ERAD_DIB

Just wondering if anyone here has tried a sand injector/"wet sander" on their pressure washer. Besides the ones below, Mi-T-M also has a couple (ceramic tip or carbide tip), priced a little higher. (They list for around $545, but I've seen them for $223-$243 or so.)
This page has a little tutorial about the attachments, and about sand.
This one mentions soda blasting. I read somewhere today that blasting soda granules are somehow encapsulated to keep out moisture until they hit the surface being blasted. Then the coating is supposed to fracture and let the granules dissolve.
"Better living through chemistry."

I guess if none of the anti-graffiti solvents, high pressure or hot water will take off a "tag," this might be the next step.

painter213

I have used them several times with my 3000psi pressure washer. For Graffiti Removal I would say go with the Baking Soda. Would be less abrasive on the substrate and the water will dissolve the soda so there is no clean up afterward. Using sand will ruff up the surface and you will have to do alot of blending in as well. Just my thoughts.

__________________
Benny Abbott
Abbott Consulting and Coating Inspections
E-Mail: babbott@abbottcoatinginspections.com
Phone: (205-717-0292)

ERAD_DIB

I agree. I've been doing a bunch of reading-up on it since I posted that, and I think soda would definitely be the way to go.
I found Universal Minerals' site this morning, and they have a "Sof" and a "Maxx" material. They also have some additional info on there about removal.

Gotta take advantage of every tool on the belt, right?

Thanks for your input.

painter213

It takes many tools in ones toolbox to become a Master of one's trade.

__________________
Benny Abbott
Abbott Consulting and Coating Inspections
E-Mail: babbott@abbottcoatinginspections.com
Phone: (205-717-0292)

CO2Solutions

so true! I keep adding to my toolbox and loving it...one day a Jedi master I will be...ok, I know that was lame...

I seem to be doing more and more graffiti these days and really want to try soda blasting and see the results first hand. I currently use pressure washing and chem's --- which I really hate doing, not safe at all for us or the environment.

ERAD_DIB

Well, after 213 wrote that, I was gonna say something to the effect of how I feel a little like a young David Carradine in a certain TV series . . .
But it's good to have several options for correcting a problem. Sometimes expressed as "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

I recently purchased a gallon of Graf-Ex from EaCo Chem. It's basically naphtha; combustible and possibly an irritant, but the pH is 7.5, way lower than a lot of the stuff out there. The MSDS for it is here. (Like all their products, you can get to the MSDS from the pull-down list on their home page, but the link from the Graf-Ex specs page is wrong. I'll see if I can get 'em to fix that.)
I'll probably have to fall back on some stronger stuff for some jobs, but I think I'll use the Graf-Ex whenever possible, at least to start out with.

Check out Stewart Specialty Services in West Jordan, UT. Cory has a good video of soda-blasting graffiti off a window. I bet the property owner was tickled to have that mess gone, and the glass none the worse for the experience.

tom connelly

Graf-Ex was designed to remove tags from painted surfaces without damaging the paint, therefore it may not work the best for other applications. However, EaCo Chem also makes other products for paint and graffiti removal.

Stripsol is a solvent based stripper that should work well for removing most of your tags on masonry surfaces, along with LCS which is caustic based.

They also have some creams that work well for graffiti removal, such as Stripper Cream (caustic) and InStrip (neutral ph).

Soda blasting is better than sand blasting, but it is high in alkaline and can destroy the soil often times killing plants and making it virtually impossible to grow back on their on. If you are wanting to try some sort of media blasting try ice blasting, or a neutral soda substitute. I used to know of a couple but haven't dealt with it in a couple years and have forgotten. sorry about that. There is one that works like soda but it dissolves and is neutral, leaving no mess and no harm to plants. If I remember I will make another post.