Soda Blasting Bizz - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

jma375hh · 10-10-2009, 10:39 PM

Hello everyone new to this forum. I saw on a recent car show, Soda Blasting being done. this was a mobile unit from Strip Co. I contacted a rep and got some info. Anyone one have a opinion about this unit and company. I am thinking of possibly starting a Soda Blasting service here were I live. Is there a decent living to be made with this kind of business. I live in a area that has allot of Oil and Gas producers and Commercial fishing. and I don't believe anyone offers this kind of service. Any suggestions on getting started would be of great help and what equipment is the best and what to stay away from. thanks for any Help.

Dyer · 10-11-2009, 07:12 AM

Welcome to the site.
There is a good business in soda but do not offer just one media for blasting.
Glass media and Walnut Shell Media and other different types can make your busines a more well rounded and more profitable.
Look around in some of the old post to get a better fell for what people are offering to there customers.

DON'T JUST LOOK AT ONE CO. and think there all the same,
DO YOUR research and look around. some guys on here are selling old equipment.

Just a note: I live in Maine and my bigest markets are Boats, then Cars and Heavy equipment.

Good luck to you and we hope to hear from you on some of the threeds.
-Jim

blastserv · 10-11-2009, 02:28 PM

i suggest you use the search function or just read every thread title in the section you are in here...it will educate you more than use all talking about this topic over and over...good luck.

Betterblast · 10-11-2009, 05:06 PM

Jma , I agree with Jim on not limiting your self to jsut soda. The Stripco equipment is a very large investment. You may use half thesoda with it than a multi media pot but if you can only buy and carry around one then you may not want to be boxed in with just soda. I have one restoration shop that will not permit soda. I use walnut for them. Soda will de paint an auto but it will not in my experience eliminate rust. On the Stripco site they say how the soda nutrilized the rust. What the heck does that mean? Soda is a rust inhibiter but just while it is not washed off for a week or so. They also say just rinse with water but it isn't clear that water alone is enough.

Blastman · 10-14-2009, 04:17 PM

The more diversified you are the better. I would seriously suggest making soda the last pot you buy. Get a pot that shoots Starblast and crushed glass. Soda is a joke and only has a very small place in the blast world. It works slower than anything other than foam and costs $$ per bag compared to other medias. Do not let the soda manufacturer do a sell job on you because like I said, soda is a joke !!! Simply slow and expensive. Works great on helicopters, any aluminum, and fiberglass. But keep in mind that these substrates make up an extremely small portion of the blast market.

Dyer · 10-14-2009, 07:13 PM

I agree with you blastman, I spent lots on the soda blast and find that I only use it 1/4 of the time compaired to My marco pot.

Thinking about changing my co. name to Media blasting in stead of Soda Blasting!

Blastman · 10-14-2009, 09:36 PM

I also had to change the name of my business a few years back due to soda being in the name. I only wish that I was on a site like this back in 1995 when I 1st sunk a sizeable chunk of change on soda equipment when it should have been a 60 degree 600 lb. marco tank that has the ability to shoot a very wide variety of blast media. A soda tank should never have anything but soda ran through it, no matter what the manufacturers say, due to shooting around glass or hydraulic cylinders, where there will be a zero tolerance for any imperfections.

Betterblast · 10-15-2009, 05:50 AM

You guys with these 600 lb pots, they must be three hundred pounds empty? Do you take that on mobile jobs or just at your shop. I don't see how you get it around.

Dyer · 10-15-2009, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betterblast

You guys with these 600 lb pots, they must be three hundred pounds empty? Do you take that on mobile jobs or just at your shop. I don't see how you get it around.

BetterBlast, I only have the Marco 3.5 cu. for the simple reason to be able to ride it in my truck. but its still heavy! at least 75 lbs more than my soda pot.

I got the new Marco pot with the 12v dead man and the maximum valve & gate keeper.
because of the quick shut off / and on, I've been saving lots of grit per day with it. compaired to the air dead men.

the 600lb was only a few hundred dollars more. Good for a shop, but there is no way I could lift it it and out of the truck myself.
the 3.5 gives me a way to go.

panderson2414 · 10-15-2009, 06:06 PM

Dyer love the new guy you put up

Betterblast · 10-15-2009, 08:08 PM

I put wheels on the handle of my surface tek. Lay it on the tail gate lift the legs and it rolls right in.

Dyer · 10-16-2009, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betterblast

I put wheels on the handle of my surface tek. Lay it on the tail gate lift the legs and it rolls right in.

its "Bill the Cat" from bloom county cartoons, its an old one but looks like me when i'm done blasting!

The Idea with the wheels thats a good one. My boy and I where thinking the same thing too, we lay it on the handle and push it in wheels would do good on both my pots.

It would make life easier.

Post some pic's maybe? others might want to see too.

Thanks, I now that I'm not the only one thinking like that.

Blastman · 10-16-2009, 05:27 PM

You guys with the little pots, all you must do is fill them. I have always used my 600 lb. for mobile jobs. As long as you have enough air (375 cfm) minimum, you simply leave the pot mounted on the truck and run blast hose, up to 250 feet. As long as you are using electric dead man set up, you will have no problem. This is way easier than lugging any size pot around. Anything less than 375 cfm is really a joke when it comes to any industrial blasting.

Betterblast · 10-16-2009, 07:27 PM

Blast man I see how that could work quite well. However many of us have to do things differently. I use a small Tacoma Pick up and I need it for work around my shop too. I can't leave any equipment in it. I would like to get a large box truck with lift gate one day. I could have a stationary pot then. When I have to fill I don't mind so much. I kind of want a break by then and I can look over the job to see if I missed anything.

Dyer I'll take pics when I go in tomorow. Oh and that was Panderson who liked your "bill the cat" But I agree it's a cool cartoon.

Dyer · 10-17-2009, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betterblast

Dyer I'll take pics when I go in tomorow. Oh and that was Panderson who liked your "bill the cat" But I agree it's a cool cartoon.

Ya , sorry about that ,
I Should give thanks to the right guy!
Thank You Panderson

Dyer · 10-17-2009, 06:12 AM

This is my Marco 3.5 order it w/ pressure hold.
All piping is the same as the 600lb.

I can run for a while on this and it does give me a break to stop.

My 2 cents

Some day I too will have enough money to by a truck and a trailer to set up on, till then I'm small time with no over head.

tuffplay · 10-17-2009, 07:25 AM

Can someone please tell me what soda blasting is? Is it like sand blasting? Help me out here....

Betterblast · 10-17-2009, 07:31 AM

Very nice pot Jim, I would add a plumbers union between the Thompson and the pot for easy servicing.

Also you may find the Thompson spins almost too easy and could knock out of adjustment. I am going to modify mine as was sugested to me. Remove the knob and install a washer and a spring and another washer and it should add some tension. I'm going to try that this week.

Betterblast · 10-17-2009, 07:35 AM

Tuffplay, It's baking soda. Best to read the many threads in here on it. It won't do rust like abrasive but it has its place. A few pros and cons.

Betterblast · 10-17-2009, 04:43 PM

My new set of wheels