96powerstroke

I just picked up a set of 15" SS3's this weekend. They're painted a different color and there's a little rust around the bead from sitting. Nothing crazy just surface rust. I also scored a second set of 14" SS3's but two are a tad more rusty. I was debating getting a sandblaster or blaster or some sort.

Can anyone recommend the right tool? Sand blaster or soda blaster? Harbor freight has a soda blaster for like $100. Seems like the soda option has many pro's as in cleanup and not getting silicosis but sand blasting seems it would be better investment for rust removal. I don't do a ton of rust removal or paint removal for that matter so $100 could be better spent on actual Cutlass parts I need.

I was thinking of getting a $20 gravity feed sand blaster gun. I don't see the need for a big sandblaster and the smallest soda setup is $100. Money is always something to be concerned about but I have no problem spending it for the right tool; I just don't want to throw good money after bad. Particularly when I have more car part I need.

SO that being said if anyone has input on stripping paint - sand blasting vs. soda blasting, I'd love to hear it. I have the compressor to support both methods so that's not a concern either.

Thanks so much!

joe_padavano

Soda blast won't remove rust. Wheels are thick enough metal that sand blasting is probably the best way to go.

Rocketguy

You'd be sending a boy to do a man's job my friend. You need a LOT of blasting power to do several wheels with so much surface area and so many shapes, contours & angles; unless you want to take days to do it. I'd have them professionally done. You can blast them in the morning and have them topcoated by supper time. My guy charges $20 per wheel. I just did a set:

joe_padavano

I've blasted SSII/III wheels with a cheap-@$$ Sears siphon blaster and a 3 HP compressor. Didn't take that long.

Tedd Thompson

It's your compressor that will limit how fast you will doing that kind of work. Low cfm output is the determining factor, the rest is how much time you will take refilling a small gun.... Tedd

chopolds

I'd use sand. Soda doesn't remove rust, as was said, and soda needs careful treatment before painting, or else it won't stick.

96powerstroke

Thanks all for the input! I ended up getting one of the small harbor freight 20oz sandblaster and 80 grit sand.

Managed to get one wheel done and it looks nice. It did take forever and the hopper kept needing to be refilled. The guns air valve actually broke (no surprise there. Can't expect much from a harbor freight tool) so it's going back and I'm taking them somewhere to be professionally done as originally suggested. Id love to but a bigger tank version but by time I do all that it'll be christmas and my wheels still won't be done.

On second thought I might get a tank setup and do it. After calling one place yesterday they wanted $50 per wheel. I'll keep looking in the meantime.

Thanks again