Soda Blasting Childhood Memories!

(Amusement ride figures restored by KIDDIE RIDES USA – Denver, CO – Old paint stripped off using the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster)

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 a few popular applications. 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.

As I mentioned before, soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! As I think back over the last several years, I am amazed at all of the different types of projects that I’ve been involved with, from helping do-it-yourself home owners, to assisting all kinds of businesses, large and small. I enjoy hearing from people, who have used soda blasting on their projects based on my recommendations. It is very satisfying to know that I’ve helped someone achieve completion of an important job.

I’ve showed you examples of some common, real life applications for soda blasting like stripping automotive paint from steel and aluminum bodied vehicles, stripping and refinishing wooden furniture, and cleaning swimming pool tile.

Today, I want to completely change things up. As I’ve tried to explain, soda blasting can be used for all kinds of different jobs. If you are looking for a safe, non-destructive, environmentally friendly cleaning method, then you should consider soda blasting. Think outside of the box!

That’s exactly what Richard Pierson of Kiddie Rides USA did! Kiddie Rides USA renovates and restores kiddie rides. Yes, kiddie rides…you know those great coin operated horses, wagons, cars, boats and spaceships that used to be in front of every grocery and department store! These restored beauties are being snapped up for use in doctor and dentist offices, restaurants, ice cream parlors, corporate lobbies, day care centers, and movie sets, for example.

One day, Richard called and asked me if I thought he could use soda blasting to restore amusement rides. He was tired of stripping them with harmful chemical strippers. He needed a safe and non-destructive cleaning process.

Richard explained that the figures had many intricate details that were difficult and time consuming to clean without harming or changing them. He also told me that the figures were made from a number of various materials like wood, aluminum, steel and fiberglass. On top of that, over the years, many of them had been repainted a number of times using different types of paint. He never knew exactly what he would run into, but he needed something that would handle anything that came his way.

 

Well, as you can imagine, this really got me interested. The more we talked, the more I knew that soda blasting was exactly what he needed. I recommended the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster in conjunction with Armex Flow XL soda blast media. I told Richard to always start out blasting at a low blasting pressure, and slowly increasing it, until he was removing the paint without harming delicate features, which were crucial to maintain. The adjustable pressure regulator on the ACE Model 2-PS makes this easy and simple to do.

Richard was concerned about dust from the soda blasting process possibly upsetting neighboring businesses. I explained to him that the ACE Model 2-PS has a water spray/mist dust suppression system that was perfect for use in his application. Just hook it up to any water hose and say bye bye dust!

(Soda blasting small carousel horse utilizing the dust suppression system)

(Small carousel horse)

Well, as they say, the rest is history. Richard and I talk on a regular basis and he is very pleased with the results that he is getting using the ACE Model 2-PS and Armex soda blast media.

(Ride the Tiger!)

(Ride the CHAMPION!)

Remember our buddy in the earlier picture?  Here he is in all of his restored splendor!!

The reason that Kiddie Rides USA’s story is so interesting is that it illustrates that there are literally hundreds of uses for soda blasting that you may never have even thought about. If you need a safe, non-destructive, environmentally friendly cleaning process take a look at soda blasting. It might just be the answer you need.

I hope this helps you out. In future postings, I’ll write about some of the other interesting projects that I’ve been involved with, using soda blasting. Soda blasting really is one of the most exciting, environmentally friendly cleaning processes available today. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

Soda Blasting Aluminum Bodied ’73 Land Rover!

1973 Aluminum Bodied Series 3 Land Rover prior to soda blasting with the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster – (Photos courtesy of Paul Spangler – Drummond Corporation- Middlefield, Ohio)

Hi Everybody! Happy 2016! 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.

It’s a new year and I have a number of very cool and interesting projects to tell you about. I also owe some of you a response to questions you have asked. Please forgive me for not answering sooner, the last part of 2015 was extremely busy.

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 a few popular applications. 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.

As I mentioned before, soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! As I think back over the last several years, I am amazed at all of the different types of projects that I’ve been involved with, from helping do-it-yourself home owners, to assisting all kinds of businesses, large and small. I enjoy hearing from people, who have used soda blasting on their projects based on my recommendations. It is very satisfying to know that I’ve helped someone achieve completion of an important job.

