Thread: Media Blasting
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Old 08-10-22, 08:00 AM
  #11  
Doug Fattic 
framebuilder
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Niles, Michigan
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Some general information that may or may not be helpful. There are 2 kinds of sandblasters, a suction type and a pressure pot kind. The pressure pot type puts out more media at a lower pressure. They can potentially do less damage but are a much more expensive unit. I'm fortunate to have one.

Most frame painters start by chemically stripping the paint with a paint remover before blasting. Unfortunately the government banned the active ingredient methylene chloride in paint strippers in 2017. Now it is a lot harder to get paint off. The stuff will hurt your skin so I use thick gloves. In decent weather, I hold the frame in a portable Park repair stand outside and lather it on with a paint brush. It takes several applications and I look for places that require more. When all the paint has bubbled up, I use my power washer get if off the frame.

However paint remover with methylene chloride can still be supplied to commercial businesses. In Niles, Michigan where I live there is a business that strips furniture finishes. They have a huge vat of goo they dunk the whole piece of furniture into and wait a day until all the finish is gone. I use them sometimes in the winter when I don't want to do that job myself. You might look for a furniture stripper in your area.

I buy my sandblasting supplies at a company that sells sandblasting equipment in nearby South Bend Indiana. They have several sandblasters set up for customers to try. They have invited any of my framebuilding class students to bring a frame to try out their equipment. You might try to see if there is such a company in Louisiana. Where I bought my sandblaster in Indianapolis they also do commercial blasting for walk in customers. These sales places might know where the sandblasters they sold might be in your area.

In Granger, IN (part of South Bend) is a bike store (Spin Zone) that does frame
powder coating. That might be a little far from Louisiana but for anyone in my area reading this subject thread that knowledge might be helpful. I have no idea if they do long distant work and if they do stripping without powder coating.

I'm not set up to do stripping only unless someone can drive to my shop.
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