| Author | Message | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 51 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 153.2.246.31 Rating: N/A |
I would like to remove the old peeling paint on my aluminum bus. I found a sand blaster attachment for a pressure washer. Has anyone ever used one? The reviews I have read give it high marks. The salesman I spoke with at Northern owns one and thinks it’s great. If it is as good as everyone says, then it sure would beat the expense and mess of an air system. Links: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_8520_8520\ http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_1579_1579?cm_sp=Custome r%20driven-_-Recently%20Viewed-_-Product%20Page | ||
| Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Registered Member Username: Oonrahnjay Post Number: 147 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 69.143.43.3 Rating: N/A |
Laryn wrote "I would like to remove the old peeling paint on my aluminum bus. I found a sand blaster ..." __. I'm guessing that you know how careful that one has to be with sandblasting around aluminum but I think that we should remind the less experienced that sand blasting around aluminum has caused many tears! Sand is highly abrasive and will eat into Alu pretty quickly. Bead and/or vapor blasting is often much safer and more effective with Alu. BH, NC USA | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 167 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.44 Rating: N/A |
And.......alas....it will most probably leave small grains, EVERYWHERE...around rivets, screws, etc. which one will come to regret as time goes. A quality paint shop will tell you NOT to sand blast. So I was told....FWIW  RCB | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 52 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 153.2.247.33 Rating: N/A |
One of the reviewers wrote, “used baking soda had to change type of feed”. It sounds like it will work with different types of media. Did I read one time that baking soda was used to strip aluminum safely? If I leave things alone long enough the wind will strip it for me, it already has a good start. I want to try just the pressure washer on my roof first, I think it will remove a lot of paint, but I will still have some stubborn spots. I will check into aluminum stripper also. | ||
| steve gaines (Kysteve)
Registered Member Username: Kysteve Post Number: 108 Registered: 12-2006 Posted From: 74.140.165.225 Rating: N/A |
Dont forget the walnut shells. I think they are best to blast aluminum with. Blasting creates alot of heat that will distort the metal fast. HTH ....Steve.... | ||
| James Stacy (Jimstacy)
Registered Member Username: Jimstacy Post Number: 65 Registered: 1-2001 Posted From: 75.40.247.158 Rating: N/A |
Industrial grade baking soda has the best track record on aluminum of the common products. It does not generate the heat of the other substances. Silica sand (and many other mediums) causes nasty ripples in the siding from the uneven heat. No way of removing these waves once they are in. Blasting with any medium removes all protective films from the surface. Even aluminum should receive a first coat of primer shortly after blasting. If you leave it out in the rain or dew unprotected you will have a cleanup task. BTDT Jim Stacy | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 53 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 72.66.170.148 Rating: N/A |
Would heat really be an issue? The constant flow of cold water should keep things cool. Right? | ||
| David Hartley (Drdave)
Registered Member Username: Drdave Post Number: 798 Registered: 5-2005 Posted From: 70.10.160.165 Rating: N/A |
Keep in mind that if you use the water blaster approach, Water will get under the laps in the metal and rivets. It will also migrate into the bus and possibly damage any interior that you may have. I would avoid water for removing paint. If you bus doesn't leak now, It surely will after hitting it with 2,000 psi water. The soda or walnut shell way is best, Or a softer abrasive like glass bead as the hardest. Whatever you do, Try to avoid using "sand" or "silica" as they are too harsh and not good for you physically. | ||
| Jack Campbell (Blue_goose)
Registered Member Username: Blue_goose Post Number: 23 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 71.101.55.168 Rating: N/A |
A friend of mine used soda on his MCI. When they had finished he had soda in every bay and all over the inside of the coach. Took days to clean up the mess. | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 46 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 76.4.143.219 Rating: N/A |
I had the fun of blasting my 4905 and that is a chore. I couldn't get too close for the fear of damaging the alum., and I wound up trying aircraft stripper, 9 coats is tough, I paid 30-35 a gallon and it was junk,so I went to wally world and bought "Old Dads" stripper for about 17-18 a gallon and that is the best that I ever used. It would get about 3 coats at a time. Around the rivets, I used laquer thinner and a fairly stiff brass brush about 1-1/2 sq and just dipped it in a small container of thinner and it done the job. Walnut shells are the best to use because of the heat that sand puts off. However real fine sand works a lot better for the heat but takes a little longer to do. Have a lot of patience when doing this or you will take extra [days] to recooperate from frustration ahha | ||
| James Stacy (Jimstacy)
Registered Member Username: Jimstacy Post Number: 67 Registered: 1-2001 Posted From: 75.41.16.12 Rating: N/A |
Jack is right on (again). When I had my '04 soda blasted, there was soda in the cupboards, bays and closet. The good news is that it was a dry powder and vacuumed up easily. I can't imagine what a mess it would be wet. Some folks using wet stripper have had the chemical hide in rivets and seams and ooze back out after the new paint was on. Made an expensive mess. Jim Stacy (Message edited by jimstacy on July 08, 2007) | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 54 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 72.66.170.148 Rating: N/A |
"Some folks using wet stripper have had the chemical hide in rivets and seams and ooze back out after the new paint was on. Made an expensive mess." Ouch, never thought of that. What kind of coatings are used on aircraft when they go Paintless? What kind of paint do they use when they are painted? I spent the early 90's around alot of planes, I havn't seen airplanes loose paint like some of the GM busses I see. | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Registered Member Username: Drivingmisslazy Post Number: 1944 Registered: 1-2001 Posted From: 75.108.76.131 Rating: N/A |
"When I had my '04 soda blasted, there was soda in the cupboards, bays and closet. The good news is that it was a dry powder and vacuumed up easily." I suspect that it the blasting company had used sand or walnut shells you would have had the same problem. LOL Pretty hard to get sway from some cleanup after having a coach blasted with anything. Richard | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 622 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.117.21 Rating: N/A |
If you rig up a blower to slightly pressurize the inside of the coach, it should keep the dust from getting inside. just put a long hose on the inlet to pull clean air or put a long hose on blower outlet to keep blower near clean air. |