Thread: Would like to revisit 'Bicarb Soda Blasting'...........

I have searched for and read all threads and postings about 'Bicarb Soda Blasting', while I may have missed a few it appears to me (if my computer has searched properly) that not much has been posted on this subject since around mid 2007. There has been a change in equipment used in that time - along with the techniques used and going by the youtube videos it appears to be a popular method of cleaning up different types of metals even wood. There is nothing like hearing of ones first hand experience when it comes to different subjects posted - so I'd love to hear from those of you here the fors and against concerning this Bicarb Soda Blasting.

Hooroo
KJL1951 aka Kev.

so would I...

from my limited experience in soda blasting, i think its main use is very light cleaning? mainly for use on car panels, not sure if it takes all the paint off or you get the bulk of it off then soda blast?

Originally Posted by brendanh

from my limited experience in soda blasting, i think its main use is very light cleaning? mainly for use on car panels, not sure if it takes all the paint off or you get the bulk of it off then soda blast?

Thanks ya post brendanh, what I see in youtube videos they take paint from cars and to my way of thinking if they can do that then must be able to remove certain amount of rust etc etc. Would like to hear what others have achieved with that method.

Hooroo
KJL1951 aka Kev.

Originally Posted by burraboy

so would I...

We hopefully will learn together burraboy, can't just be a thing done in USA - gotta be done here in backyard sheds by some one in Australia.

Hooroo
KJL1951 aka Kev.

I think soda blasting is extremely exciting.

I dont know about "nothing happening"... I see a company advertising for franchisees in the local paper, plus I've seen heaps of videos about it. You see it sometimes on Ricks Restorations on the telly.

Its amazing. It cleans, rips and removes everything without pitting. Its almost inconceivable people are still using old media. Ive also seen walnut shells used, but dont know much about that.

A local bloke in Canberra does it and I've heard on the grapevine that he cant keep up.

Originally Posted by Evanism

I think soda blasting is extremely exciting.

I dont know about "nothing happening"... I see a company advertising for franchisees in the local paper, plus I've seen heaps of videos about it. You see it sometimes on Ricks Restorations on the telly.

Its amazing. It cleans, rips and removes everything without pitting. Its almost inconceivable people are still using old media. Ive also seen walnut shells used, but dont know much about that.

A local bloke in Canberra does it and I've heard on the grapevine that he cant keep up.

Im not sure about blasting quality soda but a quick look on ebay and its cost about 50bucks for 10kg. where as traditional media (garnet, wallnut ect ect) is about 30 bucks for 25kg. not sure how many cycles soda gets but could be cheaper in that it gets more cycles.

Originally Posted by brendanh

Im not sure about blasting quality soda but a quick look on ebay and its cost about 50bucks for 10kg. where as traditional media (garnet, wallnut ect ect) is about 30 bucks for 25kg. not sure how many cycles soda gets but could be cheaper in that it gets more cycles.

Soda is 'consumed' in the process. It cannot be recycled.
The process works by the granules 'exploding' on contact with the surface of the material being blasted. This is what does the work.

In the next year or two I will have my old Land Rover (aluminium) panels to strip back, clean and paint.

Ive seen a lot of Youtube clips on it. I think it uses regular sandblasting hardware and its simply the material (and possibly pressure) that changes.

So far from what I can make out these company's/operators that use rather large bicarb soda blasting gear use three different sized grades of Bicarb Soda - a different grade for the different types of blasting that they do. I have found a product known as a 'JWLSB1 Sodablaster' online - it is shown in a youtube video being used to remove paint from a car/boat/wall/timber etc etc - unfortunately there is no other information given as to what bicarb soda is used with the device or at what air pressure the device is used at.

I have tried online to find someone who has used this device in order to get some information about its use but as yet no luck.
There are a few home made soda blasters used in youtube videos - while the bigger blasters use different sized grade bicarb soda those on youtube are using the supermarket brought bicarb soda - some are having some results but not all that great from what I see. There has to be someone out there with a backyard shed setup who can shine some light on a backyard method they use. Its considered as being a 'Green' earth friendly method yet so very little is made available for those like us who'd like to know more.

