on to it. Yes, it'll be costly but the time / logistics / cost involved if I strip it myself, then send it to get welded, then buy materials then try and refinish it to a decent standard... it's just looking like too much for me to tackle.

Hopefully got a couple of people coming to view the car over the next few days so I can get their opinion and a price... might be beans on toast for the next 6 months!