Last year I posted a blog entitled “Soda Blasting A 60’s Muscle Car Classic!” That posting should tell you just about anything you need to know about soda blasting a steel bodied vehicle. Today, I want to tell you about an exciting project: the restoration of an aluminum bodied 1973 Land Rover Series 3! Yes, an aluminum body!

Last July, I was contacted by Paul Spangler of the Drummond Corporation about restoring the Land Rover, which he had recently purchased. Paul wanted to know if soda blasting would be able to strip his Rover without harming the aluminum body. I explained that I have been involved in a number of projects stripping aluminum aircraft and light gauge aluminum aircraft parts with no problems, and that I believed soda blasting would do a great job on his Land Rover. After our discussion, Paul decided to purchase an ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster to soda blast his prized aluminum Land Rover.

As you can see, the Land Rover had seen its share of adventures over the years! Since there were no major mechanical issues, Paul decided to drive and enjoy it over the summer before launching into the restoration.

Paul recently contacted me. His excitement and enthusiasm were very apparent. “I love the soda blaster! It has exceeded my expectations! Flawless unit! It is ridiculous how little media it used. The media usage is so well metered. Amazing!!!”

Paul used 6 – 50 lbs bags of Armex Flow XL soda blast media to completely strip the aluminum body. The job took around 5 hours. He used the standard 1/8” ID nozzle (requires a minimum of 18 CFM) and media restrictor, and blasted at 80 psi.

These pictures show just how beautiful the soda blasted aluminum looks.

Paul is now removing the body parts from the frame and will be soda blasting the bottom side of all body panels and the frame.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress of this interesting project as I get updates.

Hundreds of cars, trucks, boats, and other vehicles have been restored using soda blasting. 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 out. In future postings, I’ll write about some of the other interesting projects that I’ve been involved with, using soda blasting. Soda blasting really is one of the most exciting, environmentally friendly cleaning processes available today. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

Soda Blasting Swimming Pool Tile

Soda blasting swimming pool tile on Maui using the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster – (Photos and video courtesy of Maui SodaBlast, LLC – Paia, Hawaii – owners John & Rina Andrade)

Hi Everybody! Happy Summer!  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 a few popular applications. 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.

As I mentioned before, soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! As I think back over the last several years, I am amazed at all of the different types of projects that I’ve been involved with, from helping do-it-yourself home owners, to assisting all kinds of businesses, large and small. I enjoy hearing from people, who have used soda blasting on their projects based on my recommendations. It is very satisfying to know that I’ve helped someone achieve completion of an important job.

Summertime! Yea! Yesterday was the first day of summer and there is no better way to enjoy those hot summer days than by taking a refreshing dip in your swimming pool, or lounging around in your spa. One of the down sides of having your own pool or spa is cleaning the calcium build up that accumulates around the waterline. This unsightly build up tarnishes the beauty of the tile work around many pools and spas. Fortunately, there is an effective, environmentally friendly way to take care of the problem without harming the beauty of the tile. You guessed it….soda blasting!

Today, I want to tell you about a pool maintenance and repair business, which called me a while back, wanting to know if soda blasting could help them expand their business and help their profitability. John & Rina Andrade operate Maui SodaBlast in beautiful Paia, Hawaii. Hawaii is probably the most environmentally aware state in the USA. John & Rina insisted that they only wanted to use an eco-friendly, green cleaning process in their business. After discussing the benefits of soda blasting for their business, they decided to purchase the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster.

As John wrote to me recently, “We own a Pool Maintenance & Repair business and I thought it would be good to offer a calcium (hard water line on the tile) removal service to our clients. It ended up being a great idea! Soda blasting has added about 20% to our bottom line, but that is a conservative number because we do not advertise, just recurring clients and a hand full of referrals.  Clients are very happy with the restoration of their pool tile and also love the idea the media is eco-friendly. Maui is a small island and word has gotten around quickly.”

As you can see, the transformations are striking! No more calcium buildup and beautifully clean tile and stone, with no damage.

