Get Ready for Your Spring Soda Blasting Projects

Hi Everybody! Welcome to my blog about soda blasting, the environmentally friendly cleaning method that uses a form of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in place of other non-environmentally friendly, and health hazardous blasting medias like sand.

In my earlier postings, I explained what soda blasting is, what makes soda blasting such a unique cleaning process, some basic information on air compressors, on soda blasting equipment, on stripping paint, and auto restoration. Once you understand how soda blasting works, it is much easier to appreciate why it is such an effective, safe, and eco-friendly cleaning method for many different types of jobs.

In my last blog postings, I talked about one of the best eco-friendly cleaning uses for a soda blaster: mold remediation and fire damage restoration, and cleaning automotive cylinder heads; one of the most popular uses for a soda blasting cabinet system.

As one of the most extreme Winter’s in years starts to wind down, now is the time to get ready for those Spring projects!  Isn’t it time for you to strip the paint off of that car or boat bottom?  Remove graffiti off the back of the garage?  Clean up mold and mildew in the crawl space?  Clean swimming pool tile? Or are you ready to start a new business providing soda blasting services in your area? 

If you have a soda blaster, now is the time to make sure that it is in good working condition.  Same for your air compressor.  Did you leave soda in your soda blaster over the Winter?  If so, clean it out!  Do you need to repair or replace any of the parts?  Do you have soda blast media that is ready to use?  Now is the time to make sure that things are in proper operating condition.  Do you really want to get out on a job, and find that the soda you left in the tank all Winter has caked up and clogged?  Or that your compressor has a mechanical issue?

By preparing now, you can be ready to get your projects done, and enjoy the pleasures you will receive from that car, boat, motorcycle or swimming pool.  Getting your property cleaned up and ready to enjoy over the Spring, Summer and Fall.  It might not seem like it now, but Spring is on its way!

I hope this helps you. In coming posts, I’ll discuss various soda blasting applications in more detail, along with tips and ideas to help you with your cleaning project or business. Thanks for reading!

– The Sodablasting Guy

Cleaning Aluminum Cylinder Heads with Soda Blasting

Hi Everybody! Welcome to my blog about soda blasting, the environmentally friendly cleaning method that uses a form of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in place of other non-environmentally friendly, and health hazardous blasting medias like sand.

In my earlier postings, I explained what soda blasting is, what makes soda blasting such a unique cleaning process, some basic information on air compressors, on soda blasting equipment, on stripping paint, and auto restoration. Once you understand how soda blasting works, it is much easier to appreciate why it is such an effective, safe, and eco-friendly cleaning method for many different types of jobs.

In my last blog posting, I talked about one of the best eco-friendly cleaning uses for a soda blaster: mold remediation and fire damage restoration.

Today, I am going to discuss cleaning automotive cylinder heads; one of the most popular uses for a soda blasting cabinet system.

As motor vehicles have evolved over the years, more and more manufacturers use lighter materials, such as aluminum, for various engine parts. As a result, a lot of engine rebuilders have used less aggressive medias, particularly glass beads, to clean engine parts such as aluminum cylinder heads.

While glass beads do a good job of cleaning, there is a major downside to using them: media retention. The glass beads breakdown as they hit the surface. As a result, fine pieces of glass can become trapped in areas such as threads, oil passages, intake runners, and exhaust ports. Sometimes it is very difficult, if not impossible, to insure that the head has no particles trapped in it after blasting with glass beads. Of course these fine glass particles can cause havoc, and potentially ruin an expensive motor.

Soda blasting cleans aluminum cylinder heads, and other engine parts, just as well as glass beads, but without any chance of harmful media retention. When the soda blast media hits the surface, it also shatters and breaks down into a fine dust, like talcum powder. The big difference is that soda blast media is 100% water soluble, and will simply dissolve and wash away with water. This eliminates the potential for any media retention.

Soda blasting does not remove any material or micro peen the aluminum surfaces, so it does not change any surface/flow characteristics in combustion chambers or intake/exhaust ports. It also does not change any dimensional characteristics of the part being soda blasted. It is the best blasting method available for this type of work.

In addition to cleaning cylinder heads, soda blasting is also commonly used for cleaning carburetors, pistons, connecting rods, and other engine components. Various types of aluminum casings and housings, such as those found on some motorcycles, are perfect parts to clean by soda blasting.

