[kell490]

I just got my first car blast job to bid. I'm going over there tomorrow to give him a price. The guy perfers I come to him he had lined up a guy that is stationary but he didn't want to flat bed the car body down there. I also another call that is the same thing. Looks like being mobile is good thing. Anyway the car is some kind of small car like a Aston martin vintage or something. He only wants the ending compartment done bottom and door jams. He doesn't want any of the body panels done. I'm thinking of using crushed glass. Wonder how much I will need in crushed glass and how much to charge.

 

[Betterblast]

Kell I use crushed glass for autos every time. It's perfect. I use a medium for all the parts you mentioned. The jams won't take much at all. Might use 10 or 25 lbs I bet. I guess you mean the trunk when you say ending compartment. Trunks suck because they fill with media and it makes it harder to do the floor of it. You may have to stop and scoop or vacume some out while you are doing it. Can't be too big on a car like that. If it's just paint maybe 150 lbs is my guess. Now the bottom, that depends on if it is all undercoating. And on the agravation level if it is not going to be lifted high enough to work on easily. There isn't really any paint under there so it will not take much just to clean off the metal. I would allowI would allow at least 250 lbs just because it may be hard to reach some angles and you might just let it run in an area for a while to get all up in it. If it is all undercoating you never know. It can be pretty thick in some spots. I have come across as much as a 1/4 inch at times or it can be just a skim coat that blows right off. It absorbs the impact and can come off pretty slow at times but it will come off. You might bring somthing to scrape a little with. The ending compartment may also be undercoating allow extra there too if it is. And if he wants the under side of the trunk lid done remember it is thin metal. Go easy like 50 psi and sweep back and forth so you don't build up heat. Bring light that you can get under the car with. You souldn't run in to body putty in those parts but you could on any of them. The customer will always tell you there isn't any if you ask. I bring a die grinder with me now. They are $30. to $50. and you can remove all of the plastic for a few cents worth of wheels. They are not flat sandpaper wheels. You want the ones that are a plastic mesh like a crubby pad for doing dishes but a harder material. Harbor frieight, norther tools home depot. Next I can almost promis you he will get a price and then show you a box of parts and a bumper that"you might as well hit while your here" and so on. Be strong. You have to charge for everything. So you might use 6 bags you might use 15. You know what your media costs you. Labor, I would think at least $400 or $500. if you have to crawl under it. Box of parts is up to you but add at least $50. and what ever glass it takes. Good luck. Hope this helps

 

[kell490]

Okay I have no idea why I said ending compartment I meant ENGINE compartment. I have been so busy today anyway he basically wants everything done except the flat body panels. Engine compartment, inside trunk, door jams, under car. He said the car is on axles but he plan on pulling those and mounting the body on a rotisserie so we can rotate it so I can blast without getting under the car just stand and blast and rotate the car. My big question here is when you blast with glass it leaves kind of a rougher surface then soda. He lives about 40 miles from my house so it will be a one way trip I have to think of everything. Your thinking about 250 lbs should be enough. I also was thinking of bringing soda in case he doesn't like the profile glass leaves. Soda virtually leaves no profile it's very smooth. Labor is my time plus what ever it takes in fuel and travel fuel. Glass is $12.50 a 50lb bag so 4.5 bags is 250lbs $60. I can bring 500 lbs I know it will be enough and bring 500 lbs of soda in case he wants that. Good thing is he is out in the middle of no where so no problem blasting there.

 

[kell490]

I got a 2nd call tonight a guy wants a citron blasted just the fiberglass roof. I'm thinking best thing is to use soda but I said like $250-300 he kind of balked at that. What you you guys charge for that its a 4x6' he said there is several layers of paint. I told him to try calling some of the stationary guys but he doesn't want to leave it with them.

 

[Steve G.]

Might wanna' check ur math last time I checked 50 x 5 was 250:thumbup:
So you would need 5 bags, not 4.5 bags:thumbsup:

 

[Betterblast]

