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Soda blasting
Karlow	#1  Posted on 08/26/10 - 3:03 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 192 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/20/10	Have any of you guys tried the Harbor freight soda blaster? http://www.harborfreight.com/40-lb-portable-soda-blaster-67625.html?utm_term=67625&utm_medium=cse&utm_source=googlebase I found one at there local store a few days ago. They sell the soda online as well, it might be available at there shops. If it works you might be able to strip the paint off your hull for about $200. They have them in two sizes too. Let me know, I might have to pick one up. Even better, you buy it first and sell it to me when you are done. I think I will check to see if anyone rents one. Large area? We are talking about part of the bottom of a 17ft boat. It's maybe 80sqft. Karl Edited by Karlow on 08/27/10 - 2:58 PM
Meridian	#2  Posted on 08/26/10 - 7:47 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 112 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/22/07	find an old bottom painted piece of junk for practice. It is very easy to get too close or use too much power and put a lot of pin holes in the gel coat.
John Fyke	#3  Posted on 08/26/10 - 8:04 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1307 Comments: 0 Joined: 09/06/06	I highly doubt that what they are selling would work for lage areas. Don't waste your money. John Fyke Re-Fit or Reef It 1979 15' Sport with Super Sport conversion and 70hp mercury.
dmortimore	#4  Posted on 08/27/10 - 10:19 AM
Member Posts: 3 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/26/08	My experience with soda blasting. Three years ago, I wanted the bottom of my Outrage cleaned down to hull - after 9 yrs of painting. A friend had his 'soda blasted' and was horrified with all the 'pit marks;' that were left so I searched and found someone who used 'crushed walnut shells' for blasting. Cost was about 10% more but well worth it - no pitting and no gel-coat damage. I now add a new 'light' coat of paint each year and no problem with it sticking and the hull looks like new.
Blackduck	#5  Posted on 08/27/10 - 10:42 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 519 Comments: 0 Joined: 02/25/06	I stripped a Montauk with a small soda blaster in less than a day with one of these small units. It worked just fine, however, air volume is needed. I think 10cfm is a more realistic minimum. There was No damage to the gel coat. Walter Reynolds 1973 Boston Whaler 16 Nauset 90 HP Yamaha
Karlow	#6  Posted on 08/27/10 - 2:55 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 192 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/20/10	Did you use one of the harbor Freight units? How much soda did you need? The air capacity is a real issue my compressor it will only crank out about half that volume. How much of a mess did it make? Maybe I can go to a friends house with a better compressor. Karl
DWinter	#7  Posted on 08/27/10 - 4:03 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 252 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/02/10	It makes a mess. Definately do it at a friends house. (smile)I'd put down a tarp at a minimum to catch the soda. You're better off with some type of enclosure. If you have a portable covered canopy, you could enclose that with some blue tarps rather easily. I've seen it done professionally at my local boatyard and was impressed with the results. It wasn't exactly cheap though. Duane G Winter 1984 BW Sport 15 Center Console
JohnnyCW	#8  Posted on 08/27/10 - 4:12 PM
Member Posts: 684 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/16/09	Media blasting is all about the air compressor. If the compressor doesn't at least meet the blaster's minimum recommendations, your in for a frustrating or at least long experience. Media blasting requires a lot of air volume. More than most folk's home shop compressors. If you've got a marginally adequate compressor and have a good friend with his own compressor, you can run two compressors connecting their air line to a T fitting then to the blaster. Just make sure to run each compressor on a separate breaker circuit.
Blackduck	#9  Posted on 08/28/10 - 10:33 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 519 Comments: 0 Joined: 02/25/06	No, it wasn't a Harbor Freight unit, but one of the same size. It took a couple of bags to do the bottom. It did make a mess, and it kills grass and shrubs. You will need a compressor larger than 6 CFM, that is what I tried first, you will spend a lot of time waiting for the pressure to rebuild. Walter Reynolds 1973 Boston Whaler 16 Nauset 90 HP Yamaha