soda blasting machine

David Hale · Feb 24, 2012

I am looking to soda blast a very rusted allis g. does anyone have any advice on buying a machine, or is renting available? I just have no experience. There is such a price range like from a few hunderd to thousands for the soda blasting machine. I"ve looked the Eastwood machines. Are they any good??
David

El Toro · Feb 25, 2012

I would place your request over on the Case forum as a man over there known as the The Dutchman has a soda blasting machine. He's located in Iowa. Hal

ARCADIAINC · Feb 25, 2012

Harbor Freight sells soda blasters. They work great on aluminum. Bought one to clean antique outboard motors. Mine will not effectively clean rusty metal. Just finished a rusty Ford 860. Used sand blaster, electrolysis and liquid rust converter. I would not be without my soda blaster, however it is for aluminum, not rusty metal.

David Hale · Feb 25, 2012

So the tractors I am working with are very rusty. Like sat in the swamp in Alabama rusty.

Am I looking at some kind of more aggressive Media then.... I think most of the blaster machines are capable of more than one media right?

CNKS · Feb 25, 2012

Will cost you money, but buy a sandblaster and a supplied air system for your lungs. And, unless you have a very large compressor, to make any progress at all with a small blaster you need about 25 CFM at 100 psi. Sandblasters will warp sheet metal, and on an intact tractor will get sand every place you don't want it. Unless you completely disassemble that tractor, you are better off with a wire wheel on an angle grinder. Use a fiber brush on an electric drill for the sheetmetal, followed by a surfacer/primer surfacer to fill the scratches. That said, I use a cabinet blaster for small parts, and an outside one for large items such as rims, wheels, axles, etc, or any empty part I can get the sand out of. Outside you will use a LOT of sand, probably cheaper to take the parts to a professional blaster, but not as convenient.

David Hale · Feb 28, 2012

Thanks for your comments. . . I have tried the wire brush on this rust. It takes off the surface rust but it eventually only polishes the deep rust. I considered comercial blasting and found a couple of places around phoenix. The price they quoted me was very high.. Like $300 for a wheel. So…. Why not purchase. The Allis g has little tin and I can get to it to sand but the frame is made of more curves that the Rockettes. Sanding is just out. I have decided on a blasting machine, and was hoping to be able to use soda because I don’t have space outside for the sand to fly. What I need further advise on is the blaster itself. I'd like to purchase a good quality unit but not top end, because of the $ involved. But I have no understanding what blasters are quality or not. I know there are some at Harbor freight, but not sure they are good enough to remove the rust. How do I spot a good quality unit and what should I expect to pay. I will be upgrading my compressor to match it. But I just don’t have the experience to know what to look for on a blaster.

CNKS · Feb 28, 2012

I was in the same situation as you. I bought a 30 gallon Chinese blaster, about 1/2 the price of a US one with the same capacity. Works ok but sometimes the air pulsates. Will hold about 80-90 lbs of sand that lasts me maybe 10 minutes, then I have to screen the sand I put in because I have to use a small tip to let the compressor keep up. My compressor puts out 24 cfm at 100 psi, 80 gallon two stage. If your Allis G is what I think it is, rear engine--it will work ok on from the engine forward. I wouldn't want to sand or wire wheel that either. Buy quality fine sand, not the stuff from Home Depot, next to impossible to screen. I get mine from a non big box lumber yard. Since my compressor won't handle a bigger blaster, I limp along with my cheap one. Be sure you get a pressure blaster, not one that sucks the sand from a bucket.

JRSutton · Mar 3, 2012

I haven't tried soda blasting, but from what I undertsand it's not the right tool for removing rust.

The soda just isn't abrasive enough.

They work well for removing paint, and especially well on sheet metal that you don't want to warp with a sandblaster.

And they don't get sand everywhere.

However, a sandblaster can be used with softer media to avoid the warping problems.

There are some good videos on youtube.

David Hale · Mar 4, 2012

thanks

soda blasting machine

David Hale

Member

El Toro

Well-known Member

ARCADIAINC

Member

David Hale

Member

CNKS

Well-known Member

David Hale

Member

CNKS

Well-known Member

JRSutton

Well-known Member

David Hale

Member

Similar threads