There are a number of other popular applications for a soda blasting cabinet. Cleaning various types of pumps and electric motors are very popular uses for a soda blasting cabinet. Soda blasting does not harm bearings, seals, or windings, so many different kinds of parts can be effectively cleaned in a soda blasting cabinet without harm.

A new and growing application is soda blasting parts and prototypes made with 3D printers, to give a consistent finish to the parts without changing dimensional characteristics. I even know of a few people cleaning dinosaur bones with soda blasting!

ACE Automotive Cleaning Equipment makes a good, high quality, reasonably priced soda blasting cabinet called the ACE Model 2-S Soda Blast Cabinet with Dust Collector. There is a video that shows them cleaning an aluminum cylinder head that had been sitting out in a junk yard for a couple years. They didn’t even remove the cam or valves or even pre-clean it. Literally picked it up off the ground and started soda blasting it…..amazing results. You have to see it.

I hope this helps you. In coming posts, I’ll discuss various soda blasting applications in more detail, along with tips and ideas to help you with your cleaning project or business. Thanks for reading!

– The Sodablasting Guy

Soda Blasting for Mold and Fire Damage Remediation

Hi Everybody!  Welcome to my blog about soda blasting, the environmentally friendly cleaning method that uses a form of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in place of other non-environmentally friendly, and health hazardous blasting medias like sand. 

In my earlier postings, I explained what soda blasting is, what makes soda blasting such a unique cleaning process, some basic information on air compressors, on soda blasting equipment, and on stripping paint. Once you understand how soda blasting works, it is much easier to appreciate why it is such an effective, and safe, cleaning method for many different types of jobs.

In my last blog posting, before the big Hot Rod Show, I talked about stripping automotive paint for auto repairs and auto restorations.  Today, I am going to discuss one of the best eco-friendly cleaning uses for a soda blaster.

One of the most popular and effective uses for soda blasting is mold remediation and fire damage restoration.  Many mold remediation and fire damage restoration companies use soda blasting as an efficient and eco-friendly cleaning method.

Most mold remediation jobs involve mold removal in attics and crawl spaces, where the conditions are conducive to mold growth.  Some remediation companies use harsh chemicals or hand sanding to remove mold.  These types of solutions are not environmentally friendly and are inefficient from a labor utilization standpoint.

In recent years, more and more mold remediation and fire damage restoration companies are discovering the benefits of soda blasting. Soda blasting quickly and efficiently removes mold, carbon and smoke damage without harming the underlying material and without harming the environment.  And, as an added bonus, soda blasting deodorizes the affected area.  No musty or smoky odors!  It works the same as that box of baking soda that you put in your refrigerator to remove odors.

As I discussed in one of my earlier postings, soda blasting can remove super durable finishes such as powder coat paint.  Mold removal and fire damage restoration are some of the easiest jobs for a soda blaster to do.  Mold removal and fire damage restoration usually can be done using lower blasting pressures than needed for other types of work.  Using lower blasting pressure means that you use less soda blast media, making the job of mold removal and fire damage restoration more cost effective.  You can also use a leaner soda to air mixture ratio, which again uses less soda blast media. 

Labor efficiency is greater with soda blasting than with many other methods, especially with the use of a fan tip nozzle.  A fan tip nozzle puts out a flat, blade type spray pattern, which is perfect for cleaning joists, studs, roof decking, brick, cement block or any type of surface, which has mold or fire damage. Use of a fan tip nozzle greatly improves speed for this kind of work.  More efficient labor utilization means less time spent on the job site for improved profitability per job. 

With more efficient labor utilization, less material usage, and deodorizing ability all wrapped up in an eco-friendly cleaning method, it is easy to understand why more and more mold remediation and fire damage restoration companies are choosing soda blasting to get the job done.

I hope this helps you.  In coming posts, I’ll discuss various soda blasting applications in more detail, along with tips and ideas to help you with your cleaning project or business.  Thanks for reading!

 – The Sodablasting Guy

 

Talking Soda Blasting at the Street Rod Nationals!

Hi Everybody!  Welcome to my blog about soda blasting, the environmentally friendly cleaning method that uses a form of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in place of other non-environmentally friendly, and health hazardous blasting medias like sand.

I just returned from the 44th Annual Street Rod Nationals held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky.  What an event!  It was estimated that over 12,000 hot rods were at the show.  If you’ve never attended one before, it is quite the automotive extravaganza.  In addition to the cars, there are numerous vendors exhibiting and selling all the latest in automotive related equipment and tools.  There are also a number of seminars on various automotive related subjects.  I was honored to have given a seminar on soda blasting at the show a few years ago.

