keith72monte Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 car frame -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey everyone, I just got done sandblasting underneath my car. I bought a 1972 monte carlo as a low budget build up car. I did the body work myself learning the hard way. I had the car painted real nice for 3k. I decided i wanted to replace the fuel tank and rebuild the rear end. I decided the underneath didn't look good enough to put new parts on. This is where the low budget turns into the show car. I looked online to figure out if i could use rust remover in a liquid or gel. I decided not to deal with chemical smells. I bought a electric angle grinder and a 60 gritt sander wheel attachment and knock off the surface rust and realized the frame had a good amout of pitts in it. Then i decided to get a small 30 gallon compressor and got a small portable handy blaster i borrowed from a freind. I bought some play sand from home depot.I used a mask and blasted the rearend outside in the driveway with the wind behind my back. It did a ok job for the very light surface rust on the housing,but then i read where play sand is dangerous. I always wanted a 60 gallon compressor and i figured this would push me to get one. I researched online about compressors and hookup plumbing.I started from scratch and struggled to figure alot out. I write to this forum for the next guy who types in google search, removing rust from a car frame. So here it what i did and what i bought to do the job right.It is a one time deal for me, so i tried to save alittle money going with a entry level husky 3.2 60 gallon compressor. I am done with the miserable task now. I will post some pics once i get the media blast out of my garage,eyes, ears,nose,everywhere.Here is the basic procedure i took to do this project. I will break it done to what i bought to do this,First of all take care of the underneath before you paint the top.Secound, if you plan to really restore a car and have the money and space, then take the body off and send the frame out to be blasted and primed and painted. 1) 3.2 husky 60 gallon compressor (439.00), buy bigger if money isnt a problem.Atleast step up to the $799 model if you plan on doing more then one project like this. 10 cfm is the mininum i've seen you need. Mine did the job perfectly.Under a car your only going to want too spend 15 minutes at a time under there anyways. 2)plumbing: you will need to reduce the hole out the compressor from 3/4 to 1/2 or down to 3/8th if that what you want to do. Then you run a 1/2 in dia. piece of black pipe about 2 to 3 inches, from reducer to a 1/2 inch shut off valve. From the shut off valve you run a 1/2 inch dia lead out hose thats 2 foot long or longer. Then you connect that lead out hose to a 1/2 inch air regulator/water fiter. From the air regulator/ water filter exit out, you run 1/2 diameter air house. i used a 50 foot long one.At the end of the 1/2 air hose i used a reducer to 3/8 th size,Then i connected a 3/8th shut off valve for easy on and off at the blaster, after the shut off valve i ran a 2 foot long 3/8 leader hose, sometimes called a whip hose, which allows for more flexablity. i ran a coupler at the end of leader hose and connected to the media blaster. 3) 100 lbs media blaster, i bought a 90 lbs blaster for 89 bucks at habor freight, It was being clearenced and ii had a coupon to get 20 percent off. you can buy online most everything you need.Buy the media locally at a tractor supply company or something like that(save on shipping becuase of weight). Great tip: if no media is coming out of handle, shut off the air supply going from the water filter on the media blaster to the tank, pull deadman handle and directing media into the blast area until a flow of media pours out , then turn the air back on that goes to the blaster tank.Also,If your sound turns from loud to alot louder like a air line breaks on you, then you are out of media in the tank.Also sometimes it will start out as a big flow of media with no pressure at very first, then the pressure kicks in and give you good blasting. I used a small trash can next to me to blast into , when the media was just pouring out with no air behind it.helps with the mess and recovering media. 4) Media, Dont use playsand , it is dangerous. I used 70 gritt aluminum oxcide for 40 bucks for 45 pounds. It more exspensive then what i,ve seen people say they buy coal slag or black diamond for, it was just easy to buy at Habor freight since i was there and got a killer deal on blaster anyways. I bought four containers of it.I went back and got four more containers once i wore out my first deadmans valve handle tip. I bought 3 extra packs of ceramic nozzles too, i used the next to smallest size after i got a hang of it. I ran my compressor alittle more ,but i got alot more done in a shorter time. the smallest nozzle won't run the compressor as much, but it will take longer with a smaller blasting pattern.I paid 30 bucks for 80 pounds of coal slag, but it was course gritt and was clogging up the nozzles, Iwould have had to use big nozzles and a much bigger compressor cfm level. I recycled the first 4 bouckets of media 3 or 4 times, and recovered most all of it. 5) blasting hood, A white hood came with the kit for the media blaster.It works ok if you are doing some outside standing up work. Buy the red one from Northern tool or Eastwood. I got two hoods and 6 extra lenses to make the job easier. Great tip: wrap sarahn wrap on the outside of the lens that get the media on it, slide it into the hood. On the outside only, place duck tape on the edge of the lens where media can get inside of hood also. Don't put masking tape on inside of lens, The masking tape glue destroys the lens.Shake the hood real good after blasting to get media and dust off it. Helps with keeping media getting into eyes when putting hood on.I rinsed my eyes out with contact lens solution. Get the media out of your eyes asap. 6) Gloves and painters suit: I bought some nice ones that fit my slightly larger hand through Northern tool, they were 11 inch long, I also got a 18 inch pair, which worked great for pulling up tarps for media recovery. The blue painters suit at home depot is 9 bucks, I am 6ft1 tall is fitted ok, But if i tried to put the blue suit hood on and get under the car it made the suit too tight. I tucked the blue suit hood inside the suit.After i would blast i would take suit off and shake alot to get media dust off. i went through 4 or more suits. 