what about dry ice blasting?

[bigmike]

I heard that sandblasting can get sand in places you don't want(axle pumpkins, etc). Walnut shells are an option but now I'm hearing about dry ice. Any comments? I'd love to blast my deuce completely(tons of paint layers) so I'm fishing for suggestions/comments.

Thanks,

 

[rdixiemiller]

Dry ice blasting works well, the only clean up is sweeping up the paint chips. Finding someone with a blasting facility might be difficult.

 

[bigmike]

I was hoping someone is renting the units...that'd be nice.

 

[rdixiemiller]

You need a heck of an air compressor to drive one. As expensive as the units are, I don't imagine you will find one to rent.

 

[clinto]

The air compressor that runs my buddy's media blasting operation is a screw type compressor with a dryer and all sorts of nifty stuff-and it cost many tens of thousands of dollars.

 

[rumplecat]

We bought one about six years ago it was about 15K for the unit, we used it to quick clean aluminum dies, worked great but it was high maint. and costly.
James G.

 

[devilman96]

I would think the cost involved would be astronomical especially after blasting my truck... Or well... blasting most of my sheet metal anyways...

I started off chemically striping the parts and then switched over to sand to finish the rest off with a rotary compressor and pressure pot... I had one of the fold down access panels and one fender in the end that I did not strip... Those 2 parts alone ate up over 1000 lbs of sand getting all of the paint and rust off. The paint is so thick and in so many coats it seems near impossible reguardless of the media used in the process.

 

[houdel]

Hmmm - How about renting a container of liquid nitrogen and pouring it over the parts to be cleaned, then finishing up with a conventional process like a wire brush on an angle grinder? The liquid nitrogen would be definitely risky, don't even know how well it would work, but it IS a thought!

 

[da-beast]

http://www.co2ldtech.com do a google on LA and dry ice blasting there are others as well

 

[BFR]

dry ice isn't used because it's cold. it is abrasive in solid form and when it sublimates (goes from solid to gas) it literally floats away, leaving no media to "gum up the works" of whatever you are stripping.

 

[CameronM715]

Dry ice blasting is available as a kit for rental in some areas. Near my town, this company rents entire kits: http://www.completewelderssupply.com/

I do not know how it compares to sand with speed, but I have seen the finished work and it looks very clean. I saw the pictures of a greasy and disgusting restaurant stove and hood that was blasted to shiny and new without leaving residue.

 

[rdixiemiller]

The thermal shock is what separates the paint from the substrate, in combination with the actual impact of the dry ice pellets. This is used in the injection molding business to clean plastic injection dies. It is also used extensively in the tire molding business for the same purpose. It does a jam up job on a greasy, splattered, welding fixture. It can often be used to clean a machine while it is still in operation. I saw a video of the stripping of the original -7 (Boeing 707 prototype). The job was finished and they swept up the chips, 3 barels worth.

 

[rdixiemiller]

Sharp looking ride Gene! I agree with you, if the CARC is in decent shape, leave it alone. It makes a great primer!