Soda blasting

[Dw07u]

Hey guys, just want your views on soda blasting, have you ever done it and how effective is it for cleaning and such?

[Piute]

I've never used it personaly but have used other mediums in auto body,I believe it to be the softest of all mediums cause it don't scratch glass or harm alluminum,...Piute...
 Mr. Google says:
               Characteristics of Soda Blasting

  removes Surface Rust
•Won't Damage Glass
•Remove Paint from Fiberglass
•Won't Damage Chrome
•Water Soluable
•No Pitting
•Works Quickly
•No Warping
•Non-Toxic
•Removes Grease
•Non-Hazardous
•Neutralizes

[TOOLS1]

I made my own soda blaster from a blow gun, and a piece of clear plastic hose. I saw the plans, for it in a post here awhile back. It works great on small stuff, like carbs. I really like it. I found big bags of Baking soda at Wal-mart in the garden section really cheap. It is meant, for swimming pools.
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[Dw07u]

Thanks guys :D

Yeah i saw plans for it on YouTube, now just to find a air compressor... I don't have nice workshops like you guys(in fact i don't even have one...), gonna go see if I can find one at the second hand shops...

[sgtslag]

Thanks for reminding me!  My Voyager has an oil leak, and I used chemicals to degrease it, but there is still hardened grease deposits on it...  Soda blasting will make very short work of it.

As an added bonus, the white powder coating will demonstrate where the oil leak is coming from.  Thanks, guys!  This really helps.  Printed off an article, with pictures, on how to make this doo-dad last year, but I forgot about it.  Cheers!

[Dw07u]

glad my post could be of assistance

So if it can remove paint from fiberglass, can it remove paint from other things too? I assume it would...

[sgtslag]

Just in case anyone needs a soda blaster, here is the how-to link for the home-made job:

http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

Cheers!

[TOOLS1]

That's just what I did. Works great. Surprising how little soda it uses.
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[shinyribs]

Very cool.Thanks SgtSlag    Oooh!Samir needs to see this!

[sgtslag]

Put my new Blaster Gun to the test, this afternoon.  It removed surface rust, grime, grease, oxidation, and other crud from my Honda.  I went through a 2 lb. box of Arm & Hammer baking soda, but it did an amazing job on cleaning up my bike.  Can't wait until tomorrow, to try it out on my Voyager's grimy rims.  It did not, however, clean up the spokes, as I had hoped.

The small blaster gun I bought, has a reservoir which empties out within 60 seconds of use, but it was only $20.  The large, 25 lb. capacity soda blaster gun, costs $150.  Considering how little I will be using it, I think I will be satisfied with my limited investment.

I guess if you have an air compressor already, I would recommend you try the $20 gun, plus accessories for around $10, to try it out.  After that, proceed as you see fit. It really cleans up a bike, quickly, and easily.  My bike was mostly white, of course, afterwards.  I washed and dried it after I was done blasting it.  The chrome exhaust pipes really shone when they were dried.  I had melted a shoe sole onto the top, right, exhaust pipe, and washing did nothing to remove it.  The baking soda blasting removed upwards of 95% of the shoe sole!  It removed rust spots, all over the bike.  It really made it look great!  The curb appeal went way up, having removed a lot of minor crud all over the bike.  Cheers!

[TOOLS1]

What soda blasting guns are, you talking about? My homemade one works pretty good on small stuff, but I would never be able to do a whole bike with it.
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[Piute]

 havea box in the frigg plenty of hose mmmm carbs off out of the waymmm..piute..

[sgtslag]

Here is a link to the model I bought from Harbor Freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/gravity-feed-blaster-gun-93221.html

I had to buy a pressure regulator (max. pressure of 90 PSI for the gun), and some attachment parts, for an additional $10.  The hopper empties out rather quickly.  I did not do the entire bike, but I did do a fair amount of it.  