Hooroo
KJL1951 aka Kev.

I was excited aout the process too. I spooke to the local blasters and though they still have it in their ads, they said they don't do much of it now because it is too expensive. Both in material (one-shot use only) and time spent. They refer people to hydoblasters also known as vapour blasters. It uses high pressure water and very fine glass bead medium with peens more than it abrades.
Long story short, I ended up getting some vintage motorcycle cases hydro blasted and they came out perfectly clean and shiny as new. The engine looks like it just came out of the factory yesterday. It was made in 1970.
The process - just like soda blasting - will show up even small scratches and dings - so you need to go over the surfaces very carefully with files and sandpaper to fix blemishes before having it hydro blasted.

Originally Posted by jhovel

I was excited aout the process too. I spooke to the local blasters and though they still have it in their ads, they said they don't do much of it now because it is too expensive. Both in material (one-shot use only) and time spent. They refer people to hydoblasters also known as vapour blasters. It uses high pressure water and very fine glass bead medium with peens more than it abrades.
Long story short, I ended up getting some vintage motorcycle cases hydro blasted and they came out perfectly clean and shiny as new. The engine looks like it just came out of the factory yesterday. It was made in 1970.
The process - just like soda blasting - will show up even small scratches and dings - so you need to go over the surfaces very carefully with files and sandpaper to fix blemishes before having it hydro blasted.

So Joe, were those parts getting a clean-up or were you removing layers of paint?

although probably not an option for home use, i remember back at tafe we where given a demo of dry ice blasting. used dry ice to blast off paint and grease on an old press. minimum mess.

Hi burraboy,
the cases had remnants of the original Honda clear coating, remnants of corrosion that got under the coating and elsewhere, sanding marks on the very left cover where there were extensive welding repairs, and gummed up oil stains that wouldn't come off with degreaser and pressure washing. Unfortunately, I didn't take any 'before' photos, but the engine was a mess and had been stored outside though under cover for decades.

Sorry gentlemen but had no hook up to this forum for a couple of days was surprised to get on this evenin'. Now was in city today with wife and brought 8kgs of bi-carb for $25-10c - made a quick setup with air gun in shed like those shown on youtube - darn messy and goes through bi-carb as if it was water. Have some crazy ideas in me head so gunna refine the blaster system and see what happens - but I can say from this little experiment - the scrap bit of aluminium what I managed to blast some soda at did look pretty darn good.

I found the following on the internet some time ago in my travels - Quote; Back in 1972, when New York State engineers were lookin' for ways to clean the Statue of Liberty, they had many concerns involving issues of the environment, waste disposal and protection of the statues surface itself. Any use of any abrasive material to clean the surface would have been very harmful to the soft copper plates, let alone the waste in the water surrounding the statue.

Soda blasting was invented because it would not only do the job while having a negligible impact on the waterways and harbour, but it was also non-abrasive. Just like the surface of the Statue of Liberty, this non-abrasive action allows Soda blasting to be used on surfaces that currently popular abrasive media would damage. ie: aluminium, stainless steel, brick, stone, glass, fiberglass, wood, some plastics, seals bearings, splines, radiator cores, transmission cases and hydraulic cylinders. In some cases, using dry blasting, shutdown of electric motors and pumps is not necessary.
Unquote:

From what I read soda blasting is unlike a large number of other methods used on metal because it does not create heat and that it does not wear away any of the metal that one is trying to clean.
My interest in this form of blasting is that I'm in the process of restoring a metal lathe and I think soda blasting could be of a great help in cleaning up a number of the delicately machined parts. As I stated I'm now venturing into an area that is totally new to me that I think and hope will be of some benefit eventually - I've a lot to learn and no doubt there is going to be some costs involved - I'm not one to rely totally on 'Hear Say' but I do consider everything I'm told and then try and put some of it into practice.
Again gentlemen - 'Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained' and one can but learn 'From One's Mistakes'.

Hooroo
KJL1951 aka Kev.