7) List of parts prices so you know what your getting into. 1) air compressor, entry level 60 gallon 439.00 2) plumbing , reducer for exit hole in compressor 3/4 to 1/2 inch 5.00 2a)1/2 inch dia. black pipe either 2 or 3 inches long 1.00 2b) 1/2 inch shut off valve from depot or habor freight 5.00 2c) 1/2 lead out house around 2 feet long at habor freight 5.00 2d) 1/2 inch air regulator/ water filter combination 29.00 2e) 1/2 inch dia. air hose 50 foot long or whatever u want to do 35.00 2f) 1/2 inch reducer to 3/8 for however you want to hook up 5.00 2g) 3/8th whip hose for flexabilty 29.00 3) 90 lbs media blaster or 110 blaster kit 89.00-129.00 4) extra deadman valve and ceramic nozzles 3 packs 42.00 5) Media( 70 gritt) 45 lbs each times 4 @ 40 each 160.00 6) Northern tool red blasting hood with 4 extra lenses 52.00 7) respirator mask pn 100 filtering 38.00 8) rubber gloves and blue painter suits 4 suits @9 each 50.00 9) tarps and painters drop plastic 3 tarps 9x11 @ 7 each 30.00 8) chemicals for prepping , priming, painting: I bought everything from master series paint products. They seem to be easier to work with then por-15 and half the price. I did my rear end and it turn out super nice.The metal prep solution for use before priming etches the metal and conditions the metal has very toxic fumes, wear a mask. Primer is ok , no mask needed, paint was toxic so wear mask. www.masterseriescoatings.com .Dont bother with anyother stuff really, i have read up on all of them and this is the best price and easy to apply and work with. 9) Paint brushes , rollers ,foam brushes blue rubber gloves ,blue tape, duck tape.thread tape. 10) patience , dont rush, take a break if you sweat alot or get mad. be creative building a plastic coccoon around the car. One side of the car was parked two feet from the garage wall, I put picture hanger hooks into dry wall and hung the plastic 6 feet tall and drapped it to the roof of car and ducked taped. Drivers side i parked my other 1972 monte carlo two feet away and taped plastic from roof to roof and created a tunnel.A wood frame stucture can be build to get a coccoon built. 11) i do this to save the next guy weeks of reseach and having headaces trying to figure this out from not knowing anything about compressors and media blasting.This is the only website i learned enough to get started. Still there was the basic info that was missing and i feel really relieved i never have to do this again. Everyone else can fill in anything i left out or tips that would help. i covered the basics and spent a hour writing this, Take care all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7tonemonte Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Welcome Keith! Probably the most info ever on a first post! Hope you stick around, and post some pics of your project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cny first gen 71 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Welcome Keith, that sure was a long post, and it kinda looks like the snowball effect that we all run into now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith72monte Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 hey i don't see a way to posts pics on the post, help a newbie out lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7tonemonte Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Heres a link to help you out, if you have your pics on a hosting site such as Photobucket, thats the easiest way. The 4th icon from the left at the top of the reply screen is the "Enter an image" icon, that is where you will post the url. If you cant figure it out, you can send a PM or an email to me,or mostly any of the members for that matter,(my email address is listed in my profile), and I can post it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BURNOUT BOX Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Welcome Keith,Post some pictures up by using photobucket.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black07ss Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Welcome Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71 MONTE 4 YA Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Welcome Keith!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
502ci Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Welcome to the site Keith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70mcarlo Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 to the FGMCC forum, Keith! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
420ponies Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Welcome Keith!!sounds like you got down to a science.Blasting was always the start to a long process,but the rewards speak for themselves!Very clear on the process.Now for some pictures!I've started my next project,'88 fiero,and doing all the undercarrige same way,just sending it out and will paint in my buddy's bodyshop.will look into your paint preference.Thanks for the info.!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith72monte Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Thanks to all the welcomes, I have had (6) 72 monte carlos, been a fan forever. I have been reading the tech forums for a year from here to rebuild my 10 year old project haha, so i felt i had to give back to the website the way it has given me all the info i need to get my car done.I,ll figure these picture thing out soon. I do have two monte carlos now,both small block cars, dreaming of a big block oem car one day, One car i have is green needs restoring.Now i know what is involved doing real resto work, I might just sell that car off, save my money for a frame off restored big block car. Or i,ll ship it off to mike with the money green car to make mine look that good lol. My mostly restored car is black, pictures to get on here soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith72monte Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 ok theres some pictures of the blast project,on photobucket by viewing my home page, now how do you guy put a picture inside of your post reply? is that called your signature? and the picture on the left top of the reply post where your name shows up,how do you load a pic for that.and links in the middle of your post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCfan Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 ok theres some pictures of the blast project,on photobucket by viewing my home page, now how do you guy put a picture inside of your post reply? is that called your signature? and the picture on the left top of the reply post where your name shows up,how do you load a pic for that.and links in the middle of your post. Keith, I tried to answer a similar question for another member this morning. Go to this post and see if it helps you. http://www.firstgenmc.com/ubbthreads/ubb...9674#Post359674 To put a picture into your signature block (below your posts) and your avatar (beside your posts) you will need to go to the My Stuff area and click on Edit Profile. You will find sections near the bottom to enter text and pictures for your signature and avatar blocks. NOTE: You will probably need to run whatever picutres you choose through an on-line photo size reducer before you link it into either the signature or avatar block because there are size limitations. There are many free on-line photo resizing sites - just Google them. This can take some time and doing, IMO. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWick_70MC Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Keith.. awesome informative post!! Site rule number 1.. no pics didn't happen... so lets see the goods!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Welcome Keith. Lots of great info there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.