BEFORE SODA BLASTING

AFTER SODA BLASTING

John soda blasts with a media specifically designed for pool cleaning and has “never had any problems with pitting or damaging glass or ceramic tile. The operator has to adjust the PSI depending how stubborn the water line (calcium).” John says that “keeping the nozzle at an angle works best. Also, I recommend keeping the nozzle moving, do not keep it in place too long. Reason being the grout line can be blown out if not careful and adjusting PSI as you go. Some calcium build ups are harder to remove than others, which is why the operator may have to increase the PSI.”

Click on the link below to see a short video of the actual process in action:

Soda blasting swimming pool tile – ACE Model 2-PS

Using the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Soda Blaster makes the job quick and efficient. John states that, “The actual time in the water soda blasting all depends on the size of the pool, multiple bodies of water, spill over and/or negative edge and trough. But for a basic pool at 15-20k gallons, I might use a bag and a half to two bags, but no more than three. I might be in the water max 2 hours; the hardest part of the job is setting up, breaking down, and cleaning up the media off of the pool deck.”

BEFORE SODA BLASTING

AFTER SODA BLASTING

If you have unsightly calcium build-up around your pool or spa, consider cleaning it the way it is being done in the environmentally conscious state of Hawaii. Whether you have a swimming pool cleaning business, a property management business, or a home pool, soda blasting is the way to restore the beauty of your pool, spa, fountain, or water feature.

I hope this helps you out. In future postings, I’ll write about some of the other interesting projects that I’ve been involved with, using soda blasting. Soda blasting really is one of the most exciting, environmentally friendly cleaning processes available today. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

Soda Blasting A 60’s Muscle Car Classic!

(1968 Camaro SS – Owner Terry Tetzlaff – Paint by Painted Specialties of Muskegon, Michigan – Old paint job stripped off using the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster)

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 a few popular applications. 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.

As I mentioned before, soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! As I think back over the last several years, I am amazed at all of the different types of projects that I’ve been involved with, from helping do-it-yourself home owners, to assisting all kinds of businesses, large and small. I enjoy hearing from people, who have used soda blasting on their projects based on my recommendations. It is very satisfying to know that I’ve helped someone achieve completion of an important job.

In my last few blog postings, I have talked about stripping and refinishing furniture using soda blasting. Today, I’m going to switch gears and talk about another great soda blasting application: soda blasting and stripping automotive paint. I briefly talked about this in my posting of July 9, 2013 entitled “Soda Blasting & Stripping Automotive Paint”. Now I want to tell you about an actual example, which illustrates the kind of results you can achieve.

A few years ago, I was talking with Terry Tetzlaff, owner of Painted Specialties in Muskegon, Michigan. Terry is recognized as one of the top automotive painters in Michigan. He owns a 1968 Camaro SS, which was an old show car. The car was painted in a style common to show cars in the 1970’s and 80’s with multiple graphics and murals. Terry wanted to update the paint job and use the car as a rolling showcase for his painting business.

Terry was familiar with soda blasting, but had never actually done it before. As we talked, he became more enthusiastic about stripping his car by soda blasting it. As you can see in the picture, his Camaro had multiple graphics and murals, and multiple coats of clear lacquer to achieve that show car look. He had measured the paint thickness at 8-9 mils (Modern OEM finishes average about 3-5 mils). I told him that he would have no problem stripping his car using the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster and a coarse grit soda blast media like Armex Flow XL. After considering other methods, Terry decided that soda blasting was the way to go.

The car was completely stripped one Saturday using the ACE Model 2-PS with a ¼” I.D. nozzle and 12- 50# bags of Armex Flow XL soda blast media. The blasting pressure was set at 90-100 psi. The amount of time and soda blast media needed to strip any given car will vary based on factors such as the condition of the paint, the type of paint, and the thickness of the paint, in addition to the size of the nozzle used and the blasting pressure.  Our experience has been that stripping the average car takes 8 to 12- 50# bags of soda blast media.

After soda blasting, the car was blown off with compressed air, taking extra care in areas like the inside of doors and other places where the soda dust could accumulate. The car was then washed with soap and water and thoroughly dried.

A self etching primer was applied over the bare metal to aid paint adhesion. A week later, the entire car was sanded with 320 grit sandpaper and primed with two part epoxy primer.

The next step involved wet sanding with 600 grit sandpaper. The entire car was inspected and Terry used 3M spot putty to fill in small imperfections and scratches. The spot putty and affected areas were sanded and reprimed as needed.

