[panelwagon62]

Hey everyone, i"m sure I'm going to piss some people off here cuz this is such a talked about topic. Now i have searched and searched and still havent got the answers i'm looking for so i took the time to write this up. I'm working on a 1962 dodge d100 panel wagon for someone. Its in fair condition pretty much every body panel has rust on it to some degree and some paint. I have some people telling me to sandblast it then to not sandblast it. The rust isnt pitted so bad that its through but it is pitted. I dont want to use a converter or conditioner because not many paint company will warranty the job if you use them. whats going to be the most efficient way step by step to get it in primer. I was hoping to be able to sandblast, straighten the metel, epoxy prime then do my filler work where needed the prime again but i'm stuck on as how to get the panels to bare metal. If i can sandblast which is the best media, i've herd a few different ones mentioned. Now keep in mind the roof and quarters are huge on this thing i would hate to warp them.

[C-10]

Originally Posted by panelwagon62

I was hoping to be able to sandblast, straighten the metel, epoxy prime then do my filler work where needed the prime again but i'm stuck on as how to get the panels to bare metal..

Sounds good to me.

It's time consuming, but the little DIY/home pot blaster will save you from warpage and thus more work. Regular ol' play sand. Industrial blasting will eat it up.

[panelwagon62]

ok, i picked up a sandblaster from harbor freight their 40lb. model. Did you mean play sand as in the best stuff to use? I've herd black beauty works good as long as you use the finer grit material.

[C-10]

I use play sand. Cheap. Works. The black stuff will cut a little quicker, but not worth it IMO.

[shine]

i can warp a panel with 20lbs of pressure . playsand is the absolute worst thing to use. you will be well advised to seek info elsewhere. go to a reputable blaster who does restoration work not sandblasting and ask. use the search function and you will find plenty of reading .

[302 Z28]

What Shine said, oh and about the paint warranty. I would not fret too much about that, I don't know anyone that has collected anything on a paints warranty. Some high volume production outfits maybe, but certainly not a private individual.

VInce

[Jon]

These wiki articles may be helpful to you:

Sandblasting
Media blasting
Rust
Pitted rust
Epoxy primer

The issue of paint manufacturers' "warranties" is as nuanced as it is controversial. See this article for details: Soda blasting.

[krazeyone]

i will read up on sandblasting, i'm very interested in what people have to say bout that. i used the fine black beauty, and it worked great. only thing about playsand is it might have some bigger pebbles, the black beauty goes through a screening process and it doesn't plug up the blaster! warping? how? maybe if your blasting at 180 psi. my regulator was set at 80 lbs worked fine.

[shine]

does not take much pressure to warp. a cheap siphon blaster at 20 lbs can peen the metal and stretch it.

[C-10]

Ok, I can accept that play sand is not the best. Just saying that it works for me. I can take criticism.

I'm not an expert, nor do I want to be.

Happy blasting.

[shine]

just passing along info for those reading this thread. not criticizing you. playsand as well as blast sand contain caustic salts. they will actually promote rust. i researched it before investing in the blasting business. it was a learning experience for me too. like everyone else i have used sand in the past. besides the silica dust it is just not a good media for sheet metal. there are many other medias that will do the job safer and with a little better results.starblast and olivine are two very good ones. star blast is a fine media and gets into the pits and cracks well without penning the metal too bad. give them a try on your next project . i think you will like the results.

[panelwagon62]

Alright, i'll get some of the star blast and try it out. Now as for another question. I read an article about how to deat with rust between flanges where you would pull to two pieces of metal apart between the spot weld, sandblast, epoxy prime then seam seal. Now i'm going to try and describe this the best i can. The fenders on my project (62 dodge d100 panel wagon) The fender also included the headlight pocket. The pocket is not heavily rusted but there is rust present. There are double flanges where the outer skin is spot welded to the pocket. Now i can sandblast the inside of the pocket to bare metal and prime, but what about between the flanges where i cant get to? will chemical rust converters seep in between and protect the underlying rust from creaping under the epoxy primer?? thanks

[ogre]

Originally Posted by panelwagon62

I was hoping to be able to sandblast, straighten the metel, epoxy prime then do my filler work where needed the prime again

that's what worked for me. homedepot has fine and coarse masonry sand that is pre-sifted, no gravel like play sand. we use the fine sand in our blast cabinet and the coarse sand in our blast hopper. i blasted the frame and small parts, i send all big stuff (body panels) out to be sand blasted. it's quick and my blaster is experienced on how not to warp panels.

[Bryan59EC]

A landscaping sort of place will have actual blasting sand.
Not a nursery---but a building material sort sort of place.
The places that sell gravel, cultured rocks, pavers by the pallet, and that sort of stuff.

For the few things that I do, I usually get a couple of bags of #5 sand.
Usually not a lot of chunks in it to clog up the nozzle.

The play sand is just too chunky and needs to be screened before use.
Hell, before I go to the trouble of buying and then screening, I will just screen some of the sand in my yard---works just as well.

[panelwagon62]

Anyone have suggestions about my other situation?