soda blasting automotive part

Hi,

Maybe someone in this group has some info...

Blasting parts with baking soda is offered, for fragile aluminium part too.. Baking soda is said to be sodiumbicarbonate chemically.

My question: is it possible to use household soda (xodiumcarbonate) as a blasting medium to clean carburettor manifold (e.g. an SU carb), which may be cast from a ZnAl alloy.?

I saw on my soda-bags it is *not* for Al, but this may be meant as Al to be sensitive for soluted sodiumcarbonate (the co3 -ions)

My point: can I safely blast my manifold with sodiumcarbonate, without getting some form of corrosiion??

tx rob

Reply to
rill2
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============== I guess that the baking powder (sodium bicarbonate) will be virtually inert as long as it is only used as a dry abrasive powder. In practice it will be similar to (glass) bead blasting which is quite often used to blast clean aluminium.

Washing soda (sodium carbonate) is a different thing and is usually in coarse crystaline form and probably not suitable for blasting unless you use a very large blasting jet. I doubt if it would do much of a job.

If you're thinking of trying it yourself test the baking powder on a piece of scrap aluminium to see the effect. Personally I don't think you need any really delicate cleaning for a carburettor manifold unless it's been highly polished. Bead blasting is probably the best bet.

Cic.

Reply to
Cicero

They must use a very small gun to do the blasting. Its a soft fine grit.

Used to clean radiators, caustic and hydroscopic would never work for blasting. But maybe would work if you soaked the aluminum parts in it. Actually the packets which I now buy have a warning on them as to be careful when in contact with aluminum.

Yep Usually bead blasting is used.

Reply to
Rob

The two common ways of cleaning aluminium parts are vapour blasting (which actually uses glass beads in water, not just vapour) and blasting with crushed walnut shells. I'd not heard of soda blasting but Google tells me it's quite common for such things as paint and graffiti removal. You can blast your manifold with anything you like without getting corrosion as long as you give it a rinse off afterwards in a cleaning tank. However be aware that freshly cleaned aluminium starts to develop a surface layer of oxide again fairly quickly unless you paint it.

I'd go for vapour blasting personally. It leaves a nice finish on aluminium. Well actually I wouldn't waste my money on paying someone else to blast clean a manky old manifold. I'd give it a scrub with a wire brush and some cleaning solvent but maybe you are trying to create a show car.

-- Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines

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Reply to
Dave Baker

Don't use sodium bicarbonate on aluminium, it corrodes the aluminium. Don't use it dry, because you can't get all the poweder off and it is hygroscopic and will pick up water from the atmosphere then start to corrode the aluminium.

Also watch out for some engine cleaners. Autoglm sell an engine cleaner that is extremely caustic. It appears to be similar to something called Decon 90 that used to be used in the radiochemical business. Soak anything aluminium in Decon 90 and it would dissolve. Bicarbonate is weaker and slower but it still causes corrosion to aluminium components.

Reply to
Steve Firth

## Over here the washing soda is available as sugar-like grains too, to the particles may not be to big and heavy to blast with my compressor. I didn't try it yet, as scrap Al is absent on my yard

rob

Reply to
rill2

## To be on the safe side, I will not use it on my carb manifold. But questions stay present, see the link:

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!! tx, rob

Reply to
rill2

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