The car was taped off and sanded again with 2000 grit sandpaper. After that the entire car was wiped down with wax and grease remover, followed by a wipe down with a tack rag.

As experienced painters know, prep work is 90% of a great paint job. This is a lot of work, but it’s a good example of what you need to do to get a professional grade paint job.

With the prep work done, Terry applied 4 coats of Deltron Synergy Green (2010 Camaro color) and clear coated the car with several coats of DuPont clear. He then waited 2 weeks before beginning the wet sanding process, starting with 2000 grit by hand, and ending with 3000 grit before the buffing process.

As you can see, the final results are outstanding! Terry’s car gets a lot of attention where ever he takes it. The car has won multiple awards at various car shows throughout Michigan.

Hundreds of cars have been restored using soda blasting. 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 out. In future postings, I’ll write about some of the other interesting projects that I’ve been involved with, using soda blasting. Soda blasting really is one of the most exciting, environmentally friendly cleaning processes available today. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

Eco-Friendly Furniture Refinishing – Part 2

(Solid Mahogany Podium – soda blasted with ACE Model 2-PS Soda Blaster- total time 35 minutes – Picture courtesy of High Grade Finishing / Ainsworth Antiques, Enfield, CT)

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 a few popular applications. 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.

As I mentioned before, soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! As I think back over the last several years, I am amazed at all of the different types of projects that I’ve been involved with, from helping do-it-yourself home owners, to assisting all kinds of businesses, large and small. I enjoy hearing from people, who have used soda blasting on their projects based on my recommendations. It is very satisfying to know that I’ve helped someone achieve completion of an important job.

In my last blog posting, I wrote about a very large furniture refinishing project, involving over 200 wooden church pews. Today, I want to tell you about projects involving individual pieces of antique wooden furniture. A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from Russell at High Grade Finishing / Ainsworth Antiques in Enfield, Connecticut. Russell had heard about soda blasting and wondered if it would be applicable for stripping antique wooden furniture. He had grown tired of using chemical strippers or farming out the stripping, and dealing with inconsistent results and timeframes.

Russell is a very thorough person, and he wanted to be sure that soda blasting would do what he wanted it to do. I recommended that he use the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster with a fan tip nozzle for the best results. After a number of phone conversations and emails, he decided to give it a shot. With his permission, I want to share the emails and pictures that he sent me yesterday.

“Yesterday we used the ACE soda blaster for the first time ever. The results were overwhelmingly great. We stripped off old varnish and lacquers on 9 separate items. I timed each item to the minute. The 9 items were completed in just 99 total minutes on just 1 -50 lb. bag of maintenance flow soda. Below I have posted just a few of the items with strip times. Every item came out smooth and spotless leaving much less sanding to do, unlike chemical stripping.”

TOTAL TIME 4 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 7 MINUTES

“Platform rocker whole chair stripped in 5 minutes, top has burl walnut veneer no damage at all. It stripped all the detailed areas instantly much quicker than chemical stripping.  This machine is going to save us a fortune. We used to farm out a large portion of the stripping. We no longer have to do so, nor do we have to rely on other vendors to do an adequate job.”

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Soda blasting really is one of the most exciting, environmentally friendly cleaning processes available today. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

Eco-Friendly Furniture Refinishing!

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 a few popular applications. 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.

As I mentioned before, soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! As I think back over the last several years, I am amazed at all of the different types of projects that I’ve been involved with, from helping do-it-yourself home owners, to assisting all kinds of businesses, large and small. I enjoy hearing from people, who have used soda blasting on their projects based on my recommendations. It is very satisfying to know that I’ve helped someone achieve completion of an important job.

As many of you know, one of the nastiest jobs around is using a toxic chemical stripper to remove the finish off of wooden furniture and architectural items such as doors and windows. Not only is it messy, but it can be bad for you and bad for the environment. Not something that I would want to use or be around.

So what alternative do you have? Well, it just so happens that soda blasting is a safe, effective, and eco-friendly way to strip all kinds of paint, varnish, and other common coatings used on wood! That’s right, soda blasting. In one of my earlier blogs, entitled “Soda Blasting and Paint Stripping”, I gave a brief overview on some of the types of jobs that you can do with soda blasting. Today, I want to tell you about a specific job that I had the pleasure of being involved with. And what a job it was!