It really cleaned up a lot of blemishes.  I must have filled that reservoir around 8-10 times, before I emptied out that 2 lb. box of Baking Soda.  It was a bit tedious, but not too bad.  Seeing the effects of the rust, and other blemishes, coming off the bike, was very encouraging.  Gotta go put it to work on the Voyager, now.  Time to crack that second 2 lb. box of Arm & Hammer.

One word of caution on using Baking Soda to blast on anything:  be sure to wash the object thoroughly, with soap and water, if you plan to paint it -- this stuff will cause paint adhesion problems after the paint cures...  My understanding is that the paint will bubble up, with time, unless the surface is very thoroughly cleaned of all traces of Baking Soda.  Cheers!

[sgtslag]

Finished up on the Voyager.  Went through around six pounds of Baking Soda on it, going over it thoroughly.  It removed surface rust quite handily, from chromed surfaces, but it did very little on the grime on the rims, and the engine block (not for lack of trying...  6 lbs. of Baking Soda).  Will need to try some wheel cleaner spray next.  It did, however, take a dull coating off of the rotors:  I forgot to move the bike, so I left some areas untouched -- can't miss them.  

Washed the Honda afterwards, and the chrome exhaust shines like I've never seen it before.  It is really bright.  It does an amazing job on chrome parts.  I hit the right side carburetor dome top, and it took most of the dull clear coating off of it -- I can feel its roughness.  Now I need to decide whether to leave it, or finish it...  Bike is up for sale, don't really want to put more time into it.

The Voyager was washed and dried afterwards, but the next day, I found white residue of Baking Soda which had run out of the locks, and some other hidden areas -- needs to be washed, thoroughly, and rinsed, thoroughly, again.  I guess now I won't have an excuse not to finish the rotors.  

I read a book on detailing cars, and motorcycles, and the author's advice seems worth sharing here:  use the least abrasive material first, and proceed to coarser materials, with great caution...  Baking Soda is mildly abrasive, but it is abrasive, nonetheless.  Removing a clear-coat may not be what you wanted (didn't intend to do so on the Honda's carbs -- thought I was blasting bare aluminum -- Wrong!), but Baking Soda will do just that.  Cheers!

[cityslicker]

I am so F in siked to read this.. my bike is dirty as hell..(she was left outside behind a warehouse for a couple years). I'm going to do this.. THANK YINZ!!!!

[sgtslag]

If possible, take some before/after photo's to share.  I took some on mine, but not enough.  The chrome is tough to capture the improved shine on, in a photo, but surface rust is easy to see the removal of.  Best of luck with your bike.  Cheers!

[Dw07u]

Thanks for all the replies, now I still havent had time to get a kit for doing this... What air-compressors are you all using? Cuz I don't wanna buy something too big or too small...

[TOOLS1]

Get the biggest one, you can afford! You will be glad that, you did. Look at the flow rating at 90 psi. The larger number the better. I use my job site wheelbarrow type compressor (it will easily keep up with 6-8 framing guns) ant it will have a hard time keeping up.
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[sgtslag]

My air compressor is a two-cylinder, oil lubricated, Sears model, from 1965 -- the same year I was born.  

My Dad got it from his Dad, and now I have it.  I think it is a 12 gallon model, that shuts off at 110 PSI, restarts at ~80 PSI.  Don't know the flow rate, just know that it meets my basic needs (tires, dusting, and now soda blasting), and I am very glad I have it.  You won't regret getting an air compressor, as long as you get one with some volume of storage, and the air flow to meet your needs.

if you plan on getting air tools for it (impact wrench, hammer/chisel, nailer, etc.), then you will need to educate yourself on air tools, and compressors, and that is beyond me (some air tools require oil in the air flow to lubricate them, some require dry, clean air, like for painting -- it can get somewhat complicated).  Sorry.  The good news is that some Internet searching will likely tell you all you need to know.  Cheers!

[Dw07u]

Thank you, I wont need it for anything other than sodablasting and maybe a little spray painting... Will go to the local store and ask them, those guys always help alot.

And that is one old aircompressor SGTSLAG... not that i'm saying your old or anything