Sunday was a busy day.
On Saturday I picked up a used range from a used appliance shop for $100. They had cleaned and tested units for $170, which seemed silly when you can get them for free or super cheap on Craigslist. For $100, I got one that was filthy but they said if anything didn't work, they'd give me parts free to get it running.
Took it home, soaked it with oven cleaner and left it in the sun. Sprayed it again that night, left it overnight. Sunday morning I attacked with a pressure washer and was amazed how well it cleaned up. It's cleaner than the oven in my kitchen! Hmm, nah, pressure washer probably isn't a good idea inside. Drat!
Added a longer cord, put on casters on the front and larger wheels in the back so I can wheel this like a handtruck through the yards to the storage area when not in use. I wired it up to use the same outlet as the welder when not in use and tested it-
NOTHING.
Well damn. Looked up wiring schematics to see what I did wrong, then thought I better turn off the circuit breaker before I go screwing around and- wait, it's already off? Oh yeah, I keep the 220v circuit off unless I'm actively using it. D'OH! Turned it on and the unit worked perfectly. Took it up to full heat without any issues. Cool. Powder coating adventure time soon.
Once that was done, I assembled the soda blaster and attacked the Spitfire tub.
It is a messy process, and wearing a set of painter coveralls, a full hood, mask, respirator, and ear plugs is necessary to keep this stuff under control. You're blasting all the cracks and crevices of the car body, not YOUR cracks and crevices!
It won't remove rust or scale. That's not the intent. It will remove underbody coatings, paint, and finishes. It won't harm rubber, glass, or fiberglass. It's not fast, but it's quicker than mechanical or chemical methods. It's not that loud either.
The finish it gives is baby **** smooth and wonderful. You'll still need to rinse off all the material before you go to work the metal since it leaves a coating, but I have to say I'm impressed.
I went back over areas I had previously done with mechanical means to get in all the seams and brackets that I would have had no chance with other approaches.
I ran out of soda before I could get the rest of the firewall done. This was a 50 pound bag and you go through a lot of it. I used what Harbor Freight had because it was available. At $40 a bag, it wasn't cheap and this is not a cost effective means of stripping at that price. I found that sodium bicarbonate is also used for livestock as some sort of digestive aid typically for goats, and my local farm supply has it for $15-20 for a 50 pound bag, which is less than half the cost. That makes it affordable. Unfortunately they were sold out, so ended my day. I have several bags on order.
So I pulled the master cylinder out and the rear brakes down so I can take the parts with me to parts store. Looks like another parts run at lunch tomorrow.