Last summer, I received a phone call from Flink’s Painting in Kaysville, Utah. Ed told me that he had a job, which involved stripping the finish off of wooden church pews. We talked for a while as I answered his questions about soda blasting and how it works. As the discussion proceeded, I asked him how many of the pews needed stripping. “Over 200 of them” he replied. “That’s a pretty big job”, I said and we both laughed. “It sure is!” he said.

The church consisted of a main level and an upper balcony with additional seating for the congregation. Ed wanted to remove the pews from the lower level, and move them to a large warehouse area to soda blast them offsite. However, due to logistical reasons, he would soda blast the balcony pews in place at the church.

I recommended that he use the ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster for the job. In addition to the round nozzles, I also recommended that he try a fan tip blast nozzle, since he had a sufficient amount of cfm available from his air compressor. He told me that his work crews would be working long hours on a daily basis for a number of weeks to complete the work on time. “I’m going to run the heck out of this machine. Is that soda blaster you recommend up to the task?” he asked. “Absolutely” I told him.

Ed said that it was acceptable if he experienced some raising of the wood grain, as he intended to finish sand all of the pews anyway. He was primarily interested in speed and wanted no part of chemical strippers. With that in mind, I recommended Armex Flow XL soda blast media designed for paint and coatings removal. He could also blast at a slightly higher blasting pressure, since speed was his main concern.

Several weeks passed, and one day I received a call from Ed with some questions about the soda blast media. I asked him how the job was going. He told me that he was just about done, and that the ACE Model 2-PS soda blaster had worked great, just like I knew it would. He was pleased and so was I.

The photo at the top of this blog posting shows the balcony pews. The pews nearest the camera have already been soda blasted. If you look towards the upper middle of the picture, you can see the work crew and the ACE Model 2-PS, stripping one of the final rows of pews.

This was a very large scale project. Soda blasting can just as easily be used by a homeowner or do-it-yourself hobbyist for many different kinds of applications.

I’ll write about some of the other interesting projects that I’ve been involved with, using soda blasting, in future postings. Soda blasting really is one of the most exciting, environmentally friendly cleaning processes available today. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

BACK TO THE FUTURE!

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 a few popular applications. 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.

As I mentioned in my last blog posting, soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! As I think back over the last several years, I am amazed at all of the different types of projects that I’ve been involved with, from helping do-it-yourself home owners, to assisting all kinds of businesses, large and small. I enjoy hearing from people that have used soda blasting on their projects, based on my recommendations. It is very satisfying to know that I’ve helped someone achieve completion of an important job.

Since I am a history, auto, and nostalgia fan, I want to tell you about one of my favorites. One day, I got a call from a gentleman at General Motors. He asked if soda blasting would be a good way to clean up an old metal structure that had been sitting in storage for nearly 50 years. The structure consisted of several panels of arched aluminum, each one about 30 feet in length. They had been part of an old display that GM wanted to restore for use again. He said that they were structurally sound, but were stained and discolored from decades of built up crud, grime, grease and dirt all over them.

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Barely able to contain my excitement, I said “Motorama?” There was a moment of silence, and then he asked, “How did you know that?” I explained that I was kind of a nostalgia fan and was very familiar with Motorama.

Motorama was a traveling auto show in the 1950’s. These automobile extravaganzas were designed to whet public appetite and boost automobile sales with displays of fancy prototypes, concept vehicles and other special “Dream Car” models. Almost 11 million people attended these shows from 1949 to 1961. The Chevrolet Corvette was originally designed as a show car for the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show, where it generated enough interest to induce GM to make a production version for sale to the public.

These particular panels were suspended from above the main display stage, on which the most important concept cars sat. Very cool stuff for a nostalgic, retro fan.

After a detailed discussion about the condition of the panels, I told him that soda blasting was the best way to restore this historic piece of Americana. He agreed, and after researching portable soda blasters, decided to purchase an ACE Model 2-PS Heavy Duty Portable Soda Blaster to do this important job.

Since restoring the panels back to original appearance was essential, I recommended using a medium maintenance grade of soda blast media, and starting at a low blasting pressure. Sure enough, the panels cleaned up, and were restored back to their former glory. It was satisfying to play a part in the restoration of an icon from the “Golden Age” of American automotive history.

