Tandem Tom

I have a project coming up where the frame and fork has only clear coat on it and just a bit of surface rust. On other frames I just picked up medium grit oxide from Tracie Supply. But I was wondering if there is a better product to use? So I am open to suggestions. BTW I am using an inexpensive siphon type blaster that works quite well

Andrew R Stewart 

Tom- Without a primer the clear coat will not adhere to the metal less well then the usual paint with primer. I suspect that your usual methods will work easier then a primer/paint removal would. Having said that here's a couple more comments.

I've been using an 80 grit garnet media in my cabinet (also siphon) and find the resulting texture is very nice for both brazing and painting. I picked the garnet up from a specialty blasting place, Tacoma Company They also provided the upgrade parts for my cabinet (and I have the OEM foot pedal and other bits available for sale although have not listed them anywhere yet). Mike spent a lot of time twice on the phone to walk me through the upgrading, very helpful guy. I suspect that his garnet media isn't too different from what one could source from others.

I generally try to blast as little as possible, less about the time/effort (my cabinet is at my B in laws garage, he has the big compressor to drive it) and more about not thinning light weight tubing walls anymore then needed. I will use chemicals first when stripping paint then only dust as needed the remaining to fully clean. When I build a frame and contract the paint jog out it is pretty much completely ready to prime so the painter doesn't have to do much blasting for their prep. (I apply Navel Jelly to slow down rust while the frame is waiting to be sent out).

BTW I just noticed that you list CM Speedster tandem. I also have one and did a revamping or braze ons and got it repainted by CM a few years ago. Here's a link to the Flicker album of the work I did. https://www.flickr.com/photos/731955...57676883117315 Andy

Tandem Tom

Nice pics of the CM. We have toured on ours for 4-6 week tours but started riding single touring bikes as my wife tired of the "view" of my backside!
I may have not been clear about the upcoming project. It is currently clear coated and want to remove and go base and clear. So my thinking is the clear will come off easily. So I was reading about walnut shells. As I wanted to try something a bit gentler.

Andrew R Stewart 

Tom- I did understand your removal goal but perhaps in my preference to provide a wide answer didn't do the best job. I agree with being gentle, hence my preference to use chemicals as a first method. Andy

Doug Fattic 

Using mild abrasives in a sandblaster is like using a dull file. It takes longer and still doesn’t work very well. I’ve got a big pressure blaster that puts out more volume of media and takes half the pressure that a syphon type blaster needs to use. It also has a dust collection system that sends off the broken down stuff in another direction so just good media goes into the pressure pot to be used again. I’ve tried various medias like glass bead and plastic and what I like the best is 80 grit aluminum oxide. It sharpness makes it work well. It isn’t a problem to sandblast a frame if one uses common sense and doesn’t hold the spray on one section for a long period of time.

If I am repainting a frame I like to chemically strip the paint and then blow off the residue with a power washer. I mostly sandblast around the joint areas and emery the tubes.

Andrew R Stewart 

I'll give Doug's blaster big props! It's a serious tool and makes common syphon cabinets seem like riding a Huffy. Andy