ls1569

That’s what I needed to know, is that technically you don’t know and that’s ok!! Sorry I am one who likes to understand the why on a technical level… As a Professional in my industry I just can’t tell someone "oh will you might have problems down the road because SPI said so or PPG said or who ever!! They will want to know again the why…The company I bought the machine from had this to say and these are individuals who TECHNICALLY have figured out the ins and outs of this process and its results.

"How does soda blasting work and what are its advantages?"

The sodium bicarbonate used in the blasting process is a larger particle than the baking soda used in the food industry, although it is the same purity. The particles (baking soda) are propelled by compressed air through specialized blasting pots. The blasting pots use air pressure that can be varied from 20psi on soft surfaces to 120psi on harder surfaces. The now pressurized sodium bicarbonate particles remove coatings by the energy released when the particles explode as they contact the surface being cleaned.

Sand blasting, on the other hand, removes the coatings by wearing it away (abrasively). This is also the result when the sand hits the base surface being cleaned; the base surface is worn away and damaged. Sodium bicarbonate has a non-abrasive action that allows it to be used on surfaces that the currently popular abrasive media (sand blasting) would damage i.e.: aluminum, stainless steel, brick, stone, glass, fiberglass, wood, plastic, seals, bearings, splines, radiator cores, and hydraulic cylinders. Since there is no heat build up warped metal is eliminated. The non-flammable properties allow sodium bicarbonate to be used in the petroleum industry where other methods posed a higher risk. Sodium bicarbonate breaks down hydrocarbons, which makes soda blasting an excellent method of cleaning engines, engine parts, and other areas where oil and grease are present.

Another major advantage of soda blasting is that it does not break down the surface tension of metals, thus the problem of flash rusting is eliminated. Sodium bicarbonate can act as a rust inhibitor, which will leave a protective coating on the surface being cleaned. This allows for time to pass before the surface has to be painted. This is unlike a sand blasted surface that must be painted immediately. When the time arrives to paint the surface, the protective coating (soda) can be removed by an application of a vinegar/water mixture.

I own 3 Vettes (89’ 94’ and 97’) all of which were completely stripped with soda and all painted with no problems, my 72’ Camaro stripped with soda , my 63’ impala stripped with soda (neutralized and sat for 1 yr with no rust issues before painting) and just recently my 88’ Monte Carlo.

Most paint manufactures wont warranty their products anyway, unless you use their whole product line from their primers to their clears, but still so many of us do interchange different products. So with that being said I could understand why they won’t warranty against cars that have been soda blasted!! All I know is what works for me and my customers and this truly is the first time I have heard of this ever being a problem...

Good luck to all, in your paint endeavors...

roger55

I wouldn't use soda.

Here's why:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/soda...highlight=soda

http://spi.forumup.org/viewtopic.php?t=156&mforum=spi

ls1569

Finally, someone who can shed some light on this subject, now that wasn’t so hard, was it! Good info... And you better believe I will be looking into these other Medias used for blasting. Although one last thought and I quote!!

This is what my tech sheet says now:

"This product will not stick to “SODA BLASTING” Unless (key word being unless) the metal is prepped to get rid of the film left from the Soda."

Where have I heard that before??

porchdog

in 1974 i attended a class on corvettes and refinishing. at this class they showed us how to remove a body the right way and how to replace panels and stuff. they also told us to never use chem strip on corvettes. to this day there are still post about using it. i researched for a year before opening my blasting bez. there are hundreds of medias to use for different things. my point is there are no problems when using acrylic or even starblast. there is a possibility of problems with soda. barry has changed his tech sheet to protect his customers. like me he does not want to risk having his product involved with this method. one failure on a 10k paint job is just too much of a risk. i do not gamble with customers cars or my own. i never claimed to be a chemist , just someone with 35+ years in the refinishing field.

by the way. your techs are wrong on heat causing metal to warp. it is the peening of the metal that causes it.

2000FRCZ19

i just had my entire car media blasted. the blaster would not use soda on it either. he has been in business for quite some time and also does paint work. he stated that the soda could cause a problem with the paint. many of the body shops i also talked to stated the same thing and would not touch the car if it had been soda balsted or chem stripped. they did not get into tech reasons. i had heard this from most of the shops i called so i really didnt need much explaination due to most of them saying it could cause paint problems. there might be something to it if that many people are telling me this. it may be fine but when its my money and time i dont want to do it twice. so i will just take their word for it. there have been people that have used chem strippers and had no problems just as there have been soda blasted cars with no problems. i just did not want to risk it. the total cost for the car, inside and out was $600 and it was based on time. the car came out very nice. i was very impressed with the outcome. the media does find its way into every place. i washed the car several times and used a shop vac and still find little when the car is moved. i will be washing the car a few more times before i seal it with the spi epoxy. i am using spi products also.