I enjoyed talking with all of the hot rod guys and gals, who stopped by the ACE Automotive Cleaning Equipment booth at this year’s show. 

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to answer questions about soda blasting and to help folks pick the right equipment for their car restoration projects.  Soda blasting was definitely a hot topic with the car restoration crowd!  I particularly enjoyed hearing the success stories from people using the soda blasting equipment, which they had purchased based on my recommendations.  Seeing old friends and making new ones always seems to be the order of the day at the show.  My sincerest thanks to all of you who stopped by to chat with me.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

For those of you who couldn’t make it to the show this year, here are a few of the 12,000 hot rods that were in attendance!

Soda Blasting & Stripping Automotive Paint

Hi Everybody!  Welcome to my blog about soda blasting, the environmentally friendly cleaning method that uses a form of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in place of other non-environmentally friendly, and health hazardous blasting medias like sand.

In my earlier postings, I explained what soda blasting is, what makes soda blasting such a unique cleaning process, some basic information on air compressors, and on soda blasting equipment. Once you understand how soda blasting works, it is much easier to appreciate why it is such an effective, and safe, cleaning method for many different types of jobs.

In my last blog posting, I talked about paint stripping in general.  Today, I want to talk about stripping automotive paint for auto repair and car restoration.

I hear a lot of people talking about “media blasting”, yet when I ask them what that means, most people have no idea…it’s just a term they heard on a TV show or read in a magazine.  “Media blasting” can mean using any type of “media” whether it is sand, soda, aluminum oxide, glass beads, or any other of the many types of “medias”.  It is a generic term.  It’s like saying “I play sports.”  Do you play professional football? Bowl in a Wednesday night beer drinking league? Compete in triathlons? Golf with your buddies on Saturday morning?  It can mean almost anything.

Soda blasting will remove automotive paint with almost no chance of harming the car.  Soda blasting will not warp body panels due to the softness of the crystal and the fact that it generates very little or no heat.  Soda blasting will not harm chrome, glass, pot metal parts like VIN plates, rubber seals or bearings.  Soda blasting does not change any subtle body contour lines.  You can vary the blasting pressure to either remove body filler or just remove the paint covering the filler.  And if you are talking about fiberglass cars, soda blasting is just about the only media that makes sense to use.

Soda blasting does not remove any of your underlying metal, so it is not aggressive enough to remove pitted rust.  So if you are restoring a car that’s been out in a farm field rusting away for 30 years, soda blasting probably isn’t the best choice.  Most people will soda blast the entire vehicle, and then deal with any rust by sanding or some other method.  In cases with heavy rust, the rusted area can be cut out and replaced.

Also, soda blasting leaves a protective coating on metal that will prohibit flash rust.  That means that if you don’t have the time to immediately prep and prime your vehicle, you do not have to worry about it rusting up.  Just keep the vehicle inside and dry, and you can go weeks without seeing any rust.

Of course, before painting, you will have to blow out any residual dust and then properly prep the car.  There is an internet myth that paint will not adhere to cars that have been soda blasted.  That’s simply not true.  As long as you properly prep the vehicle before painting, paint adhesion is not an issue.

One commonly used method is to blow out seams and crevices with compressed air, and then wash the car with a clean, dampened (not soaked) cloth, using hot soapy water.  Rinse and wring out the cloth frequently, and change the water when it gets too dirty.  After washing, use a new cloth and fresh, clean water (no soap), and go back over the car, rinsing and wring out the cloth frequently.   When you are finished, apply a metal surface etching solution and your vehicle is ready for coating.

As one old timer told me, the prep work is 90% of a good paint job.  Regardless of the paint removal method you use on your car, always take the time to properly prep the surface before painting.

Several years ago, Hot Rod magazine did a series of articles entitled “Paint & Bodywork, The Most Complete Step-By-Step Series Ever!” In the series, the Editor of Hot Rod had his personal 1969 Camaro stripped and refinished.  They had the choice of any paint stripping method available.  What method did they use on his personal car?  Soda Blasting!

I hope this helps you.  In coming posts, I’ll discuss various soda blasting applications in more detail, along with tips and ideas to help you with your cleaning project or business.  Thanks for reading!

– The Sodablasting Guy