Hi...neat discussion...everyone has an opinion, and most of them are
right!
I use good old sandblasting on the oletrucks, because they are usually
curved enough, and thick enough, to not have any warpage problems. But,
if you are using an industrial compressor and really shooting the sand
out hard, and do not move the nozzle around quickly, and basically don't
know or care what you are doing, then you can indeed warp the metal.
With a smaller setup like most of us have access to, and with some care,
warpage isn't usually a problem.
I've only used bead blasting in a cabinet, and I can't see it ever
causing damage to steel items (that aren't already rusted real thin),
but then I can't see how the other guy does it :)
Plastic media blasting is great too, there is a place here in town that
does it. Only problem is it doesn't really touch rust. For paint
removal, it can't be beat, unless you actually have to pay the bill!
Sandblasting with my compressor and my neighbor's compressor is almost
free, I have to buy sand (30 or 60 grit silica seems to work best, and
is recylclable), nozzles occasionally, and electricity. Getting a body
media blasted inside and out costs several hundred bucks. Yes, they
recycle the plastic media, it's part of the media blasting equipment.
Walnut shells are supposed to work well, I don't know how they would do
on rust, and oil would be a problem, but I suppose some folks can get
the shells for cheap.
Never messed with baking soda, but I hear it works ok...cleanup may be a
hassle, but then cleanup is a hassle with any method, especially if you
blast the inside of a body or cab.
Jim
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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