I’ll write about some of the other interesting projects that I’ve been involve with, using soda blasting, in future postings. Soda blasting really is one of the most exciting, environmentally friendly cleaning processes available today. Here’s wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday season. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

Soda Blasting – An Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Revolution!

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 a few popular applications. 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.

Soda blasting has become a worldwide phenomenon! I just got back from my first visit to my new dentist. He is known as someone who likes to be on the leading edge of dentistry, and is highly regarded in our local area. He actually used a dental soda blaster to clean my teeth! In addition to cleaning the teeth, he told me that it also creates a healthier environment in the mouth and gums. How cool is that?

Things have been very busy around here this year. I have had the opportunity to discuss soda blasting with literally hundreds of people from all around the world. Over the last few weeks alone, I have talked with people in Chile, Spain, Ukraine, China, South Korea, Ireland, England, South Africa, Botswana, Turkey, Poland, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Gibraltar, India, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, St. Lucia, Kenya….oh well, you get the idea. People from all corners of the world want to know about soda blasting!

As more and more people look for environmentally friendly methods of conducting their business or doing a job, they are discovering the benefits of soda blasting. Whether they want to strip paint, clean up fire damage, remove graffiti, refurbish factory equipment and machinery, rebuild pumps, clean swimming pools and fountains, redo the bottom paint on their boat, clean restaurant cooking surfaces and exhaust hoods, renovate an old house, clean the backyard barbeque grill, rebuild engines, remove old stickers and decals, cleanup a moldy attic or crawlspace, or do countless other types of work, people from all around the world are turning to soda blasting!

In the first hour this morning, I have already been contacted by a company in India about soda blasting in oil field facilities, and by a woman in Canada about household uses for a soda blaster. Something’s happening here. It’s an environmentally friendly cleaning revolution!

It’s easy to become part of this new wave. One manufacturer, who builds soda blasters for companies and individuals alike, is ACE Automotive Cleaning Equipment. Don’t let the name fool you. They started out in 1976 focusing on the auto industry, but have branched out since then into every field imaginable. Good equipment, good people.

I’d like to hear from you about jobs or projects that you, or your company, may be able to do with soda blasting. Just leave me a comment and I’ll write future blogs about them.

Here’s wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving to my readers in the USA, and Best Wishes to all of you around the world. We are all put here on this planet for a short time, so let’s make the best of it and help preserve it for future generations.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Soda Blasting Guy

Misinformation in the Internet Age

“The problem with internet quotes is that you can’t always depend on their accuracy” -Abraham Lincoln, 1864

Almost everybody has seen some variation of the Abraham Lincoln “quote” at one time or another as they surf the web. Of course the “quote” is a fabrication, but it drives home a very important point: You can’t believe everything that you read on the internet. Anybody can post anything on any subject at any time. From a 14 year old kid posting lies about another kid, who likes the same girl as he does, to political opponents seeking election to the same position. It’s easy to do and completely anonymous.

Unfortunately, it is also a wide spread practice in business. It’s easy to write a false review about a local business competitor on Angie’s List, or write a false product review about your competitor’s product on some industry or business website, especially about a product that is not well known to the general public. Want to make it look “official”? Just call yourself the Association for XYZ or the Coalition for a Better 123. You get the idea.

Sitting behind a keyboard and googling a topic or product is a good way to do some basic research. Just about every piece of information on any subject is available on the internet. That’s a great starting point. But, somewhere along the line, you have to actually talk to someone about it.

Buying a piece of soda blasting equipment is no different. You have to talk to someone about it eventually. What happens when you do talk to someone? Do they try to fully understand your project, or are they just trying to sell you a “unit”. Do they seem to answer your questions honestly, or do they sound like a used car salesman? Do they talk about their soda blaster, or do they bad mouth their competitor’s equipment?

Is the equipment right for your job? You don’t need something capable of stripping a bridge if you just want to strip a car or boat bottom, for example.

If you have read some of my other blog postings, hopefully you can see that I have been trying to educate people about soda blasting. It is a wonderful, eco-friendly blasting process that needs to become better known to the general population. This blog is trying to spread the word. Use the information as a part of your education on soda blasting.

Thanks for reading my blog! – The Sodablasting Guy

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