The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Dustless Blasting

I did a quick search for this topic but didn't get any results. If there is already a topic if you could point me in that direction I'd appreciate it.

I was flipping through the channels last night and stopped for a second on the my classic car. They were showing this Dustless Blasting systems from MMLJ Manufacturing. Here is the website: http://dustlessblasting.com/ . If you look at the DB 150, http://dustlessblasting.com/db150/ , it shows them stripping a frame down in the video. From what I can tell from a few Google searches it's a bit pricey, 5K or 6K for the small unit. Has anybody used/seen this in action? Not entirely sure I'm willing to drop that kind of money for one but am curious to it results and if it's still that pricey? Any other through or comments about this or similar products are welcomed.

Get a friend have him run the pressure washer while you run the sand blaster and save yourself the bucks...
Seriously thats a lot of $. You'd have to do a lot of blasting to recoop the cost of the unit let alone the time invested in all the blasting. Going into business? Live in an area that stops you from doing regular blasting for environmental reasons?
Have you considered that after regular blasting your metal is primer ready... but after this process you'll have wet metal and soggy sand filling all your seams? So now you have the extra step of drying and cleaning out the seems too. But thats just more labor so no worries there... surely the threat of new rust developing wouldn't be of concern, would it?

looks like a pressure washer with grit added might do as well with a pressure washer and the soap attachment filled with phosphoric acid .... or with a $100 soda blaster

Bill

LOL. No, not thinking about getting into that kind of business, as of right now but who knows what the future holds, but I am looking for something to blast my frame and/or body parts on my current truck plus possible more in the future.

I agree it is a lot of money to recoop the cost of it. I was just mainly seeing if anybody on here has seen one in action and the results it produced vs some of the other blast types.

You mentioned about the extra step of drying and cleaning out the seems but you have that same problem with sand blasting, soda blasting and all types of blasting media. One of the main points that they were talking about on the show is that most paint company's won't warranty paints if the metal was soda blasted. With sand blasting you have to worry about warping if you get it too hot. I know all blasting has pros and cons but this was simply one I have never heard of it before.

Bill,

As I mentioned to CASO the warranty part of the soda blasting. Not sure if that has changed or if the person on the show was just misinformed about the warranty or not going into full details. I am defiantly going to go soda blasting over sand due to the less heat it generates.

Carson

soda blasting can be well done, just takes lots of fresh water flushing immediately after - but easiest to find a local business that does sandblasting and let them take care of the mess, it usually doesn't cost a lot

Bill

Heat, from sandblasting on the frame??? No way that would ever
effect the frame. They're talking about large relativly flat
19ga. body panels, not heavy parts like frames.
You can get any sandblaster around to do a complete frame for a
couple hundred bucks while you run down to McDonalds and have
lunch.

Denny G

It is using a mixture of water and ground glass in a somewhat normal looking sand blast tank. So you can also rerust as you go. A warm day would be recomended.
I you use grit in your pressure washer the pump will last a minute or two. I don't think soda should be used near steel. It is a salt, and salt means corrosion.

Truckrolet,

I think that's why a lot of the paint companies don't recommend the use of soda blasting as a prep for mental. Here is what one website I just found has from the different paint companies regarding soda blasting: http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/..._and_paint_manufacturer_warranty_voiding

Talking about the grit messing up the pump on the pressure washer here is a video and also an attachment you can add to the end of the pressure washer that could do the same thing I suppose. Here is the video: http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/General-Pump-DWSDBTK/p1741.html One of the attachments I found: http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/General-Pump-DWSDBTK/p1741.html

Bill and Denny,

Me letting someone else do it is a possibility but I could find other uses than just my truck to do this. I am a jack of many trades so who knows what I might come across. Also I do understand that the frame warping isn't as much of a problem as the body panels.

Carson

And really... Do you HAVE to blast at 90 or 120+ psi? I've said it before, I get by just fine @ 50 psi and if the nozzle is kept at a 45' angle to the work and moving the panels not going anywhere. A frame @ 130 psi... I can see it, but that's why Man made regulators isn't it? You don't use the same welder setting on a frame as a body panel. (for long...)
I bet if a study were done we'd find out most of the "Blame The Blaster" stories are from having the some guy who blasts frames and plate steel all day 'slip this in when he can' deals.
Yeah, I know a guy...
As for media type I guess that's job specific and is for sure paint related and really, who here wants to have to do the same job twice? I do it, but not because I WANT to. I just screw up a lot.
and now *this* guy has more sanding to do

Take this from a professional blaster in the ship painting business: If you want to blast with water use a product like "Rust Lick" in the water. It inhibits the rust formation and you can paint right over it (or at least they do @work....) You'll need a 55 gallon drum to mix your water and rust lick in; draw the water from the drum into the pressure washer...or get a collar for your blast nozzle that will feed the water (from the drum or your faucet with a small hose adding the rust lick) into the media stream.
To All: When blasting wear a respirator that has a HEPA filter. The resulting dust doesn't have ANYTHING in it that will enhance your body's performance (or brain performance) in ANY WAY; in other words there is NOTHING in the residue that you would want in your body ok? I use a portable garage tent available from Costco or sportsmansguide.com. I get a huge tarp from Harbor Freight and use it as a floor covering over the CDX I lay on the ground under the tent. I fold the floor tarp up over the sides and ends of the tend to contain the dust. When I'm finished and wearing my respirator I SLOWLY sweep up the residue with a hand broom and put it all in bags and put it in the trash, as it's dry paint and metal it's not considered hazardous in my state but check your local laws BEFORE blasting. CONTAIN the dust, your neighbors don't want it either.

In my state it is possible lead based paint and possible heavy metals. All hazardous.