Environmentally-friendly blasting media?

[JradM]

I'm looking for sand blasting media that won't cause a problem if it escapes onto my gravel driveway.

I want to do some blasting on an old pickup I'm fixing. I plan to erect one of those temporary garage shelters, park on a cement pad and tarp the bottom and sides to contain most of the blasting media - but my setup won't exactly be air tight.

The subject:


I live on a farm, so it's not like I'll be annoying the neighbors, but I still don't want my wife to notice blasting media all over the driveway - and I can't exactly sweep it out of the gravel.

On the other hand, I might be over-thinking it. I've got a few bags of "Greengrit" already. I assume glass must be completely stable and neutral. I could always run the box scraper up and down the driveway a few times to work it in if it collects enough to be noticable.



Any better suggestions?

 

[whateg01]

Sheetmetal is easily overheated by sandblasting so be careful out you'll have a bunch of warped panels. As far as the media and the driveway are concerned, I don't really have much to comment. When Dad had his car media blasted, whatever they used just piled up in the gravel driveway. At the end, he scooped up much of it but the rest was just left there. A year later and you can't tell anything was done there.

Another option is to put down some plastic on the ground.

 

[mike93lx]

Put a big tarp down and secure it with stakes? Should make cleanup a good bit easier

 

[WildBill]

I think most of its fine, I've used walnut shells, sand, baking soda, and glass. All are OK but I think too much baking soda might hurt plants. The paint and stuff coming off your car are probably a lot worse. For small spots on cars I use one of those little blasters that capture most of the debris. Like this, but probably better ones out there. Also always where a mask, you don't want any of it in your lungs. https://www.amazon.com/TCP-Global-Blasting-Recovery-Abrasive/dp/B001TZEIBC?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Steve_P]

I would put down some tarps and use sand. Then blow whatever escapes onto the gravel and forget about it.

Wear a good respirator. Heat isn't what warps panels when blasting, the force of the air pressure does. Don't put the nozzle too close and move around.

Baking soda is too mild an abrasive and will kill your lawn. Then your wife will be really pissed!

 

[PCustoms]

Wet blast with sand?

 

[Jswain]

If you have it tarped you will be fine. Whatever escapes could be raked into the gravel and basically unnoticeable.

Stay away from using actual sand/crystalline silica. Crushed glass is a good choice, enviro/healthwise

 

[ATC]

Gravel? Anything will be fine on that. I used aluminum oxide and can't tell any difference in my driveway.

I'd place a tarp down to catch as much as you can so you can reuse it.

 

[neophyte]

I think most of its fine, I've used walnut shells, sand, baking soda, and glass. All are OK but I think too much baking soda might hurt plants. The paint and stuff coming off your car are probably a lot worse. For small spots on cars I use one of those little blasters that capture most of the debris. Like this, but probably better ones out there. Also always where a mask, you don't want any of it in your lungs. https://www.amazon.com/TCP-Global-Blasting-Recovery-Abrasive/dp/B001TZEIBC?tag=atomicindus08-20

A warning as far as Walnut Shells go.

As far as general safety with blasting media.
The paint removed may be way more toxic than the blasting media.

 

[PCustoms]

A warning as far as Walnut Shells go.

As far as general safety with blasting media.
The paint removed may be way more toxic than the blasting media.

I think walnut is toxic to horses too

 

[mepstein]

A DA with 80 grit will make short work of it.

 

[mike93lx]

Heat isn't what warps panels when blasting, the force of the air pressure does

This doesn't make sense to me. I have always heard of it as heat and peening that result in warping. If air pressure if the culprit, how can pressure washing not destroy body work?

 

[Old Man Roger]

A warning as far as Walnut Shells go.

As far as general safety with blasting media.
The paint removed may be way more toxic than the blasting media.

Beat me to it. The paint and primer sand blasting removes is probably worse than any media available.

 

[Rockable]

Actually, high pressure sends the individual grains of media against the sheet metal like little hammers. That is what stretches the metal, the force with which the media hits the metal. Water doesn't do that. keep your pressure down to just what is needed and avoid getting the nozzle 90 degrees to the work. I recently did a hood and did it at about 60 psi with no warpage.

 

[Jswain]

This doesn't make sense to me. I have always heard of it as heat and peening that result in warping. If air pressure if the culprit, how can pressure washing not destroy body work?

I think it's mostly the peening. I think if a guy takes even passes of everything not super close to the material it's ok. When you hold the gun in one spot on a rough area, or move to slow, then you run into some problems. Or if you do the underside of something like a hood, then the top basically gets peened uneven.

Just my opinion