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Will it work? if so how effective will it be one common parts (intakes, heads, engine mounts ect...)?

I have no idea but I have the same cabinet and will keep this alive to find out. Not that I ever need or do that kind of blasting. Anything I sand blast needs real sand.
What is soda blasting good for?
Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

I dont think so. Soda media for sandblasting is a 'name' . Pretty sure its not the same stuff. Nothing to stop you from trying it though, may work just fine. Maybe its same, just a courser grit. Baking powder is like chalk. It wont hurt your blaster to try it.

Steve, soda blasting like a car body leaves no piles of gritty sand on the ground....just blows away. It also does no damage to plastic, rubber and glass. I use sand to actually etch glass and chrome so it can be painted.

[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 05-10-2010).]

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: I dont think so. Soda media for sandblasting is a 'name' . Pretty sure its not the same stuff. Nothing to stop you from trying it though, may work just fine. Maybe its same, just a courser grit. Baking powder is like chalk. It wont hurt your blaster to try it. Steve, soda blasting like a car body leaves no piles of gritty sand on the ground....just blows away. It also does no damage to plastic, rubber and glass. I use sand to actually etch glass and chrome so it can be painted.

As always thanks Roger for that informative answer.
And the one in the PM I sent you.
Interesting about the soda, never have used it. Most all of my blasting is on heavy steel usually.

Thanks again
Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

You cannot use baking soda from the grocery store. But places like Harbor Freight, Norther Tool and Eastwoods have the soda media for blasting basicly it is little chuncks not the fine powder.

Actually, Lori (my wife) used to sell blasting soda for Arm and Hammer. I'll ask her about it, if anyone can give a definitive answer on that it would be her. She's on a plane heading out on a business trip, but I'll talk to her later.

quote Originally posted by Taijiguy: From Lori: Particle size. Store brand is medium grade...there are finer grades for other applications...blasting media is the coarsest. Chemically exactly the same. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

cool. i will get a little box and use it as a tester and see what happens.

Blasting cabinets are for reusing, recovering the media. I have never been able to re-use the Sodium Bicarbonate media with any success.
The high speed contact of the media with a surface deteriorates the media, Sodium Bicarbonate (soda) breaks down fastest of any media I have used.
However:
Any media blaster can use Soda. Most media blasters designed / converted to Soda have a purge valve to clear out the tank of the Soda. Soda loves moisture and will "clump up" in the tank / cabinet and should be removed / cleared out of the blaster when not being used. Line dryers should always be used with Soda.

-Dave

http://www.universalmineral...sting-overview.shtml

quote The use of baking soda, as an abrasive, has been well known for many years. It is one of the oldest materials used to manually scrub a variety of things throughout the household. It has been widely used as a soap or degreaser. The solubility and the "safety” of soda, around food and people, made it ideal for restaurants. It has been said that the first powdered use was (and still is) to clean teeth at dental offices in the 70’s. Armed with only a tiny water ring and this product, which they blast at 60 PSI, dentists are able to remove stains and debris. However, the enamel on the teeth remains undamaged during the process. Then soda was expanded to micro-blasting circuit boards (dry, of course) in order to clean flux off the boards. Many micro-blast applications are still used today.

quote The most popular application method of soda blasting is “dry”. This is the preferred method for auto body restoration. If one is considering “dry” soda blasting as a business, in order to do it right, be sure to keep in mind the initial cost can be tough. You will need a large 185 CFM compressor or bigger and not just any old sand blasting hopper. Soda blast pots are unique. They must be capable of metering the abrasive flow rate down to a minimal amount to keep cost down, and also it’s good to be able to adjust the pot pressure separate from the blast pressure to ensure a proper consistent flow. Most sand blast hoppers are unable to…or not designed to do this. At the same time, the hot compressed air from the compressor will produce moisture and must be cooled and run through a moisture separator. This is necessary because soda is a water soluble abrasive. Soda will soak up moisture, when it does it will become sticky when wet and will build up inside of your machine’s working components and hoses. When it dries, it can become very hard and soda blasting without a moisture separator can have a blast pot shut down several times in one day. This of course, can be extremely costly and time consuming.

[This message has been edited by texasfiero (edited 05-10-2010).]

Ok. so no soda. What should i fill this thing up with? I just read what im doing is dangerous (been using silica sand and breathing that crap in for a while now). Im trying to track down this sand called "black beauty" but to no avail. So whats my best bet? i want something that will take rust and paint off with ease. Aluminium Oxide??? The sand works great but it bad to breath.

Try regular sand. not silica sand. Or glass beeds, expensive but work great. for aluminum you can use walnut shells or plastic.

quote Originally posted by Fiero STS: Try regular sand. not silica sand. Or glass beeds, expensive but work great. for aluminum you can use walnut shells or plastic.

I have normal play sand in it. I also have glass bead but it sucks at taking of paint. Good at polishing....

Only use the sand sold by auto body supply stores. Its specialized for use in sandblasting. Its only like $7 for a 50lb bag. Other sand will clog up. Glass is far more deadly without a mask. Its like putting raw glass in your lungs and stomach....only removed by surgery. Walnut shells was usually best untill they started using soda. It also does very little damage to anything other that the paint.