Abrasive Blasting

[mercuryman]

What is preferred for cleaning outboards Glass Bead or Soda blasting. Can you use the Soda in a blast Cabinet ?

[chris-p]

No you cannot use soda in a cabinet. It is a one time use.

I use both, for different things.

Soda is good for certain things like cleaning, blasting items you don’t want warped, and I use it for stripping powerheads. The soda is water soluble, so after I strip it, I can wash the powerhead in warm soapy water, and not worry about media being left in there to damage the cylinder, like could happen with glass.

I glass bead items like props, exhaust housings/towers, etc… in my cabinet. I tried walnut for a while in the cabinet, but it was much slower, and Im impatient.

I am using Lime now as well, for full cosmetic restorations. Paint seems to stick very well, after a motor has been stripped with lime.

Which brings me to my next point. What are you doing with the part afterwards? Makes a difference on what you use as well.

[Mumbles]

With no access to soda blasting around here I use beads on everything. Real beads, not the crushed glass.

I used to mask off everything I didn’t want touched by the beads but that seems to be unnecessary as the beads don’t damage anything and I don’t shoot any machined surfaces or the cylinders themselves. I’ve turned ABS plumbing pipe down to fit in the cylinders as sleeves for protection though on some of the smaller OMC motors and any overspray on the cylinder walls will be removed when they are honed.

All traces of oil have to be removed before blasting as the dust will stick to these areas. A good scrub in hot soapy water and a good blow with high pressure air will remove any residue.

The soda sounds like a good and friendly media to use but probably leaves a smooth finish, like walnut does. Beads leave a little bit of tooth on the metal which helps any filler or primer bond really good.

[RICHARD A. WHITE]

Try walnut shells, that is what I use religiously.

http://www.richardsoutboardtools.com
classicomctools@gmail.com

[PugetSoundBoater]

Mumbles-your cleanup on the 2 hp looks great. I’ll have to get a blaster.

"Some people want to know how a watch works, others just want to know what time it is"
Robbie Robertson

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