soda blasting

[nmaineron]

Has anyone used this process to clean cases with?

[Lyle Manheimer]

I have never tried soda blasting, nor have I tried Dry Ice. I saw Dry Ice used a couple of times where I used to work. It was used on a large electrical Buss, when done everything was spotless. The beauty was no clean up, it evaporates. Ground up corn cobs worked well on porcelain insulators as well not too aggressive.

[painterdale]

I had my Servi-car rear end soda blasted. Dale

[exeric]

I've never priced dry ice. Is it expensive? And, is there a special machine that makes it into a spray-able media.

In regards to prepping engine, and trans cases; I have gone to chemicals, and elbow grease. I use paint remover to get the worst grime, and aluminum paint off, then use oven cleaner, TSP, laundry detergent, dish detergent, and then soft, hand held wire brushes, and then more washing. I believe that factory finish castings were probably run through high alkaline industrial washers and that was it. Replicating that finish is all speculation because it started changing the moment it left the factory. I've not seen a walnut shell, or dry ice finish so they may be close.

[pisten-bully]

I have used soda blasting for the aluminum gearbox cases of the modern machines I import and sell. Soda blasting cleans the cases up very nicely, removing grime and grit and leaving a clean surface.....with no change to the surface of the cases (means I don't observe any abrasive action....just cleaning). The aluminum cases I clean with soda blasting are only 10 years old +\- ....and I haven't used it on old aluminum castings, sorry.

[Lyle Manheimer]

I am sure dry ice blasting was very expensive. Cost was not a factor down time was the driving force. The media was a small capsule shaped bead. The large electrical cables attached to the Buss work even came out looking like new, without damage to the insulation.

[nmaineron]

I went to the business that does the Soda blasting to see if they could help me out but at this time they only use it for fire damage of homes and structures,they are a renovation service business.The lady at the desk said that they have been quite surprised by the requests for the service from car people and others like me that have small projects going on.she said that they were seriously considering putting a bay in to do small projects.Just not in my time line unfortunately.

[gsottl]

I did an expesive experiment with dry ice cleaning - I brought some dirty Indian 4 parts to the company that does that in hope to safe me from hours and hours of cleaning coal and dirt off with petroleum, as I was told the main advantage is that even assembled parts can be cleaned and the surface/material is not changed in any way......fact was - after I paid 450 Euros for the job. The parts almost looked the same and I have to spend 19h for cleaning instead of 20h now!