Soda blasting is not new…it is something that the government discovered while restoring the statue of liberty during the early eighties. Like everything the government does there is no budget so this was an acceptable media to use while media blasting the monument. It does work, and is extremely delicate but it has its place and its place is somewhat limited in my opinion. Due to the final look of the substrate it can be decided to be used and if so be aware that the Ph of sodium bicarbonate will kill plants and yellow grass.
Car restorations are sometimes a candidate for soda blasting when the hood or roof of the vehicle is big and flat. too much kinetic energy in one spot with an abrasive can distort and warp so sometimes I strip cars using soda AND Starblast. If the car is not coming completely apart and things like the the steering column and glass or trim are being left installed we are able to use soda blasting as the method for stripping your project and even save you a little time by not having to remove them.
Soda does not etch anything except aluminum. It will turn aluminum frosty white and leave it etched.It will not remove rust, rust stains,bondo, or anything other than paint.
This is a Lincoln Continental deck lid that is a good example of soda blasting results…
First of all it is huge and flat which is the first determinating factors when using soda. Second of all the the rust worms you see in the left pic is a real concern for most AFTER they see the part or car done with soda. Soda blasting does not remove the rust stains or clean it off the metal it is still there and needs to be sanded to finish the process of stripping the metal. Some pieces are not replaceable and have to have this type of process done but some pieces are available new and can be purchased for less than the soda blasting service cost.