Kell I said 250 lbs just for underneath but engine compartments are not too bad because there isn't really a floor in them. If you are going all the way there just to price it bring a sample of somthing blasted to show him the texture of the glass. It doesn't have to be a car part you could blast a garden tool you own . You will have to use glass if he expects rust to be gone and soda is twice or more the price. What guys do is use a fill primer to even out the texture and it gets sanded down so it is smooth. Body guys do this all the time. I have a fine glass I use also I don't know what you have but the medium is quicker and cost less than the fine. I would feel comfortable if I had 15 or 20 bags with me. He may add all kind of things on once you are there and then you don't get that panic feeling that you could run out. I have stuffed all my tools and 25 bags of glass in to my little Tacoma. Soda is good for the Citron I figure 3 bags at least for the top. If you do under it it will have very thin paint and go much more quicly than the top. Like one bag probably. If you pay around $25. for soda you will use a hundred bucks or so maybe. I would be happy if I made another hundred. I might tell him $175 to $200. for the roof. I don't really know about going to see it first. I say there is no reason. It's nothing to him for you to come out on an 80 mile round trip. Does he want it blasted or not. It isn't free, it's going to cost him money. Honestly I wouldn't go out to look at it. It makes you sound new, like you have no idea what a car would take without examining it. The reason they want you to look at it is to get your price down. They know you have time invested already and they will say things while your there like"you can see there isn't much on it" And "It's just a small trunk, not much to it" All things designed to make you agree it will be so easy and quick that you don't need to charge him. Here is what I recomend. Settle on how much profit you would like to come away with. Don't think about material or gas. Just how much do you want when you are done. If you got $500. out of the day would it make you happy. I know it would me. Now estamat a range of material and add it on. Don't tell him the profit in the price , he dosn't need to know what you get. Just give him a range. Like $$620 to $725. for the car. I'm giving you $15 a bag to cover fuel 8 to 15 bags plus say $500 labor. The Citron figure another hundred labor and $50 to $100. depending if wants you to use glass or soda. You might take the top layor off with glass and finish with soda. I would consider calling him and saying somthing like this. I was going to come out so I could meet you but I actually have a lot going on right now. As far as the car goes I don't really need to see it , they all go pretty much the same. I can tell you it will be between $600 and $750 depending on what it needs. What I can tell you is I will use as little media as I can and as much as I have to to do a great job for you. If I'm there for the car I can take care of that roof for a hundred and some, we'll see what it takes. You can leave that open untill you get to work it. He already has a price in mind and it is most likely about a third of what you want. If you don't get it at least you don't blow a day on a hundred mile round trip.


Steve G. What the heck are you even talking about?

 

[Betterblast]

Sorry Steve I see it now.

 

[kell490]

Might wanna' check ur math last time I checked 50 x 5 was 250:thumbup:
So you would need 5 bags, not 4.5 bags:thumbsup:

Steve you can't really buy 1/2 of 50 lb pound bag so I was just rounding off the price I know I have to buy 5 bags to get 250lbs

 

[user20594]

panderson2414

Betterblast, you have it right. kell now you have to tell the customer drive to you. He is your typical car guy I want to have you do this for this price and here is a box of parts. F-that I have learned that the less you cater to this kind of guy the more you get. This guy is had to order his parts through a catalog that takes six to nine weeks to get, Play hard to get say im to busy I cant do right now and watch the results. He will bring you the car you will get your price. If you really need the work be tough dont let him push you around. Here is our general rule 1000$ per guy per day wether that day is two hours or ten. I take the good with the bad and even it out. If the car is undercoated this rule does not apply 175 an hour plus travel. Fine glass will not take undrcoating, use 12/40 coal slag to take it off then heal it up with fine glass or somthing alot cheaper like sugar sand or river rock or red flint

 

[kell490]

Here is the deal with the car its like a rambler or something really small. He only wants the engine compartment wheel wells and under side done. Panderson I have no place to blast I keep my machine on the side of my house in a track home. People get mad when you start up a lawn mower someone asked me why I don't buy a electric I told them because I like the smell it makes when smoke comes out of it . I have to go to them I told him 150 for engine compartment and then I would try the undercoat if it comes off easy another $100. It seemed to come off. We came to about $300 with some springs too if the undercoat comes off. Since it's my first car ever I might loose some but I need the practice anyway. I'm thinking 5 bags should do it I will bring 10 with me.

 

[kell490]

Another car bid tomorrow

I got a call from a body shop who has a 50's something ford car he is restoring he wants the outside done and everything except the bottom. He said he had a friend get his soda blasted and he liked how it came out. I told him no problem with the soda but he would have to wash it really well with hot soapy water before he primers it. I'm thinking using glass everywhere except the outside panels. I don't want to run the risk of warping with glass. He said if it goes well he will have me do all his cars. I'm thinking of asking for $750-$800. He doesn't want to take it anywhere he wants me to do it in his parking lot.

