Bead blasting a shell

[Drizz]

Has anyone had a bare shell blasted prior to restoration? I want mine blasted so i can see what rot is left, and to remove underseal etc But i dont know where to look or if it is actually called bead blasting. Also thought about galvanising a shell.

ANy thoughts/experiences/pictures?

[jamied]

had loads done mate....best results are from Baking Soda Blasting.

[taylormade]

Harry Hockly Motorsport Ltd

[The Simps]

If you look in yellow pages mate you should find plenty of mobile blasters. I think it goes under "media" blasting these days. Walnut shell mix is a popular media used rather than bead these days I believe. You'll have to really blow the shell out tho cos that **** gets everywhere!!!

There used to be a guy who did it local to me at sculthorpe airbase but that was years ago. He done some suspension parts for me.

Here's one company I find just from typing "mobile media blasting suffolk" into google - Abbey Gritblasting Services

[Drizz]

had loads done mate....best results are from Baking Soda Blasting.

Any pics/more details?

[Twelfty]

i would imagine galvanising a shell might be a bit dear

[Drizz]

Galvanising a Landrover chassis is £250. Its done on weight, and a shell wont be too far off a chassis TBH

[Twelfty]

hmm thats not bad....... is that dipped?

[Drizz]

Yeah dipped

[cheekyalex]

had loads done mate....best results are from Baking Soda Blasting.

Do they just use normal baking soda? might give go and raid the kitchen cupboards and give it a try.

and only £250 for having a shell galvenised sounds a bargin to me, certainly worth it on old vauxhalls as will save you money 3 years down the line on getting your arches done again.

[philip2]

theres an advery in classic ford for blasting, dripping and priming i think, 3 stages anyway that with strip paint, de-rust, coat and etch or zinc prime ready for paint.

ill try and find the mag for you, thinking of getting mine done

[RickV6]

There is a company called Surface processing who will acid dip & then E coat a shell, I used them for my new Nova shell but I would never use them again. They damaged my front panel and I had various other issues with there work and there customer care skills were shocking! A friend of mine had his done there aswell and they destroyed his doors!
You have to be carefull when blasting a shell as the friction can warp the panels, as said before I think soda blasting is the way to go but any removal of paint to a barefinish is going to leave the steel open to rust which it will do rapidly!
This company look good, Sutton Soda Blasting / Vapour Blasting an Much Much More I saw a shell they had prepared at the Classic car show last year. They also have the facility to prime the shell on site to prevent corrosion starting.
As for Galvanising, it is fine to do on a solid chassis but as far as I know the galvanising process will warp thin panels on a monocoque chassis and then you have the issue of applying a paint finish.

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

you cant galv a shell metal wont take the heat. currentley building a galv 300 90 chassis galved and bulkhead galved,if it aint to bad prep it, wouldent recommend blasting unless its 30 years old

[Rs1]

iirc KeithRobinson on here got his nova dipped and e-coated..... in the uk, pretty sure if you search through his resto thread theres details in there of who, why, where etc.

[RickV6]

iirc KeithRobinson on here got his nova dipped and e-coated..... in the uk, pretty sure if you search through his resto thread theres details in there of who, why, where etc.

I had mine done first then he had his done, he is the friend I was on about in the above post! I would NEVER use SPL again! Bunch of cowboys IMO

This is mine when I picked it up after they did it for 2nd time!

[Drizz]

you cant galv a shell metal wont take the heat. currentley building a galv 300 90 chassis galved and bulkhead galved,if it aint to bad prep it, wouldent recommend blasting unless its 30 years old

Well it's 28 yrs old lol. Maybe I'll just put it on the spit, rotate it and wire wheel it then!

[Paul]

Used SPL, no problems here

[RickV6]

What was it for?

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

drizz fair play what is it? dont say a split camper! i dont like blastin old stuff,as you get a phone call sayin dont worry about a trailer bring a dust pan and brush theres nothing left!!!

[mattcoupturbo]

drizz fair play what is it? dont say a split camper! i dont like blastin old stuff,as you get a phone call sayin dont worry about a trailer bring a dust pan and brush theres nothing left!!!

Thats always the way on Overhaulin when the old mustangs etc get back from the blasters lol, love it when they just look at it and see swiss cheese everywhere.

[mk2astraturbo]

I had mine done first then he had his done, he is the friend I was on about in the above post! I would NEVER use SPL again! Bunch of cowboys IMO

This is mine when I picked it up after they did it for 2nd time!

love that colour whats the code?

[Drizz]

Used SPL, no problems here

What did you have done and how much did it cost?

drizz fair play what is it? dont say a split camper! i dont like blastin old stuff,as you get a phone call sayin dont worry about a trailer bring a dust pan and brush theres nothing left!!!

Lol check out my thread in the projects section. It's an 81 mk1 golf gti

[Paul]

love that colour whats the code?

Thats just a galv finish they do pal

Drizz, had loads of MGB GT bits done. Shell was about 400 quid to be done bare.

[sbd16vastra]

Thats just a galv finish they do pal

i think you will find its the E coat

[vxlaney]

drizz, have you spoke to airblast in gosfield?