 

[Betterblast]

The 40/70 glass I use has worked ok for undercoating, the fine I woulddn't enen try for that. The fine however is good for the side panels if you have rust but want to avoid heat. Kell I use a lot of walnut for paint removal instead of soda. You avoid the heat build up and no paint worries that I am aware of. It still won't clean rust but you can go over it with fine glass after. Main difference is it isn't water soluble for easier clean up but if they don't care about that it is less hassel for the painter, it won't hurt glass or chrome either.. I would be carful about giving exact cleaning advice. You don't need them saying"we used soap and water like you said and our paint fell off" . I prefer to inform them that there are adhesion concerns with soda and they might want to research it on line before they paint. There is a product called Hold Tight 102 some people like. Chesapeaksodaclean is a distributer, but that costs another $50. or so. I like the walnut. I do my boat bottoms with it often. It goes a long way. It is very fluffy and one bag fills my surfacetek to the top. I only use about four bags on a 24 foot boat.

 

[kell490]

So you think soda is a bad idea have you had any problems using it any body shops get upset. I have a whole pallet of soda that I have about 2k in.

 

[Betterblast]

I have one place that won't allow soda . I have a corvette shop down the street that only wants soda. Go figure. You have to have a few different media in stock to satisfy everyone anyway. If you start doing boats it works great for that. A lot of people strip the paint and don't repaint. They buff them so they wouldn't care. It is good for food related items like the deep fryers I did for a diner. It's great for an engine compartment that still has an engine. It has it's place for sure. If they ask for soda just do it. You don't have to say anything about cleaning it. That's their problem.

 

[Dyer]

There are different media's for different jobs, don't tie you self down with just one media, try different things :thumbsup:

 

[kell490]

I quoted the guy today $1000 had a early 60's ford Galaxy he wants the total body done and front clip firewall. I told him I can use soda or walnut. I told him to do some research and that what ever media he wants will still get into cracks. He liked the idea that with soda you can leave it while you do you body work and it wont rust. I don't know who to believe when it comes to soda. The guy that sold me the thing said he has done 1000 cars over the last 20 years and none have came back. He said if you wash it with hot water and dawn dish soap it wont peel. Then I read stories on the internet about people with peeling paint. I just told him to wash it with hot water. He said he can hook his hose up to his hot water heater and use that. Doesn't seem worried about it. I offered either way plastic is too expensive and I'm not experienced enough to try glass once you warp it you can't go back.

 

[Betterblast]

Kell
I'm pretty sure plastic only works with a blaster made for it anyway. It's usually done with a recovery system. I'm going to contact the Natrium soda guy and ask him if there is any test for this evil paint killing residue. There must be some way to know if it is cleaned off. You are paying about $12.50 per bag of glass? That's a bit high. I last got it delivered for about $10.50 with the shipping. I can get it down to $8.20 when I am ready to get at least 9 skids. Who is your supplier.

 

[Jakkel]

I quoted the guy today $1000 had a early 60's ford Galaxy he wants the total body done and front clip firewall. I told him I can use soda or walnut. I told him to do some research and that what ever media he wants will still get into cracks. He liked the idea that with soda you can leave it while you do you body work and it wont rust. I don't know who to believe when it comes to soda. The guy that sold me the thing said he has done 1000 cars over the last 20 years and none have came back. He said if you wash it with hot water and dawn dish soap it wont peel. Then I read stories on the internet about people with peeling paint. I just told him to wash it with hot water. He said he can hook his hose up to his hot water heater and use that. Doesn't seem worried about it. I offered either way plastic is too expensive and I'm not experienced enough to try glass once you warp it you can't go back.

Look in to carrying the Hold tight 102 product for your soda customers. Its the best product for removing the soda residue. If they are spending a $1000+ to blast a car another $50 for the product isnt that big a deal. They run it through a pressure washer to clean the car. I suggest telling every customer that you blast with soda that the residue needs cleaned off before painting. Unless you wanna get sued by a pissed off customer that spends alot of my for a paint job that peels off.

 

[kell490]

I asked soda blasting systems about hold tight he said you don't need it just hot water and dawn soap. I do like the idea of the product it can't hurt if anything it cleans the dust off just as good. Has anyone here had any customers come back and say they washed the car but paint peeled anyway? I have asked this question and all I get is I heard about this but no first hand experience. If you wash with the hot water and soap it should do it?

 

[user20594]

panderson2414

Betterblast, I have always wanted to run into a guy that has worked on boats. I have never done any. What kind of customers come to you what, do they want and how do you repaint a blasted hull. I live close to the mississippi and have always thought of the river boats as an un-tapped market. I see the marinas full of boats with river scum on the bottom and I want to know if that is a market for blasting. My dad also owns a 1977 glastron He loves that boat and I want to restore it. Im a good paint guy but I dont know anything about gell coats. I know auto and industrial